Water pollution is a major threat to the natural environment because all plants and organisms in this world are dependent on water and contaminated water can create lot of damage to the natural habitat. It can affect either individual species or entire population of a species, organisms and similar biological communities.

Causes of Water Pollution
The pollutants which are discharged into water bodies either directly or indirectly by different factors contaminate the water and pollute it. Such contamination can affect both the ground water and surface water of earth.

The sources of water pollution are divided into two categories – point source and non-point source of water pollution. The ‘Point source pollution’ refers to direct contamination of water through discharge of wastes by discrete conveyance like ditch or pipe. For example industrial wastes, factory wastes, sewage treatment discharges and storm drains of cities.

The ‘Non-point source pollution’ refers to diffuse of contamination that doesn’t originate from single discrete source. It refers to contamination by accumulation of pollutants from large areas. For example the nutrient run off from the agricultural field, the pesticides used in cities, homes, farms, and similar flow of pollutants from different sources lead to water pollution./

Thus the Causes of Water Pollution are –

• Pesticides, nutrients and fertilizers
• Mining
• Sewage discharge
• Oil and petroleum product seeping
• Discharge of chemical and industrial wastes factories and industries
• Sediments
• Lathering from soaps, detergents, and similar products
• Dumping of wastage in stagnant water
• Plastics in oceans, seas, rivers, lakes and ponds.

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