Water covers over 70% of the Earth’s surface and is essential for our survival. It also supports aquatic life and other ecosystems. However, what if I told you this basic universal substance is limited and highly vulnerable to pollution?

By 2025, an estimated 3.5 billion people will confront water shortages, largely attributed to water pollution. This pollution contaminates rivers, lakes, oceans, and groundwater with hazardous chemicals and toxins. These pollutants from industrial, agricultural, and urban sources degrade water quality and make it unfit to drink. 

According to the World Health Organisation, approximately two billion people worldwide drink contaminated water, leading to severe health risks. Drinking polluted water can result in illnesses such as diarrhea and cholera, with an estimated 485,000 diarrhoea-related deaths annually. 

The figures call for an urgent need to address and act on water pollution. By 2050, challenges are predicted to rise due to a one-third increase in the demand for clean water. 

So let’s first understand the latest water pollution trends, its causes and effects, and what preventive measures can be taken to preserve and safeguard our water resources.

Water Pollution Trends

Water pollution has gotten worse over the past decades due to industrialization and urbanization, agricultural practices, and the increase in plastic use. This pollution kills around 10,000 people daily, or 3.6 million people annually. 

Sources of water pollution that are increasing include agricultural runoff, industrial discharges, urban runoff, plastic waste, and pharmaceuticals,  all of which pose growing threats to water quality and ecosystem health. We must pay attention to these trends and come up with ways to control them.

Monitoring Water Quality Standards

Water quality standards are guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA), and the World Health Organisation ( WHO). They help us understand how safe and clean water is for different uses. 

They are classified into potable water, palatable water, contaminated( polluted) water and infected water.  These standards measure parameters like pH levels, turbidity, dissolved nutrients, and harmful chemicals and pesticides. They also measure physical conditions, such as temperature, flow, and sediments. 

Monitoring water helps identify trends and specific problems, enabling improvement for human drinking. The importance of monitoring water quality standards is increasing due to severe global water pollution.

Causes of Water Pollution

1. Sewage and Wastewater:

Untreated sewage and wastewater are significant sources of water pollution. This wastewater is mainly released from households and commercial buildings, containing many toxins. The UN says more than 80% of the world’s wastewater flows into the environment without being treated or reused. 

This water contains several harmful chemicals and bacteria. This not only affects the water quality but also the marine life. 

2. Oil Spills:

Oil spills from ships and offshore drilling cause severe water pollution. In England and Wales, there are about 3000 pollution incidents involving oil spills.

The oil released in water reduces the oxygen supply in water. This oxygen loss destroys marine life and the ecosystem that supports it.

3. Industrial Waste:

Industrial waste is one of the most common causes of water pollution. Many industrial sites release chemicals and toxins into water bodies. These pollutants are dangerous to water life and pose serious health risks for humans. Discharging industrial waste often creates “dead zones.” These areas have so little oxygen that no marine life can survive here.

4. Agricultural Waste:

Farmers use pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides to protect crops. But, these often seep into groundwater. This can harm animals, plants, and human beings. When it rains, these chemicals flow into rivers and nearby water bodies. This flow causes more water pollution.

5. Radioactive Waste:

Radioactive waste lasts a long time. It is hard to dispose of and is one of the worst causes of water pollution. Radioactive waste from nuclear plants and medical facilities contaminates water sources. This pollution causes severe water damage.

6. Plastic Dump:

 Improper disposal of plastic and garbage leads to significant water pollution. Research shows that the amount of ocean plastics will grow to 29 million metric tonnes by 2040 if research continues at this rate. Plastic waste takes almost 200 years to decompose. It is very harmful to the environment.

Effects of Water Pollution

1. On Drinking Water:

Water pollution directly impacts the quality of drinking water. According to the UN, 2.2 million people don’t have access to drinkable water. Many freshwater sources are polluted, making drinking water even inaccessible to people.

2. On Human Health:

Water pollution has some serious impacts on human health. It can cause harm to the human body.

• Waterborne Infections:  Polluted water is a breeding ground for pathogens. They cause diseases like cholera and hepatitis. These diseases are deadly to human health. Water pollution caused 1.8 million deaths in 2015. These numbers have only gone up since then.
• Long-term health impact:  Water pollution has some severe impacts on our health too. Constant exposure to polluted water can lead to chronic health conditions such as cancer, reproductive issues, and development problems in children. 

3. On Ecosystems:

Animals and plants that depend on water for life are largely affected by water pollution. The Centre for Statistics says the Gulf of Mexico oil spill harmed 82500 birds, 29000 marine animals, and 6,165 sea turtles. 

These damages are severe and can take years to fix. Water pollution has led to the extinction of a great deal of aquatic life.

4. Food Chain Contamination:

Water pollution affects the natural food chain. Pollutants like lead and cadmium are consumed by small aquatic animals, which are then consumed by fish and shellfish. These pollutants pass from one link in the chain to the next. This process disturbs the entire food chain and eliminates a portion of it.

5. Economic Impacts:

Water pollution is not only harmful to the health of humans but also to their pockets.

• Impact on Tourism and Recreation: Water bodies are major spots of attraction in a lot of cities. However, polluted water is unhygienic and stinks, making it a less attractive spot for tourism.  Many islands rely only on tourism, and water pollution severely affects that.
• Cost of Water Treatment Restoration: Water treatment plants are very expensive to set up. They require significant financial resources and are very hard to maintain.

6. Eutrophication:

Agricultural products such as pesticides and fertilizers contain elevated high levels of phosphate and ammonia, which boost crop yields. However, these nutrients often reach streams, lakes, and other water bodies. Through runoff, thus unbalancing the aquatic system. This leads to eutrophication, where certain organisms like algae consume more than their share of oxygen and sunlight, depriving marine life of it.

Preventions of Water Pollution

1. Water Conservation:

Keeping in mind how scarce water is, it’s important that we conserve water. Efficient use of water resources can help us conserve and save water for future generations. There are many ways to conserve water, whether shaving or brushing, and to turn the tap off. It’s small acts like this that can help a great deal of water.

2. Proper Disposal of Waste and Wastewater Treatment:

An effective way of preventing water pollution is by proper water treatment and disposing the waste before introducing it into waterways. This is highly effective because wastewater treatment facilities, guided by water treatment consultants can purify water to a large degree. Sewage is usually taken through several chambers to reduce the toxicity in water. Some of this water can also be used for non-potable activities. 

Practices like recycling plastics, glass, and paper, avoiding flushing non-biodegradable items, and composting organic waste can ensure proper waste disposal and prevent water pollution.

3. Stormwater Management:

When stormwater flows on sidewalks, streets, and pavement it picks up harmful pollutants that are pushed down the rivers and streams, It’s important that this water is managed through green infrastructure like rain gardens and permeable pavements which will help collect water for longer durations, and keep it clean.

4. Green Agriculture:

Today, many pesticides and fertilizers have harmful chemicals. They seep into the groundwater and pollute it. Adopting sustainable agricultural practices such as the usage of organic fertilizers, will help reduce nutrient runoff and maintain water quality.

5. Management of Erosion and Sediment control:

Prevention of water can be easily done with the management of erosion. Planting trees near water bodies and increasing green cover will reduce erosion and prevent runoff of nutrients.

6. Community engagement and Public Awareness:

It’s important to raise public awareness in matters of such urgency. The more people are educated about it, the more we will be able to preserve water. Raising water conservation awareness campaigns can help people adopt more sustainable practices. Local communities can come together to organize clean-up efforts and drives in their area. They can also demand accountability from local industries.

7. Government Regulations and Policies:

Strong regulations and policies are required to control water pollution. The government should enforce laws that limit pollutant discharge and promote sustainable practices. Industries that discharge water without treatment should be levied with heavy fines. This will help prevent a great deal of water pollution.

Conclusion

While there are various types of pollution, water pollution remains a global problem. If we don’t act upon it now, it will continue to threaten human health, natural ecosystems, and the economy. Threats to water quality are increasing, resulting in biodiversity loss and economic damage from degraded natural resources. 

Immediate efforts are essential to address these water pollution challenges. Policies and regulations must be strengthened and followed to stop pollutant discharge and promote sustainable practices. 

These actions reduce water pollution and contribute positively to reducing the carbon footprint associated with industrial and agricultural activities.

Various agencies, such as the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Central Water Commission (CWC), regulate water quality in the country. Government policies aim to conserve and preserve water bodies. 

A collective approach involving individuals, communities, industries, and governments is crucial, and it’s the only way forward if we wish to truly save our environment.

Also Read: How To Reduce Carbon Footprint