Water Quality - Causes Document

There are many causes behind poor water quality. Some causes may be natural, but most are caused by the carelessness of humans. Some causes can be quite preventable if the proper precautions were to be taken. Some causes of water pollution include the overflow of sewage drains or leakage from a sewer. These problems could cause chemicals such as detergents to enter the water column and make it unsafe for not only humans but animals to drink from the water. Another cause of poor water quality is the release of oils, grease, or other chemicals to enter a stream or lake. The introduction of these chemicals into a stream can come from industry, motor vehicles, or from the poor disposal of domestic wastes. This could have a drastic impact on the aquatic life in an area and even disrupt a food chain, killing plants and animals. Since chemicals take a long time to break down this problem would not go away very quickly once introduced. A third major cause of poor water quality is the introduction of nutrients to a lake or stream. Nutrients could enter a body of water from fertilizer runoff on a farm, sewer overflows, and storm water runoff. These nutrients cause the increased growth of algae and weeds in a body of water. These weeds and algae would take all of the oxygen out of the water, killing the fish and other life that lives there. These are called algal blooms and they are detrimental to an aquatic environment. Poor water quality does not have to be an issue however. With close surveillance and participation water issues can be a thing of the past.