Knee deep in 'dirty' water

Here is a conundrum. Simple as it may be, I'd rather write it down than think about it at the moment, or let someone else think about it. I'm actually looking for some references for a university assignment but I might as well write about what I need them for before I try and find them. The problem has definitely presented itself rather surreptitiously and is actually not much of a problem. Having to travel along much of Brisbane's Bulimba Creek, sometimes even entering it, there was, and expectedly, rubbish here and there. The usual plastic bottles, car tires (parts of), crisp packets, pieces of string or twine, clothing and just stuff that you would classify as rubbish.

Now most of the creek was running quite nicely and freely, probably due to the amounts of rain we have had over the last week. The water was also fairly clear and when I was in the creek, it felt nice - it didn't feel like stuff climbing up my leg or like I was knee deep in a pile of wet mulch. But this is where I think the thinking needs to be done. How can a creek that has scattered pieces of rubbish lying on the banks, less than 2m from the water, and still be clean? Did I mention that I could see to the bottom...

So I guess the story isn't complete. I haven't run the water through and ICP, or run several Inorganic tests for levels of N or P. But instinct usually tells us something about the situation before we attempt to take action. There were moments when I felt like I could drink from it, and maybe I should have just ballsed it and seen what happened. It probably isn't so important because on the scheme of things, I'm sitting at home, drinking water that has been filtered and pH adjusted to my own desire.

Maybe this plastic substrate has been washed free of the pollutants and there is more to this idea that stuff that is classified as rubbish, isn't actually rubbish - a small percentage of it is. The small percentage that we cannot see. The small percentage that dissolves or floats down the creek, along with the leaf that has just fallen from a Eucalypt tree.

Hopefully I can find some decent references, furthermore I hope I can make sense of it all before I'm senseless. Here's a little link from my university website. I've discovered RSS feeds and though I think they're just chewing up my memory, I'm sure I'll see something one day. Water is important. Act now or be axed.