INTRODUCTION

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and

groundwater). Water pollution occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into

water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds.

Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water. In almost all cases

the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the natural

biological communities.

The addition of harmful chemicals to natural water. Sources of water pollution in the United

States include industrial waste, run-off from fields treated with chemical fertilizers, and run-off

from areas that have been mined.

Water pollution is a major global problem which requires ongoing evaluation and revision

of water resource policy at all levels (international down to individual aquifers and wells). It has

been suggested that it is the leading worldwide cause of deaths and diseases,and that it accounts

for the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily. An estimated 700 million Indians have no

access to a proper toilet, and 1,000 Indian children die of diarrheal sickness every day. Some

90% of China's cities suffer from some degree of water pollution,and nearly 500 million people

lack access to safe drinking water. In addition to the acute problems of water pollution in

developing countries, developed countries continue to struggle with pollution problems as well.

In the most recent national report on water quality in the United States, 45 percent of assessed

stream miles, 47 percent of assessed lake acres, and 32 percent of assessed bays and estuarine

square miles were classified as polluted.

Water is typically referred to as polluted when it is impaired by anthropogenic contaminants and

either does not support a human use, such as drinking water, and/or undergoes a marked shift in

its ability to support its constituent biotic communities, such as fish. Natural phenomena such as

volcanoes, algae blooms, storms, and earthquakes also cause major changes in water quality and

the ecological status of water.

SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION

During recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of, and concern about, water

pollution all over the world, and new approaches towards achieving sustainable exploitation of

water resources have been developed internationally.

It is widely agreed that a properly developed policy framework is a key element in the sound

management of water resources. With the rapid growth of population, industrialization and

urbanisation, environmental pollution has greatly increased. The major sources of water

pollution arise from many activities.

They include domestic, industrial and agricultural wastes. Domestic waste contains pathogenic

organisms which are responsible for the spread of communicable diseases such as cholera,

typhoid, dysentery and other gastrointestinal diseases.

These wastes also contain materials which are responsible for obnoxious conditions and

irreparable damage to aesthetics of land and water environment. Industrial wastes contain a wide

variety of organic substances and minerals including cyanides, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium,

carcinogens which are toxic to human and plant life. Agricultural drainage carries dangerous

pesticide residues and unused fertilizer ingredients.

The term 'water pollution' can be briefly defined as any alteration in physical, chemical or

biological properties of water, rendering the water harmful to public health and safety. For

convenience, the sources of contamination of water can be classified as natural and

anthropogenic (man-made).

NATURAL SOURCES

Important natural sources are surface run-off, seepage from ground water and swamp drainage.

In urban areas, rain water is reported to be acidic. This is due to reaction between water droplets

and atmospheric oxides of sulphur and nitrogen. The atmospheric sulphur dioxide (S02) is

always accompanied by a little amount of sulphur tri-oxide (S03) which, under humid condition,

reacts with water vapour to form sulphuric acid thus causing acid rain. The chemical reaction

involved in this process is represented as follows:

Leachates from animal excreta, decaying bodies of animals and plants, solid waste landfill sites

and the decay of large quantities of organic matter in swamps or deep ponds also introduce

appreciable amounts of soluble organics and microorganisms which in turn contaminate the

adjacent ground water.

ANTHROPOGENIC SOURCES

Anthropogenic sources are the result of industrial, domestic, agricultural and mining activities of

man.

INDUSTRIAL SOURCES

Nowadays, industries are the major contributors of water pollution. Water is an essential raw

material in almost all manufacturing plants. In India, industries such as tanneries, sugar mills,

pulp and paper mills, distilleries, oil refineries, etc. generate a large quantity of wastewater which

is discharged into natural waterways either without treatment or after partial treatment. The

characteristics of industrial wastewater depend primarily on the type of industry and the

chemicals used in various processes.

DOMESTIC SOURCES

In urban areas, municipal sewage is discharged into the nearby canal, thus polluting the canal

and also deteriorating the ground water. Municipal sewage includes wastewater from houses,

commercial buildings and institutions. The important pollutants present are biodegradable

organic matter, coliforms and pathogens.

AGRICULTURAL SOURCES

Pollutants discharged into water courses due to agricultural activities include:

1. Soil and silt removed by erosion

2. Agricultural run-off

3. Synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides

4. Plant residue.

Receiving water bodies get fertilised with nutrients, thus resulting in Eutrophication. Some

common insecticides in use are chlorinated hydrocarbons such as DDT (dichloro diphenyl

trichloroethane), aldrin, heptachlor, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl) etc. Most of the chlorinated

hydrocarbons are persistent to degradation and hence remain in the environment for a very long

time. Indiscriminate use of insecticides could make them an integral part of the biological,

geological and chemical cycles of the earth. Measurable quantities of DDT residues may be

found in air, soil and water several thousand kilometres away from the point where it originally

entered the ecosystem.

MINING SOURCES

Natural or man-made geochemical alterations are also sources of wastewater pollution. Fines

from ore washings disposed off in water suspension may be transferred to the natural water

bodies to pollute them in due course. Mining operation also produces soluble toxic materials

depending on the geological formation. Acid drainage from coal mines and arsenic residue from

gold mines are some of the burning problems of environmental concern.

TYPES OF WATER POLLUTION

There are many types of water pollution because water comes from many sources. Here are a

few types of water pollution:

1. Nutrients Pollution

Some wastewater, fertilizers and sewage contain high levels of nutrients. If they end up in water

bodies, they encourage algae and weed growth in the water. This will make the water

undrinkable, and even clog filters. Too much algae will also use up all the oxygen in the water,

and other water organisms in the water will die out of oxygen from starvation.

2. Surface water pollution

Surface water includes natural water found on the earth's surface, like rivers, lakes, lagoons and

oceans. Hazardous substances coming into contact with this surface water, dissolving or mixing

physically with the water can be called surface water pollution.

3. Oxygen Depleting

Water bodies have micro-organisms. These include aerobic and anaerobic organisms. When to

much biodegradable matter (things that easily decay) end up in water, it encourages more

microorganism growth, and they use up more oxygen in the water. If oxygen is depleted, aerobic

organisms die, and anaerobic organism grow more to produce harmful toxins such as ammonia

and sulfides stop water pollution.

4. Ground water pollution

When humans apply pesticides and chemicals to soils, they are washed deep into the ground by

rain water. This gets to underground water, causing pollution underground.

This means when we dig wells and bore holes to get water from underground, it needs to be

checked for ground water pollution.

5. Microbiological

In many communities in the world, people drink untreated water (straight from a river or stream).

Sometimes there is natural pollution caused by microorganisms like viruses, bacteria and

protozoa. This natural pollution can cause fishes and other water life to die. They can also cause

serious illness to humans who drink from such waters.

6. Suspended Matter

Some pollutants (substances, particles and chemicals) do not easily dissolve in water. This kind

of material is called particulate matter. Some suspended pollutants later settle under the water

body. This can harm and even kill aquatic life that live at the floