All water is susceptible to contamination.
It may accumulate contaminants from the air, the ground, or from rocks. Some of these contaminants, such as low levels of certain minerals or compounds, are not harmful to health, whereas others, such as pathogens, may be. Although Nepal is a country rich in freshwater resources, these resources are unevenly distributed and the water infrastructure remains undeveloped. In rural Nepal, millions of people do not have access to safe drinking water or basic sanitation sources. The problems of clean drinking water and lack of sanitation are closely related, in communities without adequate sanitation, pathogen-laden human and animal wastes, food, and garbage pile up near homes, or drain into waterways to infect drinking water supplies.