Brian Barton
Waterways are essential for human survival, yet they are increasingly under threat from pollution. Unsafe water sickens around 1 billion people annually, with waterborne pathogens causing diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. The sources of water pollution are diverse, including farm waste, fertilizer runoff, industrial discharge, marine debris, oil spills, and carbon emissions. According to the UNEP, over 40% of 75,000 surveyed bodies of water across 89 countries were severely polluted, indicating the urgent need for sustainable water management. Climate change, urbanization, and land use changes further exacerbate the challenges of ensuring water quality and availability. With over 3 billion people at risk due to limited data on water quality, achieving universal access to safe drinking water remains a critical global priority.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of the world's wastewater that flows back into the environment without treatment | More than 80% |
| Number of people who lacked access to safely managed water services in 2023 | 2.2 billion |
| Number of people who consume contaminated water | 2 billion |
| Number of diarrhoea-related deaths caused by polluted drinking water | 485,000 |
| Number of people who needed schistosomiasis prevention treatment in 2021 | 251.4 million |
| Number of people whose health is at risk due to scarce data on water quality | 3 billion |
| Percentage of bodies of water that are severely polluted | More than 40% |
| Number of tons of plastic waste that enter lakes, rivers, and seas each year | 19–23 million |
| Number of seabirds and marine life killed by ocean waste each year | Almost 1 million |
| Percentage of wastewater that is reused | 10% |
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What You'll Learn
Point source pollution
Point-source pollution is defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as "any single, identifiable source of pollution from which pollutants are discharged, such as a pipe, ditch, ship or factory smokestack". It is one of the two main categories of pollution, the other being non-point-source pollution. Point-source pollution is easier to identify and regulate because it comes from a single, confined place.
Waterways can be polluted by point sources such as factories, power plants, and municipal sewage treatment plants. Oil refineries, paper mills, and auto plants that use water in their manufacturing processes may discharge effluent—wastewater containing harmful chemical pollutants—into rivers, lakes, or the ocean. Effluent from treatment plants can introduce nutrients and harmful microbes into waterways, causing rampant algae growth.
Large farms that raise livestock, known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), are another source of point-source pollution. If these farms do not treat their animals' waste, it can enter nearby water bodies as raw sewage, severely impacting the environment and human health. To control point-source discharges, the Clean Water Act established the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). This program requires factories, sewage treatment plants, and other point sources to obtain permits and use the latest technologies to treat their effluents before discharging them into any body of water.
Accidental or illegal releases from sewage treatment facilities, as well as runoff from farms and urban areas, contribute harmful pathogens to waterways. Waterborne pathogens from human and animal waste can cause diseases such as cholera, giardia, typhoid, and Legionnaires' disease. In 2022, 6 billion people had access to safe drinking water, while 2.2 billion people lacked these services, highlighting the ongoing challenge of ensuring clean water for everyone.
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Nonpoint source pollution
Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is the leading cause of water quality issues in the United States. It is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground, picking up and carrying natural and human-made pollutants, which are then deposited into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and groundwater. NPS pollution is challenging to regulate as it originates from various diffuse sources, including agricultural and urban stormwater runoff, debris blown into waterways, and habitat modification.
Agricultural practices are a significant contributor to NPS pollution, with fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste washing into waterways during rain or snowmelt events. This pollution carries nutrients and pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, leading to waterborne diseases like cholera, giardia, and typhoid. In the United States, agricultural pollution is the primary source of contamination in rivers and streams.
Urban runoff is another critical NPS pollution source. Water flowing through storm drains and pipes carries pollutants directly into lakes and streams without undergoing sanitary sewer treatment. This runoff includes various contaminants, such as oils, chemicals, and heavy metals, which can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems and water quality.
Construction sites, lawns, gardens, city streets, parking lots, and surface coal mines are also sources of NPS pollution. Sediment, a form of NPS pollutant, is soil eroded from these areas. When sediment reaches water bodies, it reduces water clarity, impairs aquatic life, damages fish gills, and affects plant growth by reducing sunlight penetration. Additionally, sediment can carry other harmful pollutants, such as metals and toxic chemicals.
