Containment Strategies For Water Pollution: Immediate Action Needed

Water is an essential resource for all living beings and is crucial for social and economic development, as well as energy production and adaptation to climate change. However, water pollution poses a significant threat to our limited water resources. Water pollution is caused by the release of substances such as chemicals, waste, plastic, and other pollutants into our rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and seas. These pollutants can contaminate drinking water supplies, leading to waterborne diseases such as cholera and causing serious health issues like cancer and neurological damage. To contain water pollution, it is crucial to prevent it at its source, support policies and regulations that protect water, and ensure proper treatment of wastewater. Additionally, individuals can play a role by reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers, properly disposing of chemicals and oils, and conserving water in their daily lives.

How to Contain Water that has been Polluted

Preventing water pollution at the source

Understanding the Problem

Recognise that water pollution is a widespread issue that jeopardises public health. Unsafe water is responsible for more deaths annually than war and all other forms of violence combined. With less than 1% of the Earth's freshwater accessible to us, protecting our water sources is crucial.

Community Education and Action

Communities, citizen groups, and individuals can actively protect their drinking water sources from contamination. Educate yourself and your community about the unique qualities of the local water supply. Where does your water come from? Is your wastewater treated? Where does stormwater flow? Understanding these aspects will help you pinpoint where your actions will have the most impact.

Proper Waste Disposal

It is essential to remind people not to dump waste into street drains, as this leads to local water sources such as rivers. Properly dispose of chemical cleaners, oils, and non-biodegradable items to prevent them from entering the drainage systems. Also, ensure that hazardous waste is not poured onto the ground or into storm sewers, as this can contaminate the soil, groundwater, or nearby surface water.

Reduce Plastic Consumption

Encourage the reduction of plastic consumption and promote the reuse and recycling of plastics. Plastic waste is a significant contributor to water pollution, and it is essential to minimise its impact on our water sources.

Septic System Maintenance

For homes with septic tanks, ensure that prescription and over-the-counter drugs are not flushed down the toilet, as these can leach into the ground and contaminate groundwater. Regularly inspect and pump your septic tank, with a recommended interval of every three years for inspections and every three to five years for pumping.

Agriculture and Landscaping

In agricultural settings, minimise the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers. These chemicals can contaminate water sources, especially groundwater, and pose serious health risks. When landscaping yards or gardens, consider techniques that reduce runoff and avoid the application of pesticides and herbicides.

Support Policies and Regulations

Support policies and regulations that aim to protect water sources, such as the Clean Water Act, which holds polluters accountable. Advocate for updated regulations that address modern-day challenges, including microplastics, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants that traditional wastewater treatment plants struggle to handle.

Collaboration with Authorities

Water utilities and local authorities play a critical role in promoting source water protection. Collaborate with them to address potential sources of pollution and implement preventive measures.

Efficient Water Use

Promote the use of water-efficient toilets and appliances. Simple actions like putting a brick in the toilet tank or running the dishwasher only with a full load can significantly conserve water and reduce pollution.

Public Awareness

Utilise stencils, flyers, and signs to raise awareness about the impacts of water pollution and how individuals can contribute to protecting water sources. Educating the public about the dangers of polluted runoff and ecosystem loss is vital to fostering a collective sense of responsibility.

By implementing these measures, we can actively work towards preventing water pollution at its source and safeguarding our precious water resources for future generations.

Using phosphate-free soaps and detergents

Phosphorus, a common ingredient in dishwasher detergents, is a naturally occurring nutrient that is essential for plant growth. Phosphorus in detergents can account for up to a third of the phosphorus found in municipal wastewater, which can eventually flow into ponds, rivers, lakes, and streams. When phosphorus levels in water increase, it causes eutrophication, leading to the growth of harmful algal blooms. These blooms block light and oxygen from reaching the water, resulting in the death of organisms within the ecosystem.

To address this issue, there has been a growing movement advocating for the use of phosphate-free soaps and detergents. By 2010, 17 states in the US had banned the sale of dishwasher detergents with high phosphate levels, and many countries have followed suit by removing phosphates from laundry detergents. Phosphate-free alternatives help reduce the amount of phosphate that wastewater treatment plants must process. While early phosphate-free detergents received some criticism for their cleaning performance, manufacturers have since innovated and created effective alternatives that utilise chemicals such as sodium citrate, polyacrylates, polycarboxylates, and tetrasodium etidronate.

You can play a part in reducing water pollution by choosing phosphate-free soaps and detergents. By making this simple switch, you can help minimise the amount of phosphorus entering our waterways and contribute to the preservation of aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, you can advocate for stronger water protection regulations, such as the Clean Water Act, which holds polluters accountable and addresses modern-day challenges like microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants.

It is important to recognise that water pollution is a complex issue influenced by various factors, including industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and municipal waste. While individual actions, such as using phosphate-free products, are important, they should be coupled with broader regulatory and policy measures to effectively tackle water pollution at its various sources.

Keeping trash out of creeks, yards and streets

Water pollution is a serious issue, with our rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and seas contaminated by chemicals, waste, plastics, and other pollutants. Groundwater, which is a crucial natural resource and a source of drinking water for many, is also at risk of pollution from various contaminants. To address this, individuals, communities, and governments must take collective action to prevent trash from entering creeks, yards, and streets.

