Not so farm fresh 

Industrial farming depends on huge amounts of chemical fertilizer and manure, with nitrate and other harmful chemicals that run off fields into rivers and lakes. Nitrate can trigger potentially toxic algae blooms in bodies of water, making them unsafe for recreation or as sources of drinking water.  

The results:  

- Drinking water becomes comminated with toxic chemicals that can cause serious health harm 

- Unsightly, smelly and dangerous algae blooms occur in local bodies of water, harming fish, pets and people  

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In Thousands of Communities, Nitrate Contamination of Drinking Water Is Getting Worse

In much of America’s farm country, nitrate contamination of drinking water, largely caused by polluted runoff from crop fields, poses a serious health risk – and the problem is getting worse, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data from 10 states.

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