Water pollution refers to when unnatural substances accumulate in water to such an extent that they cause problems to water-using organisms. Large bodies of water have the ability to somewhat naturally clean up a certain amount of pollution by dispersing it harmlessly and thereby reducing its concentration. There are two main ways to determine water pollution levels: chemical and biological indicators. Chemical indicators involve taking water samples and measuring the concentration of different chemicals in the sample. If dangerous chemicals or high concentrations are measured, the water is polluted. Biological indicators indicate that when aquatic life is examined, the greater the diversity of life forms, the less polluted the water. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get an original essay There are several different causes of water pollution, although the article on water pollution by Chris Woodford indicates that the most important are sewage, nutrients and waste. water, oil spills, plastics and alien species (Woodford, 2017). In some cases, two of these causes can combine and create a disruption, as demonstrated by the pollution of the KZN River by sewage three years ago (Ndaliso, 2015). Due to an oil spill near a sewage treatment plant, a discharge of sewage occurred into the river. Food technologist Dawn Bester had the water tested and the result was eighty times the acceptable contamination levels; she then declared that the river was “a dead river exposing people to diseases”. Due to its status as a coastal province, KwaZulu Natal is known for its water-based food source. However, due to water pollution, there is an increase in mortality of aquatic animals. At the same time, there is a disruption in the food chain. Pollutants are consumed by fish which are then eaten by humans. If the original pollutant is lead related, it is possible that people are getting lead poisoning from the seafood they eat. There have been many cases, especially in rural areas, where people have contracted cholera and other various diseases due to contamination of the water in which they bathe, drink or fish. For this reason, it is very possible that KwaZulu Natal will experience a decline in the ranking of living conditions. Citizens are more likely to move to a province less exposed to water pollution, while residents in rural areas will see an increase in health problems as they are constantly exposed to contaminated water and food. Fortunately, there are several methods to control and/or minimize water pollution, such as education, laws and economics. In terms of economics and law; Several measures have been put in place through Part 4 of the National Water Act. As noted in the News24 article, “Industrial water polluters set to be fined up to R1 million and R5 000 per day for ongoing offenses as Msunduzi Municipality cracks down the offenders. » (Ntuli, 2018) In addition to this, smaller changes have also been made to discourage water pollution, such as increasing the costs of plastic bags and any other non-recyclable materials – minimizing the chances that they end up in the sea – and.