Importance of water quality

Water is a vital resource for any living being on the planet, and its quality is an increasingly worrying issue throughout the world due to the health of the population, economic development, and the environmental quality of ecosystems. Despite the fact that water and sanitation are human rights recognized by the United Nations, there are still millions of people who do not have access to them.

The quality of water is determined by its chemical, physical, biological and radiological characteristics, which makes it suitable for a specific use and not for another. There are different factors that affect water quality, including physical factors such as climate and solar radiation, chemical factors such as pH and hardness, and biological factors such as human population growth and massive urbanization.

Water quality can also be affected by contamination from residual, industrial, domestic and urban sources that are discharged into rivers and seas. These discharges can accumulate a high load of organic and inorganic matter, as well as dangerous compounds, which can seriously harm aquatic ecosystems and affect their vegetation and fauna.

It is important to establish necessary treatments and limits for the different uses and activities of water, and thus guarantee a good quality of life for all citizens, while caring for and respecting the environment