Water Quality
Source: Mississippi Conservation AuthorityWater quality refers to the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. We evaluate water quality from the standpoints of whether water is safe to drink, safe to come in contact with (e.g. swim in), and for ecosystem health. A general perception of water quality monitoring is that it tells us whether water is polluted or not. In fact, water quality is a very complex subject, in part because water is a complex medium. It is intrinsically tied to the ecology of the Earth.
It is important to understand what constitutes high quality, clean water. In nature, pure water does not exist. That is, it isn’t possible to find water that has absolutely nothing in it. Water is always found in combination with minerals and chemicals.
The types of minerals and chemicals found in water will depend on a number of factors, including:
- soil, geologic formations and terrain in the catchment area (river basin);
- surrounding vegetation and wildlife;
- precipitation and runoff from adjacent land;
- biological, physical and chemical processes in the water; and
- human activities in the region.
Sometimes the compounds are naturally present and sometimes they are there as a result of human activity. If water quality is degraded this can have a serious adverse effect on an ecosystem. Similarly, when ecosystems become degraded, this has a negative impact on the water.
Read more: Where Does Our Water Come From?
Read Local: Water Quality in My Watershed
Adapted from the Environment Canada Freshwater Website; Pollution Probe's Drinking Water Primer; and the National Integrated Drought Information System.