Threat to the Great Lakes Water Supply from Human Activity and Climate Change

Human activity and climate change are degrading the water quality of the Great Lakes, catalyzing algae blooms, and ultimately threatening the drinking supply that tens of millions of Americans rely upon. The Great Lakes provide drinking water for 10 percent of the U.S. population and 30 percent of the Canadian population. However, more than a century of industrialization and urbanization now coupled with the effects of climate change have significantly impacted this vital water source. Nutrient, wastewater, and industrial pollution often find their way into the Great Lakes because of human activity and increasing levels of precipitation. The nutrient runoff is especially dangerous because of its ability to cause algal blooms, which can destroy a lake’s ecosystem and lead to toxins harmful to humans that cannot be neutralized by boiling.

Additionally, climate change is decreasing the Great Lakes water quality and creating conditions for increased algal blooms. First, rising water temperatures, most notably in Lake Michigan, provide a more fertile environment for algae to grow. Second, increased precipitation levels across the Great Lakes region have led to greater quantities of nutrient and wastewater runoff seeping into the water. Although climate change will likely exacerbate these conditions in the future, there are developments underway that could lessen future impacts. Infrastructure improvements to wastewater management are currently under construction, which are designed to capture excess nutrients. Also, municipal water operators are deploying smart technologies and remote sensing tools to create near-real-time warning systems for algae blooms. Read the full story at the Milwaukee Independent.