Program Summary...cont'd

Journalism master's student John Kondis and medical journalism master's graduate Tania Zeigler produced the first two features on the Neuse River and Lake Waccamaw. In March, Steve Lyerly, who graduated from the School of Journalism in May and Gretchen Decker, a current journalism master's student, produced the features on hog farming and straight piping of home sewage.

The panel discussion begins with issues involving nonpoint source pollution--pollution from various, nonspecific sources. Issues include storm water management, dangers of nonpoint source pollution and how the average citizen can help control pollution. Panelists also discuss point source pollution, or how industries contribute to polluting the water. In addition, Dr. Whisnant reveals facts about laws regulating industry pollution and how extra measures to prevent pollution are being researched for livestock farms.

Will North Carolina have enough water in the future? That is the next topic of discussion, and the four experts will discuss the different threats to North Carolina's water resources and what agencies are doing to try to protect them. Issues such as disappearing wetlands and threatened river basins, along with water conservation highlight the latter part of the program.

While water pollution is not the central subject of every household conversation, Focus On...Water Pollution creates some food for thought. Because water is so plentiful, few people think about it disappearing. But as more development covers small watersheds, more chemicals seep into our groundwater, and more rivers like the Haw and the Neuse become overloaded with sediment and poisons, North Carolina's water resources might continue to erode.