Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1132042
W EEKLY EDITION JUNE 19, 2019 "The Importance and Value of Portable Sanitation" By Chloe Devecsery , 2019 PSAI Scholarship Winner Today, most humans don't have to think about where their own waste goes. It gets flushed down the toilet or put on the curb. Most humans also don't ha ve to worry about the quality of their water. We take clean water and sanitary conditions for granted. In many developing parts of the world, a clean and healthy environment is an ongoing issue. Portable sanitation is important because it keeps our water s ystems clean and our living conditions sanitary. Last year, I took a field trip with my environmental science class to the wastewater treatment plant in my hometown. I saw the long and strenuous process it takes to make water clean again. It was an eye - o pening experience on the effort put into keeping our local water system clean. PSAI and portable sanitation have the same goal and are valuable for the same reasons as the wastewater treatment plant. Portable sanitation helps prevent water pollution. Gro undwater and runoff pollution are huge threats to the environment. Polluted waters can seep into soil polluting underground freshwater supplies. They can also be carried by rain into rivers and lakes, eventually entering the ocean. Portable sanitation capt ures waste so it is never able to pollute our water systems. Polluted waters impact the environment, humans, and animals. All animals that depend on water are at risk. Water pollution kills many species, disrupting the food chain of the ecosystem. In som e species, pollution can build up and is poisonous if eaten. Polluted waters can also cause waterborne diseases such as cholera. Valuing clean water is valuing portable sanitation. There is a limited amount of clean drinking water on the planet. Organiza tions like the PSAI help reduce water pollution and ensure clean drinking water clean recreational waters, and clean habitats for future generations and earth as a whole. Portable sanitation is valuable because it protects the environment and humans from t he harmful effects of water pollution. – Chloe Devecsery P AGE 3