Toledo Water Ban Shines Spotlight on Water Issues in the U.S.

This article was authored by:

Carrie Carlson
Technical Writer

Over the weekend, the city of Toledo, Ohio, made headlines after banning residents from drinking tap water. Although the ban has now been lifted, the issue and its consequences have left people stunned and concerned over the vulnerability of fresh water systems in the United States. Adding to these concerns is the fact that the ban in Toledo is not an isolated incident: similar drinking water bans have recently made news in other parts of the country such as West Virginia and Portland. Additionally, sustainability concerns have even been raised close to home, with Lake Michigan’s Green Bay garnering attention due to a growing dead zone that threatens local agriculture, tourism, industry, and residential water quality.

About the Toledo Water Ban

Approximately half a million residents in Toledo depend on Lake Erie for their drinking water supply. Water is pumped from the lake and sent to a treatment plant for purification and testing. While many treatment techniques are utilized, recent water samples contained unsuitable levels of the toxin microcystin. Heavy concentrations of algal blooms in the western part of Lake Erie (near Toledo) are suspected to have been a contributing factor to the toxins in the water. While algal blooms are nothing new in the lake, the increased concentration is problematic. This increase has been attributed to a number of key influences such as fertilizer runoff, climate change, and weather fluctuations.

Preliminary information estimates fertilizer runoff as a major source for the algae bloom surge. In fact, earlier this year, the International Joint Commission issued a report stating that Lake Erie is being severely impacted by runoff from lawns and fertilized farm fields. Consequently, the report advocated setting fertilizer limits and maximum acceptable phosphorus targets in order to reduce phosphorous loading that causes algae bloom surges.

Preventing Fertilizer Runoff Through Precision Agriculture

The water quality problems in Toledo, Green Bay, and across the U.S. have served as a wake-up call for communities to be aware of potential water quality risks. Moving forward, it will be more important than ever to create and follow preventative measures before a serious public health issue arises. Preventing problematic sources such as fertilizer runoff from reaching valuable waterways will be vital to remediating environmental issues such as algal blooms.

While fertilizer might get a bad rap in these situations, fertilizer itself is not the actual problem; it is the oversaturation of our soils with excess nutrients that is to blame. When more nutrients are applied than the plants can take in, the remaining nutrients become runoff. This means the traditional more is better approach to application is not effective. The plants will only take in what they need, and leave the rest, resulting in runoff.

One method gaining traction in lessening this problem is precision agriculture. Precision agriculture, or precision farming, uses highly advanced technology to create a map of a field’s nutrient requirements, and dispense only what is needed in exactly the right location. This is extremely valuable, because nutrient runoff can also easily occur due to variances in nutrient needs across a field, meaning that when nutrients are applied to an entire field, those areas that don’t need them will simply discard them in the form of runoff. Precision agriculture has been further enhanced by the use of granular fertilizers, that allow for precise dispensing of the granules. This technique prevents excess nutrients from polluting the environment, reduces costly wastes associated with over-fertilization, and provides crops with the nutrients required to yield optimal results, making this a win-win solution.

Preventing Fertilizer Runoff Through Organics Granulation

Similar to over-fertilizing, nutrient runoff is also often the result of oversaturation of fields with manure. In a world where farms are expected to meet growing food production demands on increasingly less aerable land, growing herds have yielded excess manure. High transportation costs combined with the need to use manure almost immediately has forced farmers to oversaturate their fields.

While manure is a nutrient rich fertilizer, over-applying it results in nutrient waste in the form of runoff. In order to alleviate this problem and maximize profitability for farmers, a solution that works for the farmer and the environment is needed. One solution quickly gaining attention for this is the use of an organics granulation system. Organics granulation transforms raw manure into a dry, granular fertilizer. Aside from being much more easily handled and spread than its raw counterpart, pelletized manure is beneficial for a number of reasons.

First, it allows farmers to store the manure, a luxury not previously possible. This permits farmers to use only what they need, when they need it, and keep the rest for later. No nutrients are lost to runoff, and any associated transportation costs are significantly reduced. Not only can this help in reducing the need to purchase synthetic fertilizers for on-farm use, but farmers looking to sell their excess product can use the granular manure as a source of revenue. This technology has proven itself extremely valuable, and is currently under development for more widespread use.

No matter what the cause, nutrient runoff is a growing problem, threatening the sustainability of our waterways, and upsetting the ecosystem. Proper fertilizing techniques and advanced technologies in organics granulation will be a critical component in mitigating this increasingly problematic issue.

FEECO has been a longtime supporter and collaborator in creating precise, consistent fertilizer solutions. As an expert in both inorganic and organics granulation, by providing fertilizer testing, formula customization, and granulation process and equipment solutions, FEECO is committed to finding positive compromises that optimize crop yields, while protecting the environment from further issues. For more information on precise fertilizer solutions, contact us today!

About the Author . . .


Carrie Carlson is a technical writer and visual designer.

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