One effective strategy is to focus on source reduction, aiming to minimize the amount of trash generated in the first place. This involves encouraging the use of reusable items instead of disposables, promoting recycling, and providing educational programs to raise awareness about the impacts of littering. Additionally, regulations should be enforced to reduce the impact of overflowing dumpsters, such as implementing containment barriers and enforcing rules for proper waste disposal.

Another approach is interception and enforcement, which aims to prevent trash from reaching creeks. This includes improving street sweeping programs, adopting "'Adopt a Storm Drain' programs to catch trash before it enters storm drains, and working with businesses to keep their shopping carts within their property boundaries. Communities should also address the issue of abandoned cables, ensuring that telecommunication service providers are responsible for their removal when no longer in use.

The Streets to Creeks campaign in Sonoma County, California, serves as a great example of a community initiative to prevent creek pollution. The campaign focuses on raising awareness about the connection between neighborhood storm drains and local creeks, emphasizing that only rain should go down storm drains. This simple reminder empowers community members to take ownership of their watersheds and make small changes, such as properly disposing of pet waste, using phosphate-free soaps when washing cars, and minimizing the use of pesticides and fertilizers in yards and gardens.

By implementing these strategies and working together, we can effectively keep trash out of creeks, yards, and streets, contributing to cleaner and healthier waterways for everyone.

Improving wastewater treatment infrastructure

Wastewater treatment infrastructure plays a crucial role in protecting public health and ensuring the well-being of communities. Here are some ways to improve wastewater treatment infrastructure:

Upgrade and Modernize Treatment Facilities

Firstly, it is essential to upgrade existing treatment facilities and construct new ones to meet the evolving needs of wastewater treatment. This includes investing in advanced treatment technologies, such as non-discharging facilities, where the effluent is not released into surface waters but is evaporated or reused for spray irrigation or groundwater recharge. Upgrading treatment processes can also involve implementing innovative solutions, such as the Circular Water Economy, which aims to recycle and recover resources within the water use and treatment cycle, maximizing benefits for people, nature, and businesses.

Address Regulatory Gaps and Improve Standards

Wastewater treatment plants should be subject to stricter environmental regulations and more comprehensive treatment standards. This includes setting permit limits for nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, which are often not adequately controlled in sewage treatment. Strengthening regulations will help hold polluters accountable and ensure that treatment plants comply with the necessary standards to protect the environment.

Adopt Digital Innovations and Automation

Digital O&M tools and automated treatment technologies can significantly improve process efficiency and provide valuable data for asset management and monitoring. However, the widespread adoption of these innovations is currently limited by factors such as resource constraints, legacy systems, inadequate funding, and a lack of supportive leadership. To address these challenges, it is crucial to invest in workforce development, providing training and support to build the capacity needed to embrace digital approaches and automation effectively.

Decentralize Treatment Systems

Decentralizing treatment systems can improve efficiency, keep water local, and reduce costs. Communities that adopt decentralized systems can also explore opportunities to generate, use, and sell energy during the treatment process, addressing the energy demands of transporting and treating sewage.

Public Support and Investment

Reducing plastic pollution from fishing boats and cargo shipping

Plastic pollution from fishing boats and cargo shipping has emerged as one of the greatest threats to our oceans, severely impacting marine ecosystems, animal welfare, and sustainability. Here are some ways to reduce plastic pollution from these sources:

Fishing Boats:

• Ban the use of certain gear types: Drift gillnets, for example, have been banned in California due to their destructive nature and contribution to overfishing. Transitioning to more sustainable gear can help remove nets from our oceans.
• Address ghost gear: Ghost gear, or abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), is a significant source of plastic pollution in the oceans. It includes nets, lines, ropes, and traps that continue to trap and kill marine life even when no longer in use. Policies and strategies should be designed to reduce the harmful impacts of ghost gear, with a focus on improving the welfare of individual animals.
• Educate the fishing community: Providing resources, education, and empowerment to fishing communities can create tangible change. Educating anglers and the outdoor community about ocean plastic pollution and its relation to their activities is vital.
• Eliminate single-use plastic: Fishing businesses can contribute to reducing plastic pollution by transitioning to recycled materials, updating packaging, and eliminating single-use plastics.

Cargo Shipping:

• Improve container security: Thousands of shipping containers are lost at sea each year due to unpredictable weather, poor stowage, and inadequate supervision. Implementing stricter guidelines and regulations for container security can help reduce the number of containers lost and minimize plastic pollution.
• Enhance waste reception facilities: While MARPOL requires ports to offer waste reception facilities, many of these facilities require improvements to effectively recycle plastic waste. Enhancing these facilities can help reduce plastic discharges from vessels.
• Develop biodegradable materials: Improving the design of plastic products by using biodegradable materials can significantly reduce environmental harm caused by plastic pollution from cargo shipping.
• Strengthen regulations and enforcement: While local and international regulations exist to address shipping-related plastic pollution, many are considered inadequate. Strengthening and enforcing regulations, such as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the EU's Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), can help reduce plastic discharges from vessels.

Frequently asked questions