Water is the elixir of life which needs severe concern for its quality management. It’s essential for life, yet its quality is degrading day by day. The degrading qualities threaten human life due to toxic, unacceptable substances present in the water resources. These hazardous materials are posing a threat to our environmental conditions, significantly affecting the climatic conditions. The consumption of this unhealthy water can cause disastrous effects on health in the long run.

The deterioration in water quality is the result of various natural and human activities.

The major water pollutants are the effluents and sewage water that drain directly into rivers or nearby water sources. At this moment, this drainage leads to the pollution of water bodies. It makes the water unfit for human use and affects aquatic life to a great extent.
The rural wastes subject to dumping inland lead to the pollution of underground water and affect its quality.
In addition, land erosion leads to pollution by creating a deposition of wastes from animals and trash material.
The increasing pollutants present in the air are various chemicals, dust and dirt particles. These lead to an increase in the unhealthy particles in the rain, causing acidic rains. Therefore, these acid rains affect the health and environment greatly due to their utilization.

Industrialization

Industrialization is the main culprit of water quality degradation. All the industries such as petroleum refineries, chemical processing outlets, vehicles, mills, and many more contribute largely to water degradation. Expulsion of various toxic materials containing harmful chemicals like radioactive, lead, arsenic, mercury, etc., into a river or any water resources affects water quality. Moreover, quality degradation is directly a cause of health issues and environmental problems.

Agriculture

Agricultural practices are also laying their contribution to water pollution. The use of various chemical fertilizers and pesticides on your agricultural fields are also polluting the water bodies, and their presence in water is creating a problematic situation for consumers.
The establishment of nuclear and electrical power plants are also a source of degradation for water quality.

Destroyers of water resources

The presence of algal blooms also poses a significant problem by hampering the oxygen supply of water. These algal blooms result from sewage water which nurtures the growth of algae and destroys the natural balance of water. Oxygen deprivation leads to the death of many aquatic animals and makes the water unhealthy for the use and survival of aquatic life.
The chemicals, detergent usage in your daily life, toxins on highways all drain to rivers, polluting them and decreasing water quality.

How can we fight the challenges of water quality degradation?

Providing Education

Awareness is the first step to resolving any issue, and education is the key to awareness. It’s the responsibility of people to get an education. The general public is aware of the consequences of their wrongdoings. Nowadays, it’s part of the course of school going kids to learn and getting awareness regarding global concerns like water, air, land pollution, etc.

Implementing Law

Laws should be formulated to safeguard and secure the water bodies. It is the right and duty of every individual to preserve our natural resources and prevent their exploitation. The implementation of laws by the government is protecting the water quality. These laws help by punishing the culprits who try to pollute our natural water sources.

Indeed, life is all about the choices we make. It’s our responsibility to take steps to preserve our water resources and make a better environment for humans, plants, and animals to live in. We can maintain water quality by using environment-friendly products and treating sewage and chemical waste before dumping them in rivers. Together we can make the world a better place and water a better solvent.