SEWAGE SERVICES IN MALAYSIA.

There are mainly two types of sewerage systems/services in Malaysia. The premises' sewerage systems are either connected to a public sewage treatment plant or have an individual septic tank.

IWK is mainly responsible for operating and maintaining the public sewage treatment plants and network of underground sewerage pipelines.

The services are rendered through the company's 18 Unit Offices/Customer Service Centres located throughout the country, except Johor Bahru, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak. Customers can also pay their Sewerage Services Bills at these centres.

EARTH + WATER

  From the earliest life forms to life on earth as we know it today, water has been the one essential constant . Covering roughly seventy percent of the earth’s surface, only a mere fraction is available as freshwater and of that, an even smaller proportion is available for human use and we are only just beginning to truly understand the nature of this most precious and limited resource. In addition to its life sustaining role, water is also one of the most destructive forces on earth, carving breath taking gorges and valleys, yet disasters related to water are responsible for large scale loss of life as well. In its different forms water supports ocean life, retains precious atmospheric samples dating back thousands of years, is a muse for writers, artists, and sculptors, as it tenuously supports a human population of six billion and growing.

30 WAYS TO SAVE WATER IN AND AROUND THE HOUSE.

TOILET
1. Use a toilet bowl with smaller flushing capacity (for example 6 liters or less per flush) or place a bottle of water in the tank to reduce water for each flush.
2. Minimize the number of flushes made in a day.
3. Check regularly for leakages: add food colour to the tank and look out if the coloured water spills during or after flushing

SHOWER
4. Take shorter showers or install a low flow showerhead.
5. Place a bucket near the shower to collect excess water during bath and the
water can be used for other purposes.
6. Turn off the shower while lathering soap.

SINK
7. Don’t let the water run while shaving, bushing teeth or washing your face.
The best practice is to collect water in a pail and use it.
8. Repair dripping faucets

GARDEN
9. Water the lawn early in the morning or late evening to avoid evaporation from
heat and wind.
10. Don’t over water the lawn, avoid watering during rainy season.
11. Adjust sprinkler to avoid over watering.  In case of a small garden, usage of hose
is advisable.
12. Regularly check sprinkler setting and timer.
13. Avoid over fertilizing or use a slow release water-soluble form of nitrogen.
14. Choose a water efficient landscape or garden.
15. Keep your grass about 6 cm long because taller grass holds water better.
16. Use broom to clean driveways and sidewalk rather than flushing the rubbish with water.
17. Use watering cans whenever possible especially when watering patio plants.

KITCHEN
18. Avoid running water to wash dishes.  Fill the sink and use the water.
19. Always turn off your taps tightly so that it does not leak.
20. Store a bottle of water in the refrigerator or use ice if you want cold water.
21. Wash your produce in the sink or a container that is partially filled with water
instead of running water.
22. Fill the washing machine full each time when you need to wash clothes.  Each
time the washing machine runs, it uses the same amount of water.

GARAGE
23. Use a bucket when washing the car rather than the hose.
24. Prevent any type of oil from spilling as it takes a lot of water and soap  to wash off the floor.

OTHER TIPS
25. Be well informed and participate at public meetings on water issues in your area.
26. Check all water related pipelines consistently to avoid interior leakages.
27. Immediately report broken pipes/infrastructures to the relevant authorities.
28. Encourage water conservation activities to be taught in school.
29. Support the government’s call to conserve and save water.
30. Use water harvested from rain in garage and garden and if possible even for toilet flushing.

WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION IN MALAYSIA..

Water supply and sanitation in Malaysia is characterized by numerous achievements, as well as some challenges. Universal access to water supply at affordable tariffs is a substantial achievement. The government has also shown a commitment to make the sector more efficient, to create a sustainable funding mechanism and to improve the customer orientation of service providers through sector reforms enacted in 2006. The reform creates a modern institutional structure for the water sector, including an autonomous regulatory agency, an asset holding company and commercialized state water companies that have to reach certain key performance indicators that will be monitored by the regulatory agency. The government has also stated its intention not to embark on new private sector contracts for water provision, after a bout of such contracts during the 1990s showed mixed results.
A number of challenges remain, only some of which have been addressed by the reforms. First, tariffs are low, thus making cost recovery impossible at current levels so that the sector continues to depend on government subsidies. Second, water losses as well as per capita water use remain high despite efforts at water demand management. Third, a large-scale water transfer project from the Pahang River to Kuala Lumpur is controversial because of its negative social and environmental impacts. Fourth, the development of sewerage and wastewater treatment has lagged behind the development of water infrastructure. For example, much of the collected wastewater is not yet being treated. The sanitation sub-sector has been excluded in the 2006 reforms of the water supply sub-sector.

