Fresh and salt waters are linked together, as rivers flow into the sea. If river waters are polluted, the sea and all the marine ecosystems within it will also be damaged. Although much of the water we drink and swim in is cleaner than it used to be, the European Union still has a lot to do to reduce pollution and encourage people to use only as much fresh water as they really need.
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Find out what the European Union has done, and is doing now, to keep our water clean and cut down the amount we use. |
What can YOU do to save water and reduce water pollution? |
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How clean is the bathing water in your country? |
Rainwater replenishes the underground reservoirs that supply most of our drinking water. But that water has to be cleaned before it arrives in our homes.
The European Union has some 95 000 kms of coastline. Many people live and work, or enjoy their leisure time, in coastal areas, and the surrounding waters are a rich source of food. Coastlines are home to some of the most valuable ecosystems on Earth, with important habitats and breeding grounds for wildlife.
There are two major problems affecting our water supply: the increasing amount of water we are extracting from underground reservoirs, and pollution. These developments will affect all our lives, if we don't find solutions.
