Water is a very important part of the environment. Surface
water bodies in particular provide a range of uses for people,
ranging from consumptive uses to in-stream uses. It is also common
knowledge that they provide beautiful scenery and support
flora and fauna. Pollution of these water bodies impairs their usefulness
to humans and the other ecosystems that rely on them for
survival. Rivers that drain urban catchments are very prone to
pollution due to the varied human activities that contribute to