WATER RESOURCES AND SUPPLY IN MALAYSIA..

All water sources are dependent on rainfall. Of the total average annual rainfall of about 320bcm for
Peninsular Malaysia some 47% run off as surface flow and is available for use. The total annual demand is
estimated to reach about 14bcm by 2020 which equates to 12% of the total water availability. However,
water supply management and development in Malaysia is not centralised, but is managed on a state-by-state
basis; and to cater for the differences in supply and demand inter-state water transfer programmes have been
implemented. To meet future requirements the National Water Resources Study (2000-2050), recommended
47 new dams and 3 new inter-state water projects among 62 water resource projects, including distribution
systems
Streams or rivers with or without impounding reservoirs contribute about 99% of the raw water for water
supply in Malaysia with the remaining 1% of raw water coming from groundwater. Raw water is extracted at
the intake points along the riverbanks. Dams are constructed along rivers to create reservoirs and water is
drawn from these for water treatment plants throughout the country. The Department of Environment (DOE)
monitors the river basins to determine the water quality in relation to major pollution sources, while the
Ministry of Health (MOH) is responsible for monitoring the raw water quality in the reservoirs at the intake
points of the treatment plants. State Water Authorities or private companies then supply piped drinking water
from the treatment plants to the population.
In rural areas not connected to a treated water supply drinking water is obtained from rivers, ground and rain
water. Clean water from these sources is supplied via gravity feed systems, sanitary wells with or without
house connections, and by the collection of rainwater. Although limited in comparison to surface waters
groundwater still makes a significant contribution in terms of yield and availability, and will be an important
source in meeting future water demands for the public supply.
By the year 2000, 98% of the urban population in Malaysia were served through reticulated systems from
water treatment plants using all or some of the conventional treatment processes of aeration, coagulation and
flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and chlorination. However, the effectiveness of some smaller treatment
plants where only chlorination was used, are now under threat because of development.
By the same year 93.4% of the rural population also had access to safe drinking water, and in areas where the supply was not through treated piped water systems nearly a quarter were supplied with safe water by the MOH under their Rural Environmental Sanitation Programme where systems have been funded in part by
community participation, although in recent years this has been less successful. In areas nearer to towns the
MOH also funds the connection of homes to treated water supplies.
In rural areas potential water sources are identified from areas that have traditionally been known for good
water quality. After identification of such a source the water quality is tested against current standards, and if
found to be suitable is allowed to be used as a drinking water source by the community, however users are
still advised to boil the water before consumption.

ANIMALS AND WATER ...

Water is the most important nutrient in animal feeding and animal health. It is the most abundant ingredient of the animal body in all phases of growth and development. A calf's body contains 75 to 80% water at birth and about 55 to 65% water at maturity. Of all farm animals, lactating dairy cows require the greatest amount of water in proportion to their size because water constitutes 86 to 88% of the milk they yield.

Sources of water include that obtained from the ground or surface, water in the feed supply and metabolic water obtained from the oxidation of fat and protein in the body. Water intake usually refers to free-drinking water plus that available in the feed.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DRINKING WATER..

What exactly is the importance of drinking water in the grand scheme of things? When we think about our bodily health, we normally think of exercise and diet. These are important factors, but what may be the most important factor to our health of both mind and body, however, is the amount and quality of water we drink.
Remember you have about 5 quarts of blood and about 50 to 80 quarts of water, you must watch the water you put into your system if you value a VIBRANT HEALTHY BODY. Water is so essential to our body that it's amazing we sometimes overlook its importance.

