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Question
#f water is completely clear and has no colour or odour, is it safe to drink$
Answer
%ot necessarily, because it may contain microorganisms or dissolved chemicals that cannot be seen. !nd of answer o know whether water is polluted with specific bacterial contaminants, samples should be taken and sent to a laboratory for analysis. &s noted in "tudy "ession '(, E.coli is the standard indicator organism for faecal contamination of water and for the possible presence of faecal pathogens. )or water intended for drinking, the World *ealth +rgani,ation -W*+. recommends that E.coli must not be detectable in any '// ml sample. #n most developing countries like !thiopia the priority is to get from 0bad1 2uality -more than ',/// faecal coliforms per '// ml. to 0moderate1 2uality -less than '/ faecal coliforms per '// ml.. 03ood1 2uality is classed as ,ero faecal coliforms per '//ml.
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)igure '6.7 8akes and rivers are important a2uatic ecosystems supporting many forms of life in and around the water. -4hotos9 4am )urniss. he effect of pollution on streams and rivers depends on the type of pollutant. "ome substances are acutely toxic to a2uatic plants and animals and will cause dead ,ones downstream from the pollutant source in which no living organism is found. +ther pollutants are health concerns to humans, but have little impact on a2uatic communities. +ne of the most common types of freshwater pollutant is biodegradable organic material. When a high concentration of organic material such as raw sewage -human excreta. is discharged into a stream, the levels of dissolved oxygen in the water may fall so low that the water is completely deoxygenated.