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What are the major sources of water pollution? Discuss the nature of the pollutants involved and suggest methods of control.

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Water pollution occurs when harmful substances—often chemicals or microorganisms—contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, degrading water quality and rendering it toxic to humans or the environment.

Sources of Water Pollution

This section gives information about the most significant sources of water pollution.

Sewage (Waste Water)

Sewage is another name for waste water from domestic and industrial processes. Despite strict regulatory control, the Environment Agency data shows that the water and sewage industry accounted for almost a quarter of the serious water incidents in England and Wales in 2006.

Agricultural Pollution

The agriculture industry covers 76% of the land area of England and Wales. Agricultural processes such as uncontrolled spreading of slurries and manure, disposal of sheep dip, tillage, ploughing of the land, use of pesticides and fertilisers can cause water pollution. Accidental spills from milk dairies can also affect the quality of water.

Oil Pollution

Every year there are about 3,000 pollution incidents involving oil and fuels in England and Wales. Oil spillages affect water quality in a number of ways. Oil can make drinking water unsafe to drink. A substantial amount of oil released into oceans and seas will destroy wildlife and the ecosystems that sustain them. Oil spills also reduce oxygen supplies within the water environment. The main causes of oil related water pollution are:

  • loss from storage facilities
  • spillage during delivery and;
  • deliberate disposal of waste oil to drainage systems

Radioactive Substances

Radioactive waste is another source of water pollution. Radioactive substances are used in nuclear power plants, industrial, medical and other scientific processes. They can be found in watches, luminous clocks, television sets and x-ray machinery. There are also naturally occurring radioisotopes from organisms and within the environment. If not properly disposed of, radioactive waste can result in serious water pollution incidents.

River dumping

Lots of people dump supermarket trolleys, bicycles, garden cuttings and electronic waste into rivers or river banks. This is illegal and offenders may be charged for fly-tipping if caught. River dumping not only causes water pollution; it also harms wildlife and increases the risk of flooding. Fly-tipping (this includes river dumping) is a criminal offence. In the most severe cases, it can attract a maximum fine of £50,000 or a 5 year jail term.

Marine Dumping

The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) estimates that a staggering amount of waste enters into the sea every year. Part of this is due to deliberate dumping of waste into coastal waters. Other sources of waste at sea include plastics and other materials blown or washed from land. Marine dumping is illegal under international and UK legislation. For more information visit the marine pollution page.

Effects of water pollution

The effects of water pollution are varied. They include poisonous drinking water, poisionous food animals (due to these organisms having bioaccumulated toxins from the environment over their life spans), unbalanced river and lake ecosystems that can no longer support full biological diversity, deforestation from acid rain, and many other effects. These effects are, of course, specific to the various contaminants. are varied. They include poisonous drinking water, poisionous food animals (due to these organisms having bioaccumulated toxins from the environment over their life spans), unbalanced river and lake ecosystems that can no longer support full biological diversity, deforestation from acid rain, and many other effects. These effects are, of course, specific to the various contaminants.

Methods of control of water pollution

1. Keep out oils, fat, or grease from the sink. Desist from pouring cooking oil, fat or grease down the kitchen sink. Instead, keep a jar that collects all the fats, grease or oil then discard in solid waste.

2. Abstain from flushing contaminated liquids, pills, drugs, or medications down the drain. These substances contain scores of toxic materials that destroy the quality of natural water systems. Instead, use the recommended disposal methods.

3. Desist from using the toilet as a bin. Most people discard dust clothes, paper wastes, synthetic materials, and wrappers in the toilet. The destructive elements of these materials may finally end up in the oceans, lakes or rivers. Desisting from this habit can considerably prevent water pollution.

4. Ensure minimal use of bleach or detergents. During cleaning of laundry or cutleries, it is vital to minimize the use of bleach and detergents. Instead, you can persist on only using phosphate-free detergents and soaps.

5. Reduce the use of herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. Excessive use of herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers leads to water pollution as the chemicals contained in the products often find way into the water systems through surface runoff or infiltration into the soil. Minimizing their usage or using organic methods for pest, weed, and disease control can appreciably reduce water pollution.

6. Proper sewage treatment and management. Proper sewage treatment is required to limit the amount of toxic substances that normally end up in water systems such as lakes, rivers, and oceans. Also, individual homes that use septic tanks or cellar drains need to ensure proper management of their home sewage to avoid pollution.

7. Dispose trash properly. When trash is not disposed properly some of the non-degradable products such as diapers and sanitary towels may end up destroying the process of sewage treatment, especially when they are flushed down the toilet. At times, poor disposal of solid non-degradable materials such as plastics normally ends up littering the beaches and river banks.

8. Avoid direct dumping into water systems. By all means possible, we should desist from disposing rubbish or any other waste products into lakes, rivers, streams or oceans. Still, you can do the best to clean your local water body whenever you notice rubbish littering the beaches or banks.

9. Always conserve water. Play an active role in reducing water pollution by conserving water at all time. You can achieve this by ensuring the taps are always turned off when they are not in use. Conserving water reduces the amount of contaminated water that needs to be treated.

10. Insist on using environmentally safe products. Whenever you purchase household products such as cleaning material, medical supplies, paints, insect/ant repellants, or chemical substances; always persist on obtaining and using products that are less harmful to the environment.

11. Practice tree planting. Planting trees reduce the speed of surface water runoff and as such, lessens erosion and prevents toxic substances and chemicals from washing into water systems. If you live next to a water body, please take this initiative today and plant trees and vegetation covers such as flowers, grass, and shrubs.

12. Re-use automobile oil as much as possible and keep your vehicle well maintained. Re-using automobile oil reduces the amount of used oil that is discarded which may end up polluting water bodies. Also, it is essential to keep your vehicle well maintained so as to prevent the leakage of deadly fluids like oil and antifreeze.

13. Support green-oriented companies. These are the companies that take creative initiatives to reduce water pollution. For instance, some green cleaning product companies make the packaging materials by using recycling plastics collected from the oceans. Also, some sewage treatment firms now clean wastewater without the use of chemicals. Supporting and using the services of such companies can greatly help reduce water pollution.

14. Use super energy saving washing machines. When purchasing washing machines, ensure you buy energy star approved washing equipment which can save energy and up to 60 liters of water. Eventually, it reduces the amount of wastewater that needs treatment.

15. De-clog your drains naturally. The typical drain cleaners contain several noxious chemicals such as sodium hydroxide. You can instead use natural methods such as pouring equal portions of white vinegar, boiling water and baking soda and let it stay in the drain for 30 minutes before rinsing.

16. Always opt for recyclable and reusable options. Reusable and recycled materials avoid the unnecessary use of water. By using these options, it, therefore, means you are conserving water. At the same time, you are minimizing the amount of waste water produced during production and processing. This should also include re-using dishware and linens such as towels and bed sheets.

17. Skip the use of plastics. Plastic leftovers such as used plastic water bottles, disposable plastic plates, and plastic bags frequently end up in the oceans, lakes, streams and rivers, contaminating natural habitats and destroying aquatic life.

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