Did you know that the human body is made up of 70% to 80% water? The brain is made of 75% water and is home to some important glands that have a direct influence on the organs of the body? Muscles 75%, heart 75%, bones 22%, kidneys 83%, lungs 86%, eyes 95%, and your blood 82%. Considering that every drop of blood and water passes through the thyroid gland approximately every 15 minutes of your life, you can imagine the build up of toxins if the water you drink is not of the highest and purest quality. It is essential for the liver and kidneys to have adequate pure water to flush out the toxins that accumulate there.
When you are considering the effects and importance of drinking water, you should be thinking about the big picture. It is absolutely essential for our digestive system--it could not digest food without plenty of water. Ever had a difficult bowel movement or even a painful one? Chances are it was because of a lack of water. We have water flowing all throughout our bodies, so you can imagine that there are many benefits of drinking water daily.
You may be asking yourself now, how much water to drink? The average person should drink about 2-3 quarts of high quality pure water a day. It also depends on your body size, how hot or cold your climate is, humidity, altitude and how much exercise you do. One guide is to take your weight and divide it by half and that will tell you how many ounces to drink. For example a 200lb person should drink 100 ounces.
If you finish a meal and still feel hungry even though you seem to have had enough to eat, it's probably because you are dehydrated. Drink a glass of water and you will be amazed at how quickly your hunger goes away.

There are endless benefits to drinking enough water. If you drink eight, 8oz glasses of pure water per day, you will be lowering your risk of colon cancer by 45%; most health challenges of the body can be traced back to the colon. As you can tell, pure water is an amazing substance. The importance of drinking water is enormous.
So how can you get the best drinking water? You will want to be careful about the water that comes out of your tap. Although city water districts do a very good job of making sure the tap water is safe to drink when it leaves their facility, studies have shown that our public water sources can be anywhere from mildly polluted to very polluted. This is because of the chemicals and drugs that are dumped into our water sources and miles of pipes the water has to run through. America’s water pipe infrastructure is now very old which is evident by the number of water pipe bursts you hear about in the news. If you are concerned about drinking water for health, then you should look into home water filters or even better distilled water. This is the healthiest choice.
There are so many health benefits to drinking pure water that it is truly amazing, most people only concentrate on the need to satisfy their thirst. Pure water is also essential for relieving stress and tension in the brain. It has also been proven to help reduce anxiety. As a matter of fact, if you are prone to anxiety attacks, a great solution is to drink a few glasses of clean pure water. Water also sharpens our mental functions. This means that it's important to drink plenty of water before big tests, interviews, or any other event that will require you to be at the top of your game.
Find out more about the importance of drinking water and great healthy living tips to sharpen mental function and improve your life.

SOME SIMPLE WAYS TO CONSERVE WATER..

Don’t let it run.
We have all developed the bad habit of letting the faucet run while wait for the shower to warm up, while we brush our teeth, or while wait for a cold glass of water. Keeping a pitcher of water in the refrigerator or turning the faucet off while we brush our teeth can save several gallons of water each day! It’s simple really, before you turn on the tap, think of ways you can use less water to accomplish the same purpose.


Fix the drip.
There is no such thing as a little drip. A leaky faucet with a drip of just 1/16 of an inch in diameter (about this big –o–) can waste 10 gallons of water every day. You can turn off that drip by replacing worn washers or valve seats with the help of your parents. The silent leak. Even worse than the careless hand on the faucet is the silent toilet bowl leak, probably the single greatest water waster in homes. A leak of one gallon every 24 minutes—an average amount—totals 2.5 gallons per hour or 60 gallons per day! To check your toilet for a leak, place a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait. If the color appears in the bowl, then there’s a leak. Often these leaks can be fixed with a few minor adjustments, cleaning calcium deposits from the toilet ball in the tank, or by replacing worn valves.

Close the hose.
Letting the garden hose run faster or longer than necessary while we water the lawn or wash the car often becomes a careless and wasteful habit. A ½ inch garden hose under normal water pressure pours out more than 600 gallons of water per hour and a ¾ inch hose delivers almost 1,900 gallons in the same length of time. If left on overnight, one garden hose can easily waste twice as much water as the average family uses in a month.

Irrigate Wisely.
We have all seen the neighbor waters their lawn during an afternoon thunder storm. We have all seen the corner business whose whose automatic sprinkler system consistently over-waters causing sheets of water to flow across sidewalks and parking lots. Be wise, watch the weather and irrigate only during the cooler parts of the day (early morning or late evening). How do you know if you lawn requires water? Try the step test. If you walk across your lawn and the grass does not spring back up, then it's time to water. Most grass varieties require minimal watering (1/4 - 1/2 inches, once or twice a week). Set a small cup next to your sprinkler to measure the amount your particular sprinkler delivers.

