Choose your own Adventure: Water Security!

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE: WATER POLLUTION

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what is water security?

Hello everyone! Welcome to the choose your own adventure on water pollution! Before we begin, we'd like to go over some things. Have you ever heard the term water security? Water security is extremely significant to the survival of individuals. Water security is needed for transportation, agriculture, energy and survival of individuals. Imagine not being able to drink clean water and not have secure and safe to eat foods? The effects are endless when it depends on water security. But what does it mean? In simple terms, water security means to have enoughaccessible, safe water for a society to thrive and live, and to carry out tasks. We are going to focus on the water security of a specific city... Jacksonville!

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Water pollution in jacksonville

In the bustling city of Jacksonville, people depend on water, as all living things do. Jacksonville has accessable and safe water that can be obtained in public spaces. However, there are problems we face in terms of water security in Jacksonville, such as water pollution, but we'll get to that later...

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ABOUT THE CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE...

Every situation in this choose your own adventure is a real type of water pollution in Jacksonville. As you will see later, problems adressed in the choose your own adventure have occured in Jacksonville. as you advance through the choose your own adventure, you will collect what is called water pollution points. They measure if your choice was effective and improves the water security of Jacksonville. If one choice supersedes the other, than you will collect more water pollution points. Have fun! We hope you enjoy this choose your own adventure!

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THE ST. JOHNS RIVER

You look at the data. Oh, there are many causes of water pollution in the St. Johns river. One of the leading causes of water pollution in Jacksonville is surface runoff, according to the data. As the St. Johns river keeper, it is your job to maintain the St. Johns river. It is an important job.When it rains, pesticides and pet and animal waste from lawns and streets could accumulate as the water makes its way down to the river, which carries harmful bacteria down to it. Wastewater treatment plants, malfunctioning septic tanks, and broken sewers can also carry the bacteria into the river. You tap your pencil lightly on your desk, thinking intently.

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TO SOLVE THE SEPTIC TANK PROBLEM!

There are many possibilities when it comes to maintain septic tanks. You would have to contact the Florida Health Department to do so. One possibility would be to get rid of septic tanks, and connect the houses in Jacksonville to the JEA wastewater collection and treatment system. Or, you could contact the Florida Health Department to inspect the septic tanks, and make any recommended repairs or replacement to them. So, once again, which one will you choose?

If you want to get rid of the septic tanks, click to the button where the arrow is pointing!

If you want to inspect the septic tanks , click to the button where the arrow is pointing!

EUTROPHICATION

Another important cause is something called eutrophication. Too much nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus can create a dangerous environment. Some nutrients can get watered down, but the remaining nutrients become food for algae blooms. Algae blooms are a big problem in Jacksonville. They take the oxygen out from the water, necessary for marine wildlife to breathe and survive. There are many places which you can start. Septic tank maintenance could definitely help. Human waste getting into the river will decrease if you maintain septic tanks. Nutrients that cause eutrophication also come from wastewater treatment plants... Which one will you choose?

If you want to go to address the septic tank problem, click to the button where the arrow is pointing!

If you want address the wastewater treatment plant problem, click to the button where the arrow is pointing!

TO SOLVE THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PROBLEM!

To fix wastewater treatment plants, you have to have to tell an organization so they can carry it out. So... You would have to send a commision and negotiate with JEA or another big association.

BEACHES

There are other bodies of water affected by water pollution, too. The beaches in Jacksonville are polluted. The vast Atlantic Ocean surrounds Jacksonville, and holds about 220.4 million tons of plastic in it. But let's focus on the beaches for now.

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Here are some issues in Jacksonville beaches in terms of bacteria and algae:

• Red tide is a type of algae that can cause the water to turn a red color. This is mainly caused by the excess of nutrients coming from wastewater treatment plants, sewage sludge, industrial and fertilizer runoff, and many more.
• Blue green algae, alike to red tide, produces toxins that can harm humans and animals, and can even prove fatal to animals who drink the algae infested water.
• Sargassum, also known as brown algae, produces a habitat for some marine life. Sargassum washes up on beaches in large quantities. It can cause rashes and skin irritations, which raises worries for the well being of people in jacksonville who live and have jobs on the beaches. Sargassum also releases an odor when it decomposes, too.
• Vibrio vulnificus is a type of bacteria that can infect wounds and cuts when the wound is exposed to water the bacteria live in. The infection can sometimes be fatal, and can cause deaths.

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Which one?

So, you have 2 possibilities. You could address the red tide problem, or you could try to fix the sargassum issue. Which one will you choose?

If you want to go to address the red tide problem, click to the button where the arrow is pointing!

If you want address the sargassum problem, click to the button where the arrow is pointing!

You won 2 water pollution points!

Inspecting the septic tanks

You've decided to go for inspecting the septic tanks. You contact the Florida Health Department, You discuss the problem with them, and they agree to act as fast as they can. They finally arrange the inspection dates, times, ect. You have improved the problem, but you think that maybe you should have gone for removing the septic tanks...

Click here to try to go back to the map! Try the map again so you can improve the water pollution in Jacksonville!

You won 4 water pollution points!

You decide that getting rid of the septic tanks could be more effective than maintaining them. You contact the JEA, and you negotiate and discuss your idea. They agree. This method would probably be to get rid of the septic tanks. They create a septic tank removal project. It takes many months, and in the end, they remove the septic tanks in all of jacksonville, connecting them to a sewer system. This is by far the superior solution. Great job!

GETTING RID OF THE SEPTIC TANKS

ADRESSING THE RED TIDE PROBLEM

So, one thing that you can do is try to reduce the usage of pesticides. To do this, you can contact the government to try to apply laws to lessen pesticide usage in Jacksonville. By doing this, you prevent those nutrients from the fertilizer to wash down through runoff, ending up in the river or ocean. By eradicating one of the essential components red tide needs, you can decrease the amount of red tide. Another thing you could do is post warnings and signs about the effects of red tide. This can raise awareness by informing people abotu the danger of red tide. So, what do you think you should do?

If you want to post warning and informative signs, click to the button where the arrow is pointing!

If you want to enforce laws on pesticide usage, click to the button where the arrow is pointing!

INFORMATIVE SIGNS

you contact a sign company to create the signs themselves. With permission from the government after you contact them, you go to every beach in florida, putting down signs on the entrances to the beaches. After you are done, you look back to contemplate the work. Your actions have helped Jacksonville, but you think that maybe it would have been a better idea if you had talked to the government to try to decrease pesticide usage.

ENFORCING LAWS ON PESTICICDES

• oceanservice.noaa.gov
• doh.wa.gov

• www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org
• www.floridahealth.gov
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