How does water get contaminated?

Question

What are some examples of how water gets contaminated?

Answer 1

Streams and rivers can become contaminated from animal (or human) waste that was washed directly into the stream by rainfall. Also if humans dump any pollutants (intentionally or accidentally) such as oil or unnatural products into the stream or a drain that leads to the stream, the water will become contaminated.

Answer 2

waste run-off from bad sanitation practices, from industrial farming, from factories, from people dumping toxic materials in the sewers....

Answer 3

pollution like sewage and waste

Answer 4

spills from cars

Answer 5

dirt, chemicals, bacteria

Answer 6

FIRSTHAND CONTAMINATION

Rivers and Lagoons

millions of batteries are thrown in the rivers and Lagoons by night fishermen

1 small penlight battery contaminate 10.000 litres of water

raw sewage added to water flows like cannals and rivers ,

trash dumped on rivers edges ,

Industry contaminates practically unchecked

farmers using agro chemicals (fertilizers ,herbicides & pesticides)then deforrest and the rains washing the topsoils impregnated with contaminants into the rivers

thousands of women that do the washing in rivers using harmfull detergents.

farmers dump acidic coffee husk into the waters which kills millions of fish ,

on the coasts

oil spills that contaminate coastal waters,

Oceans

industrial wastes that are dumped into deep oceanic trenches

SECONDARY POLUTION

changes in water temperature enhances harmfull algae,(remember the red tide)

and kills many fish who are critical to temperature ,when sea water enters lagoons here in Mexico many fish die ,due to sudden temperature changes

also warm water releases carbon gasses

cold water absorbs them

SOLUTIONS

wetlands like swamps have always been Natures natural filters for natural water flows,aquatic plants clean the water ,the anchored plants as well as the floating ones

we should redesign wetland flora with in natural water systems to help contra contamination.

stop sewage systems that connect to natural water flows ,forbid and police the dumping of rubbish on waters edges ,

the best way is through the educational systems ,starting at kiddy schools and rising in intensity with progression.

but in Mexico this is not accepted because this kind of education is not in the ciriculum.

In short the ways to protect the waters is

laws and punishment ,government vigilence ,education ,

alternative farming methods away from using chemicals ,which eventually end up in the ground water supplies

to merely clean polution or try to clean is never effective because of population growth ,it gets worse by the year ,an impossible task

we must attack at the roots and that is the contaminating mentality

Answer 7

If I pee in it

Answer 8

Industrial waste

Human waste

Answer 9

When Cheerio looks at it.

Answer 10

http://discoveries.typepad.com

scroll down to microwave water.

Then check it out more ways here.

http://www.healthynewage.com/water-conta...

Answer 11

i uess

Answer 12

when bacteria invades it

Answer 13

Farmer uses pesticides on crops, crops get watered, chemicals enter water cycle via run-off and or evaporation.

When water sits it gets stagnant bacteria have time to grow this leads to ecoli or strep among any other simple bacteria or viruses. Especially if a dead animal is near the settled water.

I suppose there are a couple different types of contamination to talk about. Chemical and or organic. Both can happen in any number of ways, if you consider fluoride or chlorine a contaminant then cities all over the world contaminate their own water supply.

Answer 14

thats an odd question. pretty easy to answer though...just why would you wanna know that? hm

Answer 15

Water without filtration, and sits idle for days, can get contaminated.

Water that has run-off from fertilizers loaded with poisons like arsenic gets contaminated.

Answer 16

some dirt makes the water black

spit and trash make the water ulgly