Check the plumbing.
Proper maintenance is one of the most effective water savers. Faucet washers are inexpensive and take only a few minutes to replace. At home, check all water taps, hoses, and hose connections (even those that connect to dishwashers and washing machines) for leaks. Check the garden hose too—it should be turned off at the faucet, not just at the nozzle.


The 5 Minute Challenge.
A quick shower uses around 20-30 gallons less water than a bath. Challenge yourself and your family members to take 5 minute showers. Use a kitchen timer to keep track. Install a water-saving showerhead for additional savings.

Teach your community.
Just as it is important to conserve water in your own home, it is important to help our towns and cities save water by teaching others to use water wisely. In agricultural areas, water may be saved by using more effective irrigation methods. In industrial areas, manufacturers can save water by reusing it and by treating industrial wastes. Cities and towns can save water by eliminating leaks and installing meters. Wastewater can be treated and reused. As you conserve water at home and in your community, you will help ensure that the water available now continues to meet the growing water needs of the future.

Get started conserving water today!
Take little steps each day to reduce the amount of water you use, by the end of the month it will become second nature.

Reuse And Recycle

By reusing and recycling the water you use inside and outside of your home, you can reduce your water bill while helping the environment. Any unused water that is free of detergents or chemicals can be used to clean your car or water your plants. This includes dehumidifier condensate and water used in food preparation. Visit only those commercial car washes that use recycled water. Collect rainwater by installing a rain barrel outside your home and use this water for gardening. GreenerChoices warns that some states have rules against using gray water, or wastewater.

COMPOSITION OF WATER POLLUTION SOURCES

The water pollution in Malaysia is originated from point sources and non-point sources. Point sources that have been identified include sewage treatment plants, manufacturing and agro-based industries and animal farms. Non-point sources are mainly diffused ones such as agricultural activities and surface runoffs. According to Malaysia Environment Quality Report 2004, the Department of Environment has recorded 17,991 water pollution point sources in 2004 comprising mainly sewage treatment plants (54%), manufacturing industries (38%), animal farms (5%) and agro-based industries (3%).The distribution of the water pollution sources is shown in Figure below:

STATE OF WATER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

River Water

The Department of Environment (DOE) used Water Quality Index (WQI) to evaluate the status of the river water quality. The WQI serves as the basis for environment assessment of a watercourse in relation to pollution load categorization and designation of classes of beneficial uses as provided for under the National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia (NWQS).
In 2006, a total of 1,064 water quality monitoring stations located within 146 river basins were monitored. Out of these 1,064 monitoring stations, 619 (58%) were found to be clean, 359 (34%) slightly polluted and 86 (8%) polluted. Stations located upstream were generally clean, while those downstream were either slightly polluted or polluted. In terms of river basin water quality, 80 river basins (55%) were clean, 59 (40%) slightly polluted and 7 (5%) were polluted.
The major pollutants were Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH3-N) and Suspended Solids (SS). In 2006, 22 river basins were categorized as being polluted by BOD, 41 river basins by NH3-N and 42 river basins by SS. High BOD was contributed largely by untreated or partially treated sewage and discharges from agro-based and manufacturing industries. The main sources of NH3-N were domestic sewage and livestock farming, whilst the sources for SS were mostly earthworks and land clearing activities.
Analysis of heavy metals in 5,613 water samples revealed that almost all samples complied with Class III, National Water Quality Standards for arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn), except iron (Fe) with 83 percent compliance. Figure 1 shows the trend of water quality in river basins. Intensified enforcement efforts and good environmental management practices could also have contributed to the water quality improvement.

SAVE WATER SAVE EARTH..!

 

Save water and save the life on the earth

Water is life! save water, save life!!

Save water secure the future!

Conserve water, our life's on the brink!

Today's rain water is tomorrow's life saver!

Save water it will save you later!

Think outside the sink

Prohibit the Drip.

Tap the Tap.

Put a Stop - to the Drop.

Waste water today - Live in desert tomorrow

Save water ... It doesn't grow on trees.

Save water ... It's not just a drop in the bucket.

