Water as an environmental resource is regenerative in the sense that it could absorb pollution loads up to certain levels without affecting its quality. In fact there
could be a problem of water pollution only if the pollution loads exceed the natural regenerative capacity of a water resource. The control of water pollution is therefore to reduce the pollution loads from anthropogenic activities to the natural regenerative capacity of the resource. The benefits of the preservation of water
quality are manifold. Not only can abatement of water pollution provide marketable benefits, such as reduced water borne diseases, savings in the cost of supplying
water for household, industrial and agricultural uses, control of land degradation, and development of fisheries, it can also generate non-marketable benefits like improved environmental amenities, aquatic life, and biodiversity.