Water Pollution

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers

Summary

We all need clean water. People need it to grow crops and to operate factories, and for drinking and recreation. Fish and wildlife depend on it to survive.

Many different pollutants can harm our rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans. The three most common are soil, nutrients, and bacteria. Rain washes soil into streams and rivers. The soil can kill tiny animals and fish eggs. It can clog the gills of fish and block light, causing plants to die. Nutrients, often from fertilizers, cause problems in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Nitrogen and phosphorus make algae grow and can turn water green. Bacteria, often from sewage spills, can pollute fresh or salt water.

You can help protect your water supply:

• Don't pour household products such as cleansers, beauty products, medicines, auto fluids, paint, and lawn care products down the drain. Take them to a hazardous waste collection site.
• Throw away excess household grease (meat fats, lard, cooking oil, shortening, butter, margarine, etc.) diapers, condoms, and personal hygiene products in the garbage can.
• Clean up after your pets. Pet waste contains nutrients and germs.

Environmental Protection Agency

Start Here

• Primer on Water Quality (U.S. Geological Survey)
• Water Pollution (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Healthy Watersheds Protection (Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water)

Related Issues

• Cyanobacteria (National Office for Marine Biotoxins and Harmful Algal Blooms)
• Wastewater Treatment (U.S. Geological Survey)
• Water Contamination (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Specifics

• Acid Rain (Environmental Protection Agency)
• Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Human Health at the Beach (Environmental Protection Agency)

Videos and Tutorials

• Tox Town (National Library of Medicine)

Statistics and Research

• Water-Quality Data (U.S. Geological Survey)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Protozoan Infections (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Campylobacteriosis Outbreak Associated with Contaminated Municipal Water Supply - Nebraska,...
• Article: Toxins on Tap.
• Article: Environmental justice and drinking water quality: are there socioeconomic disparities...
• Water Pollution -- see more articles
• Pfiesteria -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Environmental Protection Agency Also in Spanish
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Also in Spanish

Children

• River and Stream Pollution (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
• Waterborne Diseases & Illnesses (National Library of Medicine)

Teenagers

• Quiz: Water and Your Health (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)