Save it before you need it.

RECYCLING..

Also known as Reclamation or Reuse, water recycling is an umbrella term encompassing the process of treating wastewater, storing, distributing, and using the recycled water.

“Recycled water means water which, as a result of treatment of waste, is suitable for a direct beneficial use or a controlled use that would not otherwise occur and is therefore considered a valuable resource.”

STOP...POLLUTING THE WATER..!!!

 

 

EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION..

Water pollution has number of effects. The effects could be classified as

• effects on ecosystem

• effects on animal health

• effects on human health

Effects on Ecosystem

1) Besides inorganic nutrient input, with the inflow of waste water, decomposition of organic wastes, plant nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates takes place. This promotes the growth of oxygen consuming algae (algal bloom), especially the blue-green algae. The growth of oxygen consuming algae, which deoxygenates water killing fish and other animals is referred to as eutrophication.

2) Addition of oxygen not sufficient to support life.

3) Addition of non-degradable broad-spectrum pesticides, which cause mass destruction of agnatic life.

4) Addition of oil destroys life by reducing oxygen and catching fine, destroying ecosystem.

Biological oxygen demand or BOD stands for the amount of oxygen regained by the microorganism of polluted water to complete the decomposition of organic matter present in the water. The term is usually used to know the amount of oxygen consumed. Higher in the amount of oxygen consumed, higher is the degree of organic pollutants. BOD is expressed in milligrams of O₂ per litre of water. A weak organic waste has a BOD less then 1500 mg/ litre, a strong one has higher than this. A survey of the river Yamuna recorded BOD of 2000 at Delhi, 9000 at Mathura and 12,000 at Agra.

• Shifts in biodiversity of animals and plants in polluted ecosystem.

• Imbalance in host - parasite relations in the ecosystem and changes in food - webs and food chains.

• Imbalances in microbial population and effects due to such imbalances.

• Depositions of deleterious chemicals in soil leading to loss of soil fertility.
•  

Effects on Animal Health

• Large scale death of aquatic and terrestrial animals

• Reduced reproduction rate

• Increased incidence of diseases

• Imbalances created in secondary food chains

• Accumulation of bioaccumulative and non-biodegradable pollutants in animal bodies.

• Some organochlorine pesticides (like DDT, BHC, Endrin) are known for bioaccumulative and biomagnifiable characters.

Bioaccumulation

It is a concept wherein pesticides are not subjected to disintegration and excretion from animal/human body.

Bio magnification

Due to bioaccumulative characters, these pollutants pass through the food chain and food web. While passing through the organisms, the concentration of pollutants gets increased. This is called bio magnifications. For e.g., 0.5 ppm DDT in grasses gets magnified to 2ppm in sheep. It may be magnified to 10 ppm in human beings who eat such polluted mutton.

Some organochlorine pesticides cause health hazards like impotence, cancerous tumors beyond a threshold limit of accumulation.

Effects on Human Health

• Increased incidence of tumours, ulcers due to nitrate pollution.

• Increased incidence of skin disorders due to contact with pollutants.

• Increased incidence of constipation, diarrhea and infections to intestine.

• Dangerous effects on growing foetus in pregnant women.

• Concentration of pollutants due to bioaccumulative pesticides. through secondary and tertiary food chain in case of non - vegetarians.

• Still births, abortions and birth of deformed children.

• 'Blue baby' disease caused by methane globinemia - which results in asphyxia (reduced O₂ supply).

• Reduced activity of immune system.

• Loss of memory power and reduced mental sharpness.

• Water borne diseases like jaundice, hepatitis, gasteroenteritis will be more prevalent due to water pollution.

• Reduced bone development and muscular development.

• Reduced male fertility.

• Shifts in physiological cycles of human body.

Improvement of Water Quality

Water pollution cannot be altogether checked, but measures can be taken to reduce it.