The impact of NPS pollution extends beyond environmental damage, affecting drinking water supplies, recreation, fisheries, and wildlife. It poses risks to human health, particularly in low-income communities located near polluting industries. While the EPA has implemented programs to address NPS pollution, such as the Nonpoint Source Management Program, the diffuse nature of NPS sources makes it challenging to regulate and identify a single culprit.
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Waterborne pathogens
Some common waterborne pathogens include Cryptosporidium, Giardia, pathogenic strains of E. coli, Cyclospora cayetanensis, and Naegleria fowleri. These pathogens can cause a range of symptoms, from mild gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea and stomach cramps to severe neurological problems and even death. For example, Naegleria fowleri, often found in warm waters, can cause primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a severe and often fatal infection of the central nervous system.
The sources of waterborne pathogens are diverse and include agricultural runoff, sewage and wastewater discharges, chemical and oil spills, and illegal dumping. In agricultural settings, rainfall can wash fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste into waterways, introducing bacteria and viruses that can cause diseases such as cholera and typhoid. In developing countries, the lack of financial and technological resources contributes to the prevalence of waterborne diseases.
To address the issue of waterborne pathogens, detection methods play a critical role. Advances in molecular methods have improved the detection and characterization of waterborne pathogens, aiding in the implementation of best practices to prevent and control their spread. Additionally, water management programs have become industry standards for large buildings and healthcare facilities, helping to limit the growth and dissemination of these pathogens.
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Industrial waste
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the US has identified industrial activities as a significant source of water pollution. According to the EPA, pollution from industrial facilities threatens or fouls water quality in more than 10,000 miles of rivers and over 200,000 acres of lakes, ponds, and estuaries nationwide. In 2007, industrial facilities discharged approximately 1.5 million pounds of cancer-causing chemicals into more than 1,300 waterways, with the Ohio River receiving the highest amount.
In addition to the direct discharge of pollutants into waterways, industrial waste can also contaminate groundwater supplies. Dry cleaning fluids, for example, have contaminated groundwater across the United States, with perchloroethylene (PCE) being a suspected carcinogen that must be removed from drinking water. Cemeteries can also contribute to groundwater contamination through the use of embalming fluids and decaying organic matter.
The impact of industrial waste on waterways is not limited to the United States. For instance, in northeast Oklahoma, decades of lead and zinc mining contaminated a 40-square-mile area with heavy metals, causing severe pollution in Tar Creek and surrounding streams and lakes that provide drinking water to local communities.
While regulations such as the Clean Water Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund program) have been implemented to address industrial pollution, critics argue that enforcement and updates to regulations are lacking. The EPA has been criticized for failing to update decades-old regulations and hold polluters accountable, allowing toxic chemicals to continue flowing into waterways.
To protect waterways and public health, it is essential to strengthen and enforce regulations, encourage the development of safer alternatives, and require industries to reduce their use of toxic chemicals and properly dispose of their waste.
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Oil spills
The transportation and transfer of oil increase the risk of spills. During each transfer between ocean tankers, pipelines, trains, and trucks, the likelihood of an accident increases. While there has been a reduction in the number of spills from oil tankers, thousands of minor and several major oil spills related to well discharges and tanker operations are still reported each year. The total quantity of oil released annually into the world's oceans exceeds one million metric tons.
The cleanup and recovery process after an oil spill is challenging and time-consuming. It depends on factors such as the type of oil spilled, water temperature, and the types of shorelines and beaches involved. Techniques such as floating booms, skimming, and the use of sorbents are employed to contain and remove the oil. Oil spills can also impact air quality, releasing toxic chemicals and fine particulate matter into the atmosphere, which can have negative effects on human health.
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Frequently asked questions
It is difficult to give an exact number, but according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), researchers found that more than 40% of the 75,000 bodies of water in 89 countries surveyed were severely polluted.
Waterways can be polluted by a variety of sources, including agricultural runoff, industrial waste, sewage treatment facilities, oil spills, and marine debris, such as plastic.
Polluted waterways can pose significant health risks to humans, with waterborne pathogens causing diseases such as cholera, giardia, typhoid, and Legionnaires' disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), unsafe water sickens about 1 billion people every year.
Reducing waterway pollution requires a combination of improved waste management practices, stricter regulations on industrial discharges, and better agricultural practices to reduce runoff. Additionally, protecting and restoring natural habitats, such as wetlands, can help filter pollutants and improve water quality.
