Yet it is important to educate oneself when it comes to the water pollution issues that are facing not just the country, but the whole world.

Marine ecosystems are more than just interesting places to water ski. They are the life’s blood of the planet. Without marine ecosystems there would be no planet, and no life. That is why preserving our water is so vital to ensuring that the planet has a brighter tomorrow.

First of all, it is important to recognize that not all of the pollutants that end up in the water come from water based activities. In fact, an interesting water pollution fact reveals that only 20% of the pollutants in oceans, rivers, bays, streams, lakes, and other bodies of water come from water based activities.

The remaining 80% is derived from land based activities. This means that it is not just the responsibility of the beach goers to clean up the ocean. We are all responsible for doing what we can to protect and preserve the planet’s water supplies.

Another interesting albeit not surprising water pollution fact reveals that claiming a chunk of that 20% of pollution due to water based activities is caused by cruise ships. A one week cruise on a cruise ships yields more than a million gallons of grey water.

Grey water refers to waste water that has been tainted by soaps, detergents, and other sources of negative environmental impact but does not include human waste. These soaps and detergents from grey water can literally poison the ecosystem and pollute the water which in turn kills valuable wildlife.

These floating cities are also responsible for producing over 200,000 gallons of raw sewage, much of which is dumped during ocean transit. The bilge water, which is loaded with oils, diesel fuel, and other pollutants can account for at least 35,000 gallons of weekly contamination.

Most of us feel we have no control over how a cruise ship operates and many have never even been on one.

So let’s move some of our water pollution facts closer to home. Littering jeopardizes marine wildlife, which interrupts the balance of the ecosystem. Annually, plastic litter is responsible for the deaths of more than 100,000 marine mammals like porpoises and sea otters.

This same plastic pollution is responsible for the deaths of at least a million sea birds and waterfowl like pelicans and gulls. There is no way to accurately tally the number of fish deaths caused by plastic pollution but the estimates are up near three or four million on an annual basis. Littering and a failure to recycle plastics, even if you don’t live near the coastline, have some pretty dramatic consequences.

Worldwide, ocean pollution become just as much of a human problem as a marine problem. Water pollution facts that have been the result of numerous studies have shown that at least 50% of worldwide groundwater is unsuitable for drinking thanks to pollution.

Polluted groundwater can be pinpointed as the cause for more than 250 million diseases including cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. Of these 250 million cases, about 8 million result in death from polluted groundwater.

The world’s water pollution facts include potentially life threatening waters that are found on every continent and in nearly every country.

Asia’s rivers are filled with human waste and thus are not sanitary. Human waste encourages the development of dangerous bacteria which can be harmful to people as well as to animals.

Ireland suffers from a similar problem as 30% of her rivers are either contaminated with raw human sewage or have been polluted with fertilizer. The Sarno River, a river in Europe, has turned into a collection river for raw human waste, chemicals which have been dumped, raw waste from the agriculture, and waste from industrial and manufacturing plants.

The world’s water pollution facts leave no country untouched by the dangers of river and ocean pollution.

While big business is partially to blame, homeowners, recreational and professional boaters, and even farmers can contribute to the condition of the planet’s water.

Something as simple as flicking a cigarette butt out the window, which is often carried away by storm drains that may eventually empty out into bays, rivers, or oceans, leads to rather basic but contributing pollutants in the waters of the world. We can all contribute to cleaning up the planet when we all realize that we have a shared culpability in its health.

Various types of water pollution point to the different sources that can cause pollutants that affect the waterways.

Point—source pollution is generally a single element caused by one main source. An industrial spill into a river would be an example of point—source pollution.

Alternatively, nonpoint—source pollution is the result of numerous causes of contaminants that create pollution. These pollutants can travel great distances in the form of runoff or through storm drains.

Surface water pollution is the most recognizable form of water contamination. This is the pollution that can be visibly seen floating on the top of the water. While surface water pollution is often in the form of trash it can also be chemically based, such as gasoline or oil slicks floating on the water’s surface.

Groundwater pollution refers to the effects of chemicals (such as pesticides) that seep through the ground and enter water sources that originate underground. Well water is groundwater, thus groundwater pollution can be extremely dangerous to the health of humans as well as to the health of the planet.

Some types of water pollution are derived from an imbalance within the ecosystem which can be caused by natural and unnatural sources. When an ecosystem is out of balance, oxygen depletion can occur. A water based ecosystem is made up a multitude of living organisms, including microorganisms.

A natural balance of “healthy” and “unhealthy” microorganisms keeps the water based ecosystem thriving. When that ecosystem is thrown off balance, the “healthy” microorganisms are outnumbered by the “unhealthy” microorganisms, which cause a depletion of oxygen within the water and releases gasses such as sulfides or ammonia.

With a wide variety of types of water pollution, a single action will not be enough to ward off more pollutants. Prevention starts with awareness and continues with a dedicated effort to not only prevent further contamination but also clean up the present pollutants.

Everyone from the bosses of large production companies to the cigarette butt flicker has to do their share in order to prevent water pollution.

As research becomes more accurate and the data can help indicate which types of water pollution are doing the most destruction to our natural resources, focused projects and laws can become a bigger part of the solution.