These one as follows: 

a) Primary treatment

In this method mechanical screening and sedimentation of un-dissolved solids in raw sewage is done. But it fails to remove any dissolved substance from water.

b) Secondary treatment

Sewage treated in primary treatment is brought in contact with oxygen and aerobic micro-organisms. They break down the organic matter into harmless materials as CO₂ and H₂O. Further, chlorination is done to reduce the bacteria. It may be further treated to tertiary level zero measures are adopted for secondary treatment. They are (i) Trickling filter method (ii) Activated sludge process.

i) Trickling filter method

In this case sewage water passes through a thick bed of gravel stones so that bacteria consume most of the organic matter.

ii) Activated sludge process

Here the sewage water is pumped into an aeration tank. The tank contains sludge consisting of bacteria and algae. The bacteria is able to decompose most of the organic matter and algae produces oxygen to promote the growth of these decomposers.

c) Advanced water treatment or temporary treatment

Finally in the third step, salts like nitrates and phosphates are removed by precipitation technique.

Reverse osmosis

By this technique sewage water can he converted into fairly clean drinking water.

WATER POLLUTION FACED IN MALAYSIA..

    As Malaysia is fast becoming an industrial country, many of her rivers have become polluted due to the many wastes that have been poured out into her rivers. Such as the paper making industry, it requires chemicals, often poisonous in its production. The rivers are used as an outlet for the chemicals to drain away, in turn harming the waters and the lives that revolve around them.

    There are many ethnic aboriginal groups that still exist in Malaysia and the people depend on the rivers and streams to survive. They depend on the river for food, water supply for drinking, bathing and for their crops. the river happens to be the main centre of their livelihood and without the rivers the whole tribes cannot survive as their ancestors had done generations before them, all of them depending on the rivers.

    The rivers have become a tourist attraction and this has prompted the construction of hotels and resorts around the area. As a result, many of the forests surrounding the river areas have been chopped down. The surrounding soil have no roots to hold on to and soon erode when the rains come. The soil runs into the rivers and soon the rivers become murky and shut out all the sunlight from reaching the aquatic life in the rivers and streams.  This causes them to die.

    A good example is the construction of a new golf course near the waterfall at tourist attraction Fraser’s Hill in the state of Pahang, causing it to become extremely murky and dirty due to the silt and sand that comes from the construction. The waterfall which has been the centrepoint of the hill has now lost all its attraction just because of the overwhelming need to attract more tourists to the place by building more facilities.

WATER POLLUTION..



What is water pollution?

Water pollution is any chemical, physical or biological change in the quality of water that has a harmful effect on any living thing that drinks or uses or lives (in) it. When humans drink polluted water it often has serious effects on their health. Water pollution can also make water unsuited for the desired use.

What are the major water pollutants?

There are several classes of water pollutants. The first are disease-causing agents. These are bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasitic worms that enter sewage systems and untreated waste.

A second category of water pollutants is oxygen-demanding wastes; wastes that can be decomposed by oxygen-requiring bacteria. When large populations of decomposing bacteria are converting these wastes it can deplete oxygen levels in the water. This causes other organisms in the water, such as fish, to die.

A third class of water pollutants is water-soluble inorganic pollutants, such as acids, salts and toxic metals. Large quantities of these compounds will make water unfit to drink and will cause the death of aquatic life.

Another class of water pollutants are nutrients; they are water-soluble nitrates and phosphates that cause excessive growth of algae and other water plants, which deplete the water's oxygen supply. This kills fish and, when found in drinking water, can kill young children.

Water can also be polluted by a number of organic compounds such as oil, plastics and pesticides, which are harmful to humans and all plants and animals in the water.

A very dangerous category is suspended sediment, because it causes depletion in the water's light absorption and the particles spread dangerous compounds such as pesticides through the water.

Finally, water-soluble radioactive compounds can cause cancer, birth defects and genetic damage and are thus very dangerous water pollutants.

Where does water pollution come from?

Water pollution is usually caused by human activities. Different human sources add to the pollution of water. There are two sorts of sources, point and nonpoint sources. Point sources discharge pollutants at specific locations through pipelines or sewers into the surface water. Nonpoint sources are sources that cannot be traced to a single site of discharge.

Examples of point sources are: factories, sewage treatment plants, underground mines, oil wells, oil tankers and agriculture.

Examples of nonpoint sources are: acid deposition from the air, traffic, pollutants that are spread through rivers and pollutants that enter the water through groundwater.

Nonpoint pollution is hard to control because the perpetrators cannot be traced.

How do we detect water pollution?

Water pollution is detected in laboratories, where small samples of water are analysed for different contaminants. Living organisms such as fish can also be used for the detection of water pollution. Changes in their behaviour or growth show us, that the water they live in is polluted. Specific properties of these organisms can give information on the sort of pollution in their environment. Laboratories also use computer models to determine what dangers there can be in certain waters. They import the data they own on the water into the computer, and the computer then determines if the water has any impurities.

What is heat pollution, what causes it and what are the dangers?

In most manufacturing processes a lot of heat originates that must be released into the environment, because it is waste heat. The cheapest way to do this is to withdraw nearby surface water, pass it through the plant, and return the heated water to the body of surface water. The heat that is released in the water has negative effects on all life in the receiving surface water. This is the kind of pollution that is commonly known as heat pollution or thermal pollution.

The warmer water decreases the solubility of oxygen in the water and it also causes water organisms to breathe faster. Many water organisms will then die from oxygen shortages, or they become more susceptible to diseases.

What is eutrophication, what causes it and what are the dangers?

Eutrophication means natural nutrient enrichment of streams and lakes. The enrichment is often increased by human activities, such as agriculture (manure addition). Over time, lakes then become eutrophic due to an increase in nutrients.

Eutrophication is mainly caused by an increase in nitrate and phosphate levels and has a negative influence on water life. This is because, due to the enrichment, water plants such as algae will grow extensively. As a result the water will absorb less light and certain aerobic bacteria will become more active. These bacteria deplete oxygen levels even further, so that only anaerobic bacteria can be active. This makes life in the water impossible for fish and other organisms.

What is acid rain and how does it develop?

Typical rainwater has a pH of about 5 to 6. This means that it is naturally a neutral, slightly acidic liquid. During precipitation rainwater dissolves gasses such as carbon dioxide and oxygen. The industry now emits great amounts of acidifying gasses, such as sulphuric oxides and carbon monoxide. These gasses also dissolve in rainwater. This causes a change in pH of the precipitation – the pH of rain will fall to a value of or below 4. When a substance has a pH of below 6.5, it is acid. The lower the pH, the more acid the substance is. That is why rain with a lower pH, due to dissolved industrial emissions, is called acid rain.

Why does water sometimes smell like rotten eggs?

When water is enriched with nutrients, eventually anaerobic bacteria, which do not need oxygen to practice their functions, will become highly active. These bacteria produce certain gasses during their activities. One of these gases is hydrogen sulphide. This compounds smells like rotten eggs. When water smells like rotten eggs we can conclude that there is hydrogen present, due to a shortage of oxygen in the specific water.

What causes white deposit on showers and bathroom walls?

Water contains many compounds. A few of these compounds are calcium and carbonate. Carbonate works as a buffer in water and is thus a very important component.

When calcium reacts with carbonate a solid substance is formed, that is called lime. This lime is what causes the white deposit on showers and bathroom walls and is commonly known as lime deposit. It can be removed by using a specially suited cleaning agent.

WHAT IS WATER..

Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H₂O. Its molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state (water vapor or steam). Water also exists in a liquid crystal state near hydrophilic surfaces.

Water covers 70.9% of the Earth's surface, and is vital for all known forms of life.On Earth, it is found mostly in oceans and other large water bodies, with 1.6% of water below ground in aquifers and 0.001% in the air as vapor, clouds (formed of solid and liquid water particles suspended in air), and precipitation. Oceans hold 97% of surface water, glaciers and polar ice caps 2.4%, and other land surface water such as rivers, lakes and ponds 0.6%. A very small amount of the Earth's water is contained within biological bodies and manufactured products.

Water on Earth moves continually through a cycle of evaporation or transpiration (evapotranspiration), precipitation, and runoff, usually reaching the sea. Over land, evaporation and transpiration contribute to the precipitation over land.

Clean drinking water is essential to humans and other lifeforms. Access to safe drinking water has improved steadily and substantially over the last decades in almost every part of the world. There is a clear correlation between access to safe water and GDP per capita. However, some observers have estimated that by 2025 more than half of the world population will be facing water-based vulnerability.A recent report (November 2009) suggests that by 2030, in some developing regions of the world, water demand will exceed supply by 50%. Water plays an important role in the world economy, as it functions as a solvent for a wide variety of chemical substances and facilitates industrial cooling and transportation. Approximately 70% of freshwater is consumed by agriculture.