About Us » About the Water Crisis » Elevated Nutrient Contamination
Elevated nutrients in the water supply is most commonly an issue in agricultural areas where run-off from fields adds nutrients from fertilizer application to streams and other surface water, and from there into shallow groundwater. Deeper groundwater is usually protected from nutrient contamination. The most common nutrient in the water supply is nitrate, which at high levels can interfere with oxygen uptake by the blood. Another frequently occuring nutrient contaminant is phosphorous. There are no health risks associated with elevated phosphorous; however, it can impart an bad taste to the water. In addition to the health issues, elevated nutrients can cause excessive algae growth that can choke out other aquatic life in the polluted body of water.
