Alyssa Brown, Southern Utah University
Physical Science
Coal Creek is a perennial stream that runs through Cedar City, Utah and drains into Rush Lake. The basin is a closed basin, meaning that most of the surface water will eventually become ground water, the main source of drinking water for Cedar City. Because of the increase of urbanization of this region in par- ticular, there is a higher probability of pollutants entering the water source and greatly affecting the quality of the drinking water. Most pollutants are characterized as nonpoint source pollution, which is defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as, “land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage or hydrologic modification” and is the leading cause of water quality problems (Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). Common sources of land runoff, as defined by the EPA, include septic waste, lawn and garden fertilizers, improperly disposed chemicals, automobile fluids, vehicle emissions, and road deicers (Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). In order to characterize the pollutants found in samples and determine the concentration of ions of interest, ion chromatography was used. By determining the identity and concentrations of particular ions, the presence of nonpoint pollution, and the source, may be determined. This study may lead to better indications of where major sources of drinking water pollutants are originating, illustrating the effect that urbanization and rapid population growth have on the quality of both surface and ground water. This will allow better characterization of pollutants and pollution sources in the future.