Learn about water quality using pictures
• Water Science School HOME • Water Quality topics • Water Science photo gallery
What is in that water that you just drank? Is it just hydrogen and oxygen atoms? Is it safe for drinking? All water is of a certain "quality" (and you can't tell by just looking), but what does "water quality" really mean?
- A floating solar still to desalinate seawater
- A eutrophic lake, with excess algal growth
- Acid rain: Damage to trees caused by acid rain
- Color in water can affect its quality and usefulness
- Drainage from a mining site can have water-quality problems
- E. coli is a microscopic organism that indicates fecal contamination
- Excess nutrients flowing into Lake Erie can cause serious algal blooms
- Mercury can cause health problems
- Nutrients (nitrogen) are introduced onto crop fields
- Pharmaceuticals in water
- Pesticides are transported throughout the environment
- Pesticides in groundwater can eventually contaminate well water
- Raw sewage can be treated until it becomes quite pure
- The world's most acidic water is found in a mine in California
- Urbanization can put water-quality pressures on rivers
- USGS scientist taking a dissolved oxygen reading in a small stream
- Impervious areas affect water quality
More water quality resources and photo galleries:
Water Quality Information by Topic
Water Quality Questions & Answers
Teacher's Resources for Water Education
The USGS Water Science School offers many resources to help teach students all about water.
Water Basics Photo Gallery
Surface Water Photo Gallery
Groundwater Photo Gallery
Water Use Photo Gallery
Water Properties Photo Gallery
Below are FAQ associated with water quality.
Does the use of pesticides affect our Nation's water quality?
Pesticide use in the United States has increased because not only must we supply our exploding population with food, but crops and food are also grown for export to other countries. The United States has become the largest producer of food products in the world, partly owing to our use of modern chemicals (pesticides) to control the insects, weeds, and other organisms that attack food crops. But...
- Overview
Learn about water quality using pictures
• Water Science School HOME • Water Quality topics • Water Science photo gallery
What is in that water that you just drank? Is it just hydrogen and oxygen atoms? Is it safe for drinking? All water is of a certain "quality" (and you can't tell by just looking), but what does "water quality" really mean?
- A floating solar still to desalinate seawater
- A eutrophic lake, with excess algal growth
- Acid rain: Damage to trees caused by acid rain
- Color in water can affect its quality and usefulness
- Drainage from a mining site can have water-quality problems
- E. coli is a microscopic organism that indicates fecal contamination
- Excess nutrients flowing into Lake Erie can cause serious algal blooms
- Mercury can cause health problems
- Nutrients (nitrogen) are introduced onto crop fields
- Pharmaceuticals in water
- Pesticides are transported throughout the environment
- Pesticides in groundwater can eventually contaminate well water
- Raw sewage can be treated until it becomes quite pure
- The world's most acidic water is found in a mine in California
- Urbanization can put water-quality pressures on rivers
- USGS scientist taking a dissolved oxygen reading in a small stream
- Impervious areas affect water quality
- Science
More water quality resources and photo galleries:
Water Quality Information by Topic
What is in that water that you just drank? Is it just hydrogen and oxygen atoms? Is it safe for drinking? All water is of a certain "quality" (and you can't tell by just looking), but what does "water quality" really mean? Water full of dirt and grime might work fine for a tomato plant but would you want to drink it? Water quality can be thought of as a measure of the suitability of water for a...Water Quality Questions & Answers
What is in that water that you just drank? Is it just hydrogen and oxygen atoms? Is it safe for drinking? All water is of a certain "quality" (and you can't tell by just looking), but what does "water quality" really mean? It can be thought of as a measure of the suitability of water for a particular use based on selected physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. Here at the Water...Teacher's Resources for Water Education
The USGS Water Science School offers many resources to help teach students all about water.
Water Basics Photo Gallery
Learn about water science using pictures.Surface Water Photo Gallery
Learn about surface water using pictures.Groundwater Photo Gallery
Learn about groundwater using pictures.Water Use Photo Gallery
Learn about water use using pictures.Water Properties Photo Gallery
Learn about water's properties using pictures. - FAQ
Below are FAQ associated with water quality.
Does the use of pesticides affect our Nation's water quality?
Pesticide use in the United States has increased because not only must we supply our exploding population with food, but crops and food are also grown for export to other countries. The United States has become the largest producer of food products in the world, partly owing to our use of modern chemicals (pesticides) to control the insects, weeds, and other organisms that attack food crops. But...