[미국] 국립청정수관리소협회(NACWA), 수질 관리를 위한 솔루션 강조

국립청정수관리소협회(NACWA)가 지속적으로 발생하고 있는 국가의 수질사고를 다룬다고 발표했다. 또한, 복잡한 물 관련 문제를 다루는 실행 가능한 유역기반의 솔루션을 지원하고 수질을 보장하기 위한 지속적인 투자가 필요하다고 강조했다.

수질오염방지법은 국가 수질을 대폭 향상시키기 위해 청정수 기관이나 국가 폐수처리 기관을 위한 자원의 필요성과 방향을 제공한다. 이 기관들은 수질을 향상시키고 강화하기 위해 지속적으로 수행한다. 또한, 남아있는 수질 문제를 완전하게 다루고 농지와 도시지역의 우수 방출로 발생하는 비점오염원에 주목한다.

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies(NACWA) has addressed that ongoing water quality incidents around the nation, such as the recent water crisis in Toledo, Ohio, for example, underscores the need for continued investment to ensure water quality and support for viable watershed-based solutions to deal with these complex water challenges.

The Clean Water Act (CWA) provided the direction and resources necessary for the nation's wastewater treatment agencies, or clean water agencies, to dramatically improve water quality across the country. While these agencies continue to work aggressively to enhance and improve water quality, it is widely acknowledged that in order to completely address the remaining quality impairment, greater attention and resources must be focused on nonpoint sources of pollution resulting from stormwater runoff from agricultural lands and urban areas.

"Early indications are that agricultural interests are committed to work with the utility community to solve this national problem," said Julius Ciaccia, former NACWA president and executive director of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer Authority, "but it's going to take time, money and a growing understanding by Congress that we need more flexibility to craft watershed-based solutions. Toledo is not alone in facing this challenge."

The recent passage by Congress of the Farm Bill is to be commended as an important first step. In particular, the Farm Bill's Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) facilitates partnerships between clean water utilities and agriculture to implement innovative nutrient management solutions. NACWA, along with leaders in the agricultural community, has supported this -- and other efforts to deal with nutrient issues -- by working collaboratively to address this challenge.

Water quality trading (see "Bartering for a Better Environment") and memorandums of understanding, like one NACWA will soon enter into with a federation of milk producers, offer other innovative partnership approaches to enhance water quality.

[출처 = Water World / 2014년 8월 6일]