Science Literacy Week - Protecting Our Water

As part of Science Literacy Week, Nandita Basu gave a public lecture at the Waterloo Public Library titled ‘Protecting Our Water’. Community members and students shared the space to learn about the impacts of nutrient pollution and algal blooms, and how we can work to mitigate these effects.

When considering nutrient pollution in the Great Lakes, we must think about impacts of fertilizer and manure use in agriculture. However, lawn fertilizer and pet waste can be sources of nutrients to our waterways from urban areas. We must also consider legacy nutrients in our landscape, built up over time. With many sources of nutrients contributing to water quality concerns, we need a combination of tools for water quality to improve.

This event was hosted by the Royal Canadian Institute of Science as part of Science Literacy Week (September 16-20).