Water Pollution

• Causes of Water Pollution

  • Surface runoff from streets carrying oil, heavy metals and other contaminants from motor vehicles
  • Industrial waste
  • Untreated or poorly treated sewage 
  • Rubbish dumps toxic waste, chemical and fuel storage, which can leak pollutants
  • International dumping of hazardous substances
  • Air pollution can lead to acid rain, nitrate deposition and ammonium deposition, which can alter the water chemistry of an area
• Consequences of Water Pollution

  • Waterborne infections account for 80% of al infectious diseases
  • Industrial waste has toxic compounds and damage the health of aquatic animals 
  • Pollutants from sewage result in infectious disease to aquatic and land animals
  • Organic nutrients can cause increase of aerobic algae and deplete oxygen from water 
• Management of Water Pollution in HICs

  • The construction of water treatment facilities and wastewater plants
  • Regulations aimed at polluters such as industries which discharge water pollution into receiving waters r sewer systems that flow into treatment plants 
  • Legislation, regulation and enforcement = laws such as charging pollutants per unit and factories can only release a certain amount of pollutants and they have to do it slowly
  • Education and Awareness - for example telling people not to flush wet wipes down the toilet
  • Improvements in sewage and wastewater processing  
• Management of Water Pollution - Appropriate Technology

  Omniprocessor boils raw sewage releasing water vapour which is collected and released while solids are but into a fire and burned to release energy
• Water Problems in India

  • In 2019 it was estimated that around 70% of surface water in India was unfit for consumption
  • Now over 87% in cities have access to toilets in Indian cities compared to 33%
  • Plans for infrastructure improvement and waste water recycling  
  • Primary cause was the quantity of domestic sewage generated by rapidly expanding towns and cities 
• Thames tideway tunnel 


  • Victorian style sewage system which goes into the Thames (2013- 55 million tonnes raw sewage washed into the river)
  • Specialised tunnel to take sewage to a treatment works