Table of ContentsMiningDeforestationAgricultureIndustrializationConclusionWater pollution has become a major concern for over a century as industrial and agricultural activities continue to discharge waste into rivers , lakes and oceans. Increasing levels of water pollution have continued to harm the environment and food supplies. Additionally, pollution of drinking water has been linked to various water-borne diseases such as cholera. Aquatic life is exposed to unimaginable danger due to continuous water pollution. While different countries have distinct approaches to managing water pollution and responding to the problem, the majority of them focus on water pollution that occurs at water sources and attempt to mitigate the problem from this end. The causes of water pollution can be direct or indirect depending on the time it takes for the factor to contaminate the water. Direct causes of pollution tend to have an instantaneous impact on water quality, while indirect causes have a delayed impact on water quality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay Although indirect factors causing water pollution have delayed impacts, research indicates that their persistence reaches a point where it becomes too late to address their impacts. . These factors require long-term intervention measures since they are linked to human activities that tend to cause changes in the environment and water sources. Environmental conservation efforts to combat water pollution tend to overlook certain causes because governments and individuals feel that they cannot suspend certain activities aimed at combating water pollution. water (EPA, 2017). For example, some governments consider it unsustainable to suspend agricultural activities that pollute water, because they believe these activities contribute to their country's income. Although the factors of water pollution may be different in different countries, mining, urbanization, deforestation, agriculture, industrialization and damming of rivers are common factors that contaminate water. MiningExploration of underground minerals produces waste in the form of leaks and salts which end up in water bodies and cause pollution. In countries like India, mining has been cited as one of the major direct drivers of water pollution (Akhtar et al., 2014). Minerals containing heavy metals are usually found in bodies of water near mines because it is difficult to clean up all the leaks. Although some minerals are good for animals and humans, the presence of excess minerals in water affects the health of people and their livestock (Ashraf et al., 2010). Serious illnesses such as heart failure are associated with water pollution from mines. Additionally, some minerals produce water to the point that plants cannot absorb water. In such cases, pollution from mining leads to plant death and subsequent desertification. Soil and debris resulting from mining are also pollutants as they make water cloudy and unfit for human consumption. According to Chaudhry and Malik (2017), the direct effect of these pollutants is the death of aquatic life which cannot survive in turbid waters. For example, dirty watercan clog the gills of fish and cause death of other aquatic animals. Instantaneous changes in the mineral concentration of water bodies also lead to the death of aquatic life as these animals are not accustomed to certain mineral concentration levels. The growing population in urban areas of many countries can directly or indirectly cause water pollution. Many cities around the world do not have adequate sewage systems. As a result, raw waste ends up in bodies of water as more people continue to settle in urban areas (EPA, 2017). Activities that take place as people try to expand cities to accommodate a growing population results in water pollution. For example, continuous construction works in various urban centers cause water pollution. Construction work results in a pile of debris as some structures are demolished to make way for new developments. Debris causes water pollution when it is washed into water bodies. Additionally, urbanization requires increased food production to feed the growing population of cities. Therefore, farmers in areas close to urban centers tend to use chemicals to increase their yields and meet the growing demand (Chaudhry and Malik, 2017). As a result, some chemicals are washed into rivers and lakes, causing water pollution. So, although urbanization is a good measure of development, it must be controlled in order to keep water free from pollutants. lose forest cover. Deforestation strips the soil of its protective cover and makes it prone to erosion. As a result, water reaches rivers and lakes when it is turbid and unfit for human and aquatic consumption. Destruction of the ecosystem that contains the soil results in damage that results in water pollution (EPA, 2017). When aquatic animals such as fish try to survive in dirty water, they become vulnerable to death because their gills become blocked. Dirty water is also prone to bacteria which has serious consequences on human health and life. Plants are also exposed to bacteria when they absorb dirty water. To address the effects of deforestation on water quality, more trees must be planted to cover the cleared land. AgricultureAgricultural activities which are not environmentally friendly are considered to be the major cause of water pollution in various countries. Agriculture, as a contributor to water pollution, presents a dilemma to individuals and governments attempting to regulate it (Ashraf et al., 2010). The dilemma arises from the need to reduce agricultural factors responsible for water pollution while ensuring the availability of enough food to feed the population. Agriculture causes water pollution because the soil is loosened to allow it to absorb water. Soft soils are vulnerable to erosion which makes the water cloudy and unfit for human and aquatic consumption. Fertilizers used to increase agricultural yields in countries like the United States cause water pollution when they are washed into water sources through runoff. Runoff from agricultural fields causes water eutrophication which forces the water to dissolve chemicals such as phosphate. According to Chaudhry and Malik (2017), eutrophic water is vulnerable to the growth of algae and cyanobacteria which reduce oxygen in the water. Deoxygenated water is.