Water Quality

Over 18 million people depend on the Mississippi River for drinking water. But sewage is a large-scale threat to the Mississippi River’s water quality. According to the Clean Water Act, America’s waters are supposed to be “fishable and swimmable,” but those activities are simply unsafe in about half of the streams and rivers in the Mississippi River watershed.

Aging sewage systems, rapid growth of suburban development and increased stormwater from a changing climate all contribute to the failed capture of pollutants before they reach the River. Many cities along the River have combined sewer systems, treating both sanitary sewage and stormwater. Heavy rains can flood these systems flushing raw sewage, bacteria and other pathogens directly into the River, along with debris, oil and grease from city streets, road salt and other pollutants.

While communities that depend on the Mississippi River for drinking water treat and purify the water for human uses, nothing is done for the fish and wildlife that also depend on the River. The costs of cleaning up excessively polluted water are usually incurred by local communities and taxpayers.

To safeguard the River, and the people and wildlife that depend upon its waters, River Citizens can vote for enforcement of laws that support clean water reduces fertilizers and pesticides that can pollute the River.

For more information on the Clean Water Act, visit the US EPA Laws and Regulations. For more information on water quality in the Mississippi River, download a free PDF from the National Academies National Research Council.