Summary of Key Points

1. Water quality is regulated under the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Other statutes such as the Clean Air Act, Resources Conservation and Recovery Act, and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act also affect water quality in the United States.
2. Water quality is a quantification of the ability of a water source to meet the chemical, biological, and physical requirements of a specific water use. These uses include both environmental and human-centric uses.
3. Biological processes such as biomagnification and eutrophication make certain types of contaminants, such as heavy metals and nutrients, particularly dangerous.
4. Major sources of water pollution include atmospheric deposition, wastewater, urban and agricultural runoff, concentrated animal feeding operations, and mining.
5. A variety of technological treatments and best management practices can be used to control water quality. Many of these same practices are important aspects of source water protection.