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Since the clean water act was put into effect, there have been changes in the water in Rivers in the United
States.Most of these changes have been for the better. From 1972 until 1987 there was in excess of $100
billion spent on the control of oxygen demanding pollutants; however "nonpoint-source pollution" continued to
be a problem in those years (Smith 1607), but there were decreases in sulfates, Nitrates, Phosphorus, Calcium,
Magnesium and other pollutants in slightly less than half of the 388 areas tested (Smith 1608). There are
still areas where nonpoint-source pollution is a problem including the Pacific Northwest (Morley 1506).
According to the EPA "80% of people nation wide get drinking water from ground water
(Ground water... EPA website), however Western Washington may be an exception.
The City of Everett gets almost all of its drinking water from a dam on the Sultan river
that forms Spada Lake (USGS website)(City of Everett website). Water in rivers
is used in dams and this changes the water in unusual ways.
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