Water Pollution (definition)

Water pollution is defined as occurring when there is a change in the chemical, physical, or biological quality of water that has a harmful effect on the living organisms that consume it or live in it. It adversely affects water bodies whenever large amounts of natural or man-made material are introduced into them. In practical terms, water is considered polluted once it becomes unfit for its intended use -- whether that use is drinking, irrigation, industrial supply, or supporting aquatic life. This 'unfit for intended use' framing is deliberately broad: the same water body can be polluted for drinking purposes while still being usable for industrial cooling, which …