15. Water Quality (Pollution)
 
Definition:
 
Generally, the presence in water of enough harmful or objectionable material to damage the water's quality. More specifically, pollution shall be construed to mean contamination of any waters such as will create or is likely to create a nuisance or to render such waters harmful, detrimental or injurious to public health, safety or welfare, or to domestic, municipal, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, or other legitimate uses, or to livestock, wild animals, birds, fish or other aquatic life, including but not limited to such contamination by alteration of the physical, chemical or biological properties of such waters, or change in temperature, taste, color or order thereof, or the discharge of any liquid, gaseous, radioactive, solid or other substances into such waters. More simply, it refers to quality levels resulting from man's activities that interfere with or prevent water use or uses.  Missouri Watershed Information Network
 
What are some of the problems related to this issue?
 
Sewage treatment plants are essentially bacteria farms. The living bacteria breakdown the wastes in the sewage. The result is water that contains useful nutrients that can then be released into rivers or reservoirs safely. Modern multi-step water treatment techniques can even return wastewater to drinking water quality if necessary. Anti-bacterial soaps and cleaners make this process virtually impossible because the bacteria is mutating into strains that are currently not treatable.  Monroe County Waste Management District
 
Direct sources include effluent outfalls from factories, refineries, waste treatment plants etc.. that emit fluids of varying quality directly into urban water supplies. In the United States and other countries, these practices are regulated, although this doesn't mean that pollutants can't be found in these waters.  Dr. Ken Rubin, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu
 
Pesticides and herbicides contain toxic materials that pose both environmental and human health risks. Humans, animals, aquatic organisms, and plants can be severely threatened by these chemicals. The toxins found in pesticides and herbicides can runoff lawns and gardens into storm drains and streams whenever it rains.  City of Topeka Department of Public Works
 
Motor oil can damage or even kill aquatic vegetation and animal life. An oil slick - contaminating two million gallons of drinking water - can develop from one quart of oil.  City of Topeka Department of Public Works
 
Large quantities of street litter ends up floating in streams, rivers, lakes and the ocean. Street litter is often made of plastics. Plastics take hundreds of years to biodegrade and can be harmful to birds and animals who mistake them for food. City of Topeka Department of Public Works

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