Here are a few quick ways to ensure that this coming summer, you have quality water rather than just quantity;

Individually, you can do small things to help. For example you may not realize that over-watering your lawn can wash dirt and heavy fertilizers into storm drains, where they join up with the main water supply. Water in small amounts throughout the day so that the ice water you drink after your yard work doesn’t taste like the fertilizer you just applied

 Sources of water pollution are everywhere. You might not think that dead leaves from your yard could pollute water, because a leaf is biodegradable plant matter. But something as simple as a layer of leaves blocking light can make water grow murky with algae and kill off the fish living there, for example. So, bag your leaves or better yet, go green by turning them into compost for your garden.

Be aware that all drains lead to the ocean, in a manner of speaking. Think twice before you pour chemicals in your sink such as paint or cleaning supplies. Instead, think about how to stop water pollution and dispose of them in an alternative manner, as dictated by the instructions on their bottles

One of the facts about water pollution that will surprise you is just what can get into your water supply. If you have decided to start a compost pile, try dumping your potato peelings there instead of into the garbage disposal.

Things that you would normally put in the disposal are usually compatible with composting, and putting them there gives your city water filter one less job to do (and potentially mess up on)

Limit your dumping. Try to avoid the junk yard.  Inevitably, we must do something as a community. The facts about water pollution are simple—no one person can stop it. As a community, as a state, and as a nation, we must all do certain things to ensure that our children have a future that includes clean water and all that this entails.

We need to make sure that our nuclear waste dumps are more strictly regulated, that no one is allowed to dump any amount of toxic waste into a stream (even if it is below the current regulation limit) and step up conservation laws to include every type of known toxin, rather than accommodating lucrative businesses at a terrible cost.

Water pollution in China has reached epic proportions because of these exact practices—and we are being shown, over and over again, that when it comes to the environment, cutting corners doesn’t pay.

We can’t allow regulation to continue as it is now. Few people realize how many tons of toxic waste are allowed as a safe dumping amount before the company in question will have violated a government regulation. It’s time to find out what’s going on and take steps on every level to limit and reverse water pollution.

Water pollution affects our oceans, lakes, rivers, and drinking water, making it a widespread and global concern. Numerous diseases, health problems, and even fatalities have been associated with water pollution.

Water is considered polluted when chemicals, pathogens, or contaminants are detected.  Human beings have the most crucial impact on our water resources.  They also have the ability to control or eliminate water pollution.

Causes of Water Pollution

Farmers often use chemicals to hinder bug infestations or other diseases from damaging or ruining their crops.  They may also use chemicals to enhance the growth of their crops.  Either way, these chemicals seep into the ground water or run off into lakes, creeks, or rivers, causing water pollution. 

Farmland that is irrigated and treated with chemicals in the form of fertilizers or pesticides is a major contributor to water pollution.

Industrial processes produce toxic waste containing heavy metals.  When heavy metals filter into water, they are fatal to marine life.  Shellfish and fresh fish are staple menu items for people around the world.

Humans are affected by the heavy metals ingested by the fish and shellfish, causing health problems and sometimes death.  The heavy metals in water have also been linked to severe birth defects, a damaged or suppressed immune system, cancer, fertility problems, and developmental problems in children.

The construction industry is also at fault for contaminating our water resources with cement, lubricants, plastics and metals. Rivers and lakes are also polluted from heavy silt or sediment run-off from construction sites.

Ground water pollution occurs when chemicals, debris, garbage, oil or other harmful contaminants enter the ground water supply over time.  Ground water is often a resource for our drinking water.  If it isn’t treated properly, those harmful elements can cause serious health issues for human beings and domestic animals.

Natural catastrophes are the cause of water pollution effects as well.  Major upheavals such as storms, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, and volcano eruptions have been known to disrupt the ecological system and pollute water.

The growth of algae due to food items, feces, or urea in the water source is also a source of water pollution.  When algae grow in water, it uses up more than its fair share of oxygen, causing other living organisms in the body of water to suffer.  Certain types of algae can be fatal if they reach an algal bloom stage, otherwise known as brown or red tides.

The process of contamination begins with tiny organisms called zooplankton and travels up the food chain through clams, birds, marine creatures, and ultimately, humans.  These types of algae are considered toxic because they have been known to cause fatalities in humans.  Even overgrowths of non-toxic types of algae can effectively block the sunlight from penetrating the water’s surface, which makes it difficult for marine life to find food, causing eventual death.

Littering on the land or on the water is a source of water pollution.  Debris tossed onto land eventually makes its way into storm drains and then returns to surface water.  Ships and boats discharging human waste or chemicals into the water directly are simply speeding up the pollution process.

Industrial accidents that dump chemicals into the water kill marine life swiftly and within a short period of time.  As the fish and plant life decompose, further water pollution occurs.  Even sunken ships are a contributor to water pollution.  As the ship corrodes and decays over time, those pieces of debris or chemicals are released into the ocean or freshwater lake.  Once again, marine life is affected, which means humans who eat those fish or shellfish can be adversely harmed as well.

6 Major Effects of Water Pollution

The effects of water pollution are numerous (as seen above).  Some water pollution effects are recognized immediately, whereas others don’t show up for months or years.  Additional effects of water pollution include:

1) The food chain is damaged. When toxins are in the water, the toxins travel from the water the animals drink to humans when the animals’ meat is eaten.

2) Diseases can spread via polluted water. Infectious diseases such as typhoid and cholera can be contracted from drinking contaminated water.  This is called microbial water pollution.  The human heart and kidneys can be adversely affected if polluted water is consumed regularly.  Other health problems associated with polluted water are poor blood circulation, skin lesions, vomiting, and damage to the nervous system.  In fact, the effects of water pollution are said to be the leading cause of death for humans across the globe.

3) Acid rain contains sulfate particles, which can harm fish or plant life in lakes and rivers.

4) Pollutants in the water will alter the overall chemistry of the water, causing changes in acidity, temperature and conductivity.  These factors all have an affect on the marine life.

5) Marine food sources are contaminated or eliminated by water pollution.

6) Altered water temperatures (due to human actions) can kill the marine life and affect the delicate ecological balance in bodies of water, especially lakes and rivers.

Water pollution effects have a huge impact on our environment and health.  The delicate balance between nature and humans can be protected, but it will take efforts on all fronts to prevent and eliminate water pollution locally and globally.