Water Quality Watch: How Pollution, Public Health, and Action Impact Our Water

By CKI Researcher: Sanvi Chaurasia

Abstract

Clean water is becoming harder to protect around the world. When rivers, lakes, and groundwater get polluted, it affects animals, plants, and people who rely on them every day. In many regions, including parts of India and other less-discussed developing countries, much of the sewage and industrial waste is still released without proper treatment. As a result, water that should support life often becomes a source of risk instead. This paper reviews recent peer-reviewed and ResearchGate/Google-Scholar findings to explain what is happening, how life is affected, what has been tried so far, lesser-known fixes that show promise, and why change is slow. Main practical recommendations are given for policymakers, communities, and engineers. (ResearchGate)

1. How I did the research

I reviewed recent studies and reviews on ResearchGate and Google Scholar about water pollution, its health impacts, and treatment technologies — especially low-cost, naturebased approaches — with a particular focus on India. I relied on review articles, case studies, and governance analyses, and avoided Wikipedia.

2. What’s going on — the basic picture

• Sources: The major contributors to water pollution include industrial wastewater, untreated sewage, and farm runoff carrying fertilisers and pesticides. Plastics and microplastics are now widespread pollutants as well. In many places, local factors such as religious offerings, oil spills, and solid-waste dumping add to the problem.

• Scale (example from India): a big share of urban sewage is not treated — many studies estimate that around half or more of municipal wastewater is not properly processed before it reaches rivers or groundwater. This creates large pollution loads in rivers like the Ganga and many smaller waterways. (ResearchGate)

• Human cost: Exposure to unsafe water results in acute infections such as diarrhoea and contributes to long-term health risks, including certain cancers and developmental impacts. Global assessments attribute millions of deaths and a substantial disease burden in low-resource settings to contaminated water and inadequate sanitation.

How water pollution affects life

People

• When families cook or drink polluted water, they fall sick more often. Children are hit the hardest — repeated diarrhoea affects their growth and even their learning. Farmers and factory workers who use dirty water for daily work develop skin infections, stomach issues, and in some cases, long-term illnesses. Over time, exposure to heavy metals or pesticides can quietly damage organs and lead to chronic health problems.

Animals (fish, birds, amphibians)

• Sudden “fish kills” occur when chemicals or low oxygen levels make the water impossible to survive in. Pollutants also build up inside animals, so when fish or birds eat contaminated food, they get poisoned and often die. This doesn’t just hurt wildlife — it also affects the people who depend on fishing for their income.

Plants and ecosystems

• Too much fertiliser entering water bodies can trigger massive algae blooms. These block sunlight and use up oxygen, suffocating plants below. Wetland and riverbank plants, which naturally help clean water, get damaged by toxic chemicals. Once these plants die, the entire food chain starts collapsing — fewer insects, fewer birds, and poorer soil health.

4. What has been done so far (policies & common technologies)

• Big sewage and industrial treatment plants: Many cities and industries have built treatment systems, but they often don’t run at full capacity or release poorly treated water because of maintenance and management problems.

• Laws and national programs: Many countries, including India, have introduced regulations and river-cleanup missions. But the gap between policy and real onground action is still wide.

• Community and NGO initiatives: Local groups monitor rivers, clean banks, and raise awareness. Their efforts make a difference but rarely reach large-scale impact without strong institutional support.

5. Lesser-known or promising solutions (practical, low-cost, evidence-backed)

These are effective solutions that work well but are still not widely used in many developing regions.

5.1 Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTWs) — nature floating on water

oating mats placed on polluted water, planted with wetland species whose roots hang down and filter the water.

• Why they help: They are low-cost, easy to set up, and work well in stagnant or slowmoving water. Studies show strong reductions in nutrients, organic pollutants, and even some metals.

5.2 Phytoremediation & constructed wetlands

• What they are: Artificially created wetlands using plants that naturally absorb, break down, or trap pollutants.

• Why they help: They need little energy, work well for small towns and industrial zones, and can use local plant species. Research shows they perform reliably for nutrients, pathogens, and certain metals when designed properly.

