Protecting area’s water quality of top importance

The Fargo Water Treatment Plant processes 4 billion gallons of water each year. David Samson / Forum Communications Co.

Mary Jo Hotzler - Deputy Editor - The Forum

So it stands to reason that when it comes to the water we drink and the water we rely on for recreation, quality matters.

But just how clean is the water you drink? More to the point, how safe is it?

Answering that question may not be as simple as you might think.

Sure, there are government standards and regulations in place to ensure that our water is worthy of consumption. But when it comes to measuring quality, the issue can get a bit muddy.

When water quality testers go about their business, there is no clear-cut, “yes” or “no” answer to the question of “Is this water clean?”

In fact, the water you drink almost certainly contains a miniscule concoction of chemicals – arsenic, nitrates and chloramine, to name a few.

But, when water treatment is done right and done well, none of those chemicals are enough to harm you.

And yet for some people, it’s still a scary proposition. That’s partly why home-filtration systems and bottled water have become so popular.

People want to drink clean water; they want their children to drink clean water. They’ll go to nearly any length to assure that happens.

That’s ultimately why we felt the issue of water quality was so important to explore here today.

But to really dive into the issue, you must go to the source: the rivers. It’s important that you understand how our daily activities affect the quality of water flowing into our rivers. It’s important that you then understand how the contents of our rivers have an effect on the water our cities are responsible for treating. And finally, it’s important to understand the role these treatment plants play in determining the quality of water that flows out of the tap in your kitchen sink.

Throughout Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, the issues are different and complex.

In western North Dakota, the practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, continues to cause concern for some who question whether it may have a negative impact on that region’s water quality.

Head east and south, into North Dakota and South Dakota’s farm country, and there are potential water quality issues there as well. Potential pollutants that result from farming and ranching include sediment, nutrients, pathogens, pesticides, metals and salts.

In cities such as Fargo, Moorhead and Grand Forks, municipal runoff has the potential to diminish water quality.

In Minnesota’s lakes country, the quality of our recreational waters also is under attack by invasive species that, from an ecological standpoint, have the potential to turn our freshwater ecosystems upside down.

The lesson from all of this: Protecting our water quality is critical.

Unfortunately, it’s often an expensive proposition.

In the end, we know it’s worth it.

There are people in countries throughout the world who would sacrifice everything they own for a sip of the quality drinking water we have here in the Upper Midwest – even on our worst days.

It may not be perfect, it may not come to us easily, but by and large, the water we drink is clean and safe. And for that, we’re thankful. Let’s keep it that way.

Mary Jo Hotzler – Deputy Editor – The Forum