Water Pollution

[harmosnmith]

Water is essential for the survival of all known forms of life. The human body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water depending on body size. To function properly, the body requires between one and seven liters of water per day to avoid dehydration
All known forms of life depend on water. Because of overpopulation, mass consumption, misuse, and water pollution, the availability of drinking water per capita is inadequate and shrinking as of the year 2006.

40% of America's rivers are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life.
Even worse are America's lakes—46% are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life.
1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, stormwater, and industrial waste are discharged into US waters annually. The US EPA has warned that sewage levels in rivers could be back to the super-polluted levels of the 1970s by the year 2016.
Asian rivers are the most polluted in the world. They have three times as many bacteria from human waste as the global average and 20 times more lead than rivers in industrialized countries

Serious water pollution incidents increased by 50% in England and Wales last year with farmers responsible for more than a quarter of them, the Environment Agency says.

I made this Thread to increase knowledge about water pollution such as industrial water pollution and to share thoughts about how to prevent it.

[Lancashire Lad]

I share your concerns.

Although we in the UK don't appear to have any "clean" water shortage problems at the moment (given the above average rainfall recently) we could very easily find ourselves back in the water shortage situation of a few years ago.

The recent events in Devon & the Lake District also drive home the nature of exceptional weather events, and what can occur in consequence.

Undoubtedly, action is being taken to try to prevent the "couldn't care less" attitudes of some businesses and individuals where pollution is more actively investigated - but I do feel that the level of penalty (fines or whatever) go nowhere near far enough to be properly effective deterrent.

I don't have enough information to counter any arguement on the increasing incidence of pollution in the UK, but would like to think that there is (hopefully) an element of more events being recorded, rather than an actual 50% increase in such events.

It is difficult to suggest a viable solution in respect of pollution of Asian river systems. Many of these areas have the greater problem of obtaining clean water in the first place, let alone controlling pollution of the waterways. Only massive investments in their country's infrastuctures, and, in all probability, major relocations of populus, would have any significant impact on the problem.

We can only hope that continued education, and the willingness of governments & populations to take on board the need to prevent pollution and waste less, will have the necessary effect to turn around the current trend.

Regards
Mike.