Pollution and Water Quality

According to the United Nations, declining water quality has become a global issue of concern as human populations grow, industrial and agricultural activities expand, and climate change threatens to cause major alterations to the hydrological cycle. Resources available in this sub-theme include manuals describing water quality testing and treatment, reports and assessments of water quality from around the world, methods of maintaining water quality and managing pollution, and other resources that support enabling environments for effective water quality control.

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Pollution and Water Quality Resources

Analyzing a Water Sample

U.S. Agency for International Development
This technical notes describes the steps in water analysis. Water analysis is helpful to determine the level of water supply treatment. This note outlines testing for bacteriological contamination.Read more

Final Report, June 1988 to May 1991: The Importance of Mangroves in Sustaining Fisheries and Controlling Water Quality in Coastal Ecosystems

U.S. Agency for International Development
This final report describes an ecosystem analysis of Guayas River estuary, Ecuador, along with ecological studies in Terminos Lagoon, Mexico, to quantify the function of mangroves in different environmental settings. Mangroves may provide food and habitat to a variety of trophic levels, as well as...Read more
Regional focus: 
EcuadorLatin America and the Caribbean

Water Security - Contamination Warning System White Papers

CH2M HILL
CH2M HILL and the Philadelphia Water Department released a series of white papers to disseminate knowledge and industry best practices gained from the PWD Contamination Warning System Demonstration Pilot Project.Read more

Clearing the Waters: A Focus on Water Quality Solutions

Published: 
March 22, 2010
Pacific Institute
This report released by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) for World Water Day, March 22, 2010, lays out steps and solutions to address our urgent water-quality challenges––and they start with awareness and will to action.Read more

Human Costs of Nitrate-contaminated Drinking Water in the San Joaquin Valley

Published: 
March 1, 2011
Pacific Institute
This research finds that nitrate contamination of groundwater has wide-reaching effects on California's health, economic vitality, and environmental well being, disproportionately affecting low-income households and Spanish-speaking residents.Read more

Water Questions and Answers

Published: 
March 17, 2014
U.S. Geological SurveyU.S. Department of the Interior
A part of the USGS Water Science School, this page provides a series of questions and answers surrounding water. Topics include Water at Home, Water Use, Measuring Water, Water Chemistry and Quality, and the Water Around Us.Read more

Economics of Water Quality Protection From Nonpoint Sources: Theory and Practice

Published: 
November 1, 1999
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Pollution from nonpoint sources is the single largest remaining source of water quality impairments in the United States. Agriculture is a major source of several nonpoint-source pollutants, including nutrients, sediment, pesticides, and salts. Agricultural nonpoint pollution reduction policies can...Read more

The Benefits of Protecting Rural Water Quality

Published: 
January 1, 1995
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Concerns about the impact of farm production on the quality of the Nation's drinking and recreational water resources have risen over the past 10 years. Because point sources of pollution were controlled first, agricultural nonpoint sources have become the Nation's largest remaining...Read more

Improving Air and Water Quality Can Be Two Sides of the Same Coin

Published: 
September 1, 2005
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Air quality policies have traditionally focused on urban areas and industrial emissions. Extending these laws to cover agriculture would require an understanding of how farmers respond to different policy incentives. Farmers have many choices in deciding on what to produce and the production...Read more

Managing Manure To Improve Air and Water Quality

Published: 
September 1, 2005
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Animal waste from confined animal feeding operations is a potential source of air and water quality degradation from evaporation of gases, runoff to surface water, and leaching to ground water. This report assesses the potential economic and environmental tradeoffs between water quality policies...Read more

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