2. Water covers over 70% of the Earth’s
surface and is a very important resource
for people and the environment.
Water pollution affects drinking
water, rivers, lakes and oceans all over
the world. This consequently harms
human health and the natural
environment.
4. Water pollution is the contamination
of water bodies
(e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and g
roundwater). Water pollution occurs
when pollutants are discharged directly
or indirectly into water bodies without
adequate treatment to remove harmful
compounds.
5. Water pollution is any chemical, physical
or biological change in the quality of
water that has a harmful effect on any
living thing that drinks or uses or lives
(in) it.
When humans drink polluted water it
often has serious effects on their
health. Water pollution can also make
water unsuited for the desired use.
6. Water pollution affects plants and
organisms living in these bodies of
water.
In almost all cases the effect is
damaging not only to
individual species and populations, but
also to the natural biological
communities.
9. Point source water pollution refers to
contaminants that enter a waterway
from a single, identifiable source, such
as a pipe or ditch.
Examples of sources in this category
include discharges from a sewage
treatment plant, a factory, or a
city storm drain.
10. Non–point source pollution refers to diffuse
contamination that does not originate from a
single discrete source. NPS pollution is often the
cumulative effect of small amounts of
contaminants gathered from a large area. A
common example is the leaching out of nitrogen
compounds from fertilized agricultural lands.
Nutrient runoff in storm water from "sheet flow"
over an agricultural field or a forest are also
cited as examples of NPS pollution.
11. Contaminated storm water washed off
of parking lots, roads and
highways, called urban runoff, is sometimes
included under the category of NPS pollution.
However, this runoff is typically channeled
into storm drain systems and discharged
through pipes to local surface waters, and is a
point source.
14. If you want to help keep our waters clean, there are
many things you can do to help. You can prevent water
pollution of nearby rivers and lakes as well as
groundwater and drinking water by following some simple
guidelines in your everyday life.
Conserve water by turning off the tap when running
water is not necessary. This helps prevent water
shortages and reduces the amount of contaminated
water that needs treatment.
Be careful about what you throw down your sink or
toilet. Don’t throw paints, oils or other forms of litter
down the drain.
15. Use environmentally household products, such as
washing powder, household cleaning agents and
toiletries.
Take great care not to overuse pesticides and
fertilizers. This will prevent runoffs of the material
into nearby water sources.
By having more plants in your garden you are
preventing fertilizer, pesticides and contaminated
water from running off into nearby water sources.
Don’t throw litter into rivers, lakes or oceans. Help
clean up any litter you see on beaches or in rivers and
lakes, make sure it is safe to collect the litter and put
it in a nearby dustbin.