• Select one of the implementation challenges your peer identified and explain how the challenge could be addressed.

Challenge One: Farmer Participation

Some farmers are hesitant to implement practices like cover crops or bioreactors due to their economic impact, issues with land use regulations, effects on future harvests, and skepticism about their effectiveness (Sawadgo & Plastina, 2021). Resistance could slow the implementation of pilot sites or reduce the scale of nitrate reduction achieved, particularly in low-income areas and areas that do not have a high interest in conservation efforts.

Challenge Two: Accessibility and Follow Through with Private Well Users

Distributing nitrate test kits and reverse osmosis filtration systems to rural residents assumes recipients will know how to use them and consistently test their systems. Logistical barriers, such as transportation, financial status, internet access, or limited knowledge about health impacts, may prevent residents from testing wells regularly or maintaining filtration systems, limiting the intervention's effect on household water quality.

Challenge Three: Policy Resistance

Implementing a lower nitrate limit in the drinking water supply, regulations on fertilizer usage, and enforcement mechanisms could encounter high political resistance, especially from lobbyist groups and lawmakers concerned about economic impacts (Netting et al., 2023). Even with public support and data backing the intervention, delays in legislative access could prevent broader systems change from occurring and affect long-term intervention goals.

References

Netting, F. E., McMurtry, S. L., Thomas, M. L., & Kettner, P. M. (2023).Social work macro practice(7th ed.). Pearson.

Sawadgo W, Plastina A (2021). Do cost-share programs increase cover crop use? Empirical evidence from Iowa. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 36, 527-535. https://doi.org/10.1017/ S1742170521000132