In an evaluation of water quality protection techniques the following six points are discussed: 1) Accounting for all pollution reaching a body of water; 2) predicting the pollutional effects of a given waste; 3) treating waste to prevent pollution; 4) using the stream effectively and economically in waste disposal; 5) monitoring the receiving stream intelligently and 6) treating contaminated water for reuse economically and effectively. Separating polluting substances from water is a weakness common to most of the basic techniques, especially chemical characterization of complex wastes, in treatment of wastes and water, and in monitoring receiving waters. Hence it is recommended that development of new techniques in separating polluting substances from water be undertaken. Of particular interest are developments in modified absorption, chromatography, foam fractionation, freezing, direct solvent extraction and ion exchange.