Over 70 people attended a recent clean water forum held in south Bethlehem’s Fowler Center to hear a panel of stakeholders discuss the threats to the area’s drinking water Feb. 28. ‘The Water We Share: Protecting Water Quality in the Lehigh Valley’ was hosted by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Sierra Club, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, PennFuture and the Lehigh Valley Sustainability Network.

Area environmental organizations provided outreach materials prior to the panel presentation.

State Representative Robert Freeman discussed Act 167, the Storm Water Management Act of 1978, and the overall issue of suburban sprawl. “The kinds of development we’re seeing has contributed to a lack of re-absorption,” said Freeman.

Nathan Pritchard, watershed specialist with the Northampton County Conservation District, said good practices implemented in the 1950s and 1960s were no longer effective. “Over-development is changing the dynamics of creeks and rivers,” said Pritchard.

Wildlands Conservancy senior environmental scientist Kate Ebel said that as streams begin to lose natural eco-system services the stream loses its ability to service life. “When you lose the ability to filter pollutants, it affects water quality,” said Ebel.

Donna Kohut, an outdoor discovery school program coordinator with L.L. Bean, considered the impact water quality has on people who want to recreate on area waterways, and how it affects jobs in that industry.

Panelists agreed that that municipality boundaries make it challenging regionally and fragmented, but had a number of recommendations “to move the needle on water quality,” including implementing good practice initiatives with stream-side property owners, protecting green spaces and educating people to support local environmental efforts.

“Get talking, get active, explore green space, and be a presence in these spaces,” said Kohut.

A question and answer period followed the panel discussion.