Pollution Example Essay Example

pumping economic cost.

Water markets have several benefits, such as incorporating the costs that are typically not accounted for, adapting efficiently to market fluctuations, and reallocating water from less valuable to more valuable purposes. Furthermore, they allow for compensations in case of delivery failures. However, the effectiveness of this system depends on factors like physical infrastructure, institutional frameworks, legal structures, and levels of transaction costs.

The United States has implemented water policies using various approaches, including the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and the EPA Office of Water. The Clean Water Act sets national objectives for water quality and provides permits for waste dischargers in US waters. In 1987, an amendment was introduced to allocate funds specifically for state-run treatment plants. On the other hand, the Safe Drinking Water Act establishes standards to ensure the quality of public drinking water and oversees state efforts to protect groundwater.

An amendment to the act in 1996 mandates local water systems to distribute an annual report with water bills. The Environment Protection Agency also oversees all environmental policies and has influence on water matters. However, the lack of coordination among these policies hinders the effective management of water for the benefit of present and future generations. The fragmentation of various agencies responsible for different water duties can impede water stewardship, routine water management, and drought planning decisions.

Glennon's failure to address how the quantity of free drinking water per household will be determined, along with the impracticality and high cost of separating water mains for different uses, undermines the feasibility of his proposal. Additionally, making excess water usage prohibitively expensive would only exacerbate the problem of water accessibility. The

US water crisis is further compounded by structural issues, such as the expansion of cities in unsuitable locations like Los Angeles, which has led to environmental and wildlife impacts due to dam construction.

The country is facing issues regarding excessive consumption of groundwater, which is causing earth fissures and sinking ground surfaces. This implies that soon the consumption of groundwater will be restricted. While water privatization involves the transfer of water and sanitation services to the private sector, water markets still consider water provision as an essential public service. Under privatization, water prices are determined by market forces, aiming at profitability for companies. On the other hand, water market prices are determined by the costs associated with pumping water to its intended destination. Mary O'Brien's assessment of alternatives states that it is unacceptable to harm individuals when reasonable alternatives are available, including non-human entities. It is not appropriate for one person to define what constitutes acceptable damage for someone else. Additionally, private behaviors often have consequences for the environment and should not be regarded as solely private matters.