Please direct all questions and comments to Dr. Christian De Kimpe 4. Water Quality D.B. Harker, P.A. Chambers, A.S. Crowe, G.L. Fairchild, and E. Kienholz Highlights Water quality is a major environmental concern of Canadians. Good water quality is hard to define because it depends on the intended use of the water and on society's perception of what level of risk is acceptable. Water quality standards, such as those defined by the Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines, are typically based on concentrations of certain chemicals.
Agriculture contributes to declining water quality.
Agriculture affects water quality mainly through the movement of sediments, nutrients, pesticides, and pathogens off farmland and into water by surface runoff, leaching into groundwater or tile drains, or release to the atmosphere. Soil conditions are a major factor in how water moves through the farm landscape. Farm management practices influence both soil health and the potential for contaminants to accumulate in soil and move into water. The aim of sustainable agriculture is to use water in a way that meets economic goals while conserving water resources and limiting the contributions of potential pollutants. Agriculture itself depends on the availability of good-quality water for its many uses.