What are some of the important public-policy issues relating to water quality?

Public policy is a course of action created and enforced by a governmental body that serves to address issues and improve the welfare of its citizens. It usually involves making laws, regulations, decisions, or actions pertinent to the public issues at hand.

Water quality is affected by numerous factors, both natural and man-made. These include, but are not limited to, pollutants like industrial waste, agricultural runoff including pesticides and fertilizers, untreated sewage, oil spills, plastic waste, climate change and more.

The public policy issues relating to water quality primarily revolve around the regulation, measurement and protection of water resources. Some of these issues include: - Development of laws and regulations to limit pollution and protect water resources from industrial and agricultural runoff. - Implementation of water treatment facilities to ensure access to safe drinking water. - Provisions for the management of water resources under the circumstances of climate change. - Policies for the reduction of plastic waste which often ends up polluting water bodies. - Establishment of guidelines for oil and gas exploitation to prevent incidents like oil spills. - Coordination with international bodies for global dealings affecting water resources.