why water from rivers which is getting to oceans or seas is not considered as water wasted, but water from tap or leaking pipe is?

Question

why water from rivers which is getting to oceans or seas is not considered as water wasted, but water from tap or leaking pipe is?

In: 0

Answer 1

Water that stays in the river makes it so the water at the mouth of the river stays brackish instead of becoming salty. All the wildlife and plants in that brackish zone will suffer if too little river water makes it there.