5.3 Decentralised, small-scale treatment and reuse

• What it is: Instead of one large plant, many small units treat wastewater right where it is produced — in apartments, markets, or industrial clusters. • Why it helps: It’s cheaper, easier to maintain, and encourages local reuse of treated water for gardening, cooling, or industrial use. This creates a direct incentive to keep the systems running well.

5.4 Bioaugmentation and inoculated systems (microbe help)

• What: adding pollutant-eating bacteria strains to wetlands or biofilters to speed up breakdown. Studies show that combining plants with selected bacteria increases the removal of oil, organics, and some metals. (ResearchGate)

6. Why the big change hasn’t happened yet (barriers explained plainly)

• Money and priorities: Building and running treatment plants costs money.

• Competing priorities: In areas with many urgent needs, water treatment often falls low on the list.

• Weak enforcement: Laws exist, but limited monitoring and weak enforcement let illegal discharges continue.

• Technology mismatch: Large centralised plants often don’t fit local conditions — lack of spare parts, skilled staff, or demand for treated water leaves many systems idle.

• Low demand for reused water: When farmers or industries don’t want treated water, or fresh water is cheaper, reuse systems fail. Building trust and local markets is essential.

• Awareness and equity: Marginalised communities usually live closest to polluted water and have the least influence, making this an environmental justice issue too.

7. Simple note- countries that have been affected

Across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, water quality is declining as untreated sewage, industrial waste, farm chemicals, and solid waste enter rivers and lakes. India is one example where tanneries, textile dyeing units, and agricultural runoff heavily strain waterways, and the amount of wastewater treated still falls far short of what is generated. Research points to decentralised treatment units, simple nature-based options like floating treatment wetlands (FTWs), and stronger local governance as promising ways forward.

Similar patterns appear in other countries that rarely make global headlines. In Bangladesh, textile and leather hubs release untreated effluent that harms fish and farming communities. Pakistan faces severe pollution from urban sewage and industrial clusters. Vietnam’s streams and coastal zones are affected by fertilisers, dyes, and aquaculture waste. Nigeria struggles with both oil spills and sewage-filled city waterways. In Peru and parts of Latin America, artisanal mining contaminates rivers with mercury, affecting rural and indigenous groups.

8. Clear, practical recommendations (for governments, communities, engineers)

For governments & regulators

1. Invest in decentralised, nature-based treatment where centralized STPs are failing — FTWs and constructed wetlands are cheapest to run. (ResearchGate)

2. Strengthen enforcement: Apply pollution rules consistently and make polluters pay, while giving small firms the technical support they need to meet standards.

3. Create reuse markets: Offer incentives for industries and farmers to use treated water, backed by clear quality standards and certification.

For communities & NGOs

1. Monitor local water quality and publicly share results — transparency pushes action. 2. Pilot community FTWs and constructed wetlands in small water bodies — they’re visible, create local jobs, and improve local aesthetics. (ResearchGate)

For engineers & planners

1. Match technology to local needs (energy, spare parts, skills). Low-tech biological systems often outperform complex plants if maintenance is guaranteed. (ResearchGate)

2. Combine plant systems with microbial inoculation where pollutants are stubborn — there’s good experimental evidence that this speeds cleanup. (ResearchGate)

9. What more research or action is needed

• Scale studies: we need more real-world pilots of FTWs and phytoremediation in Indian rivers and urban ponds, tracked over multiple seasons. (ResearchGate)

• Social research: understand how to build trust in reused water and how to design business models that keep small plants running. (ResearchGate)

• Health tracking: better local data linking water contamination to real health outcomes would push stronger action and funding. (ResearchGate)

10. Short human note (why this matters)

A child who keeps missing school because of repeated stomach sickness, or a fisher who finds fewer fish each year, shows how polluted water affects daily life in quiet but serious ways. The solutions are already available, and many of them are low-cost, practical, and suitable for community use. What’s missing is the will to combine them with good rules, local business ideas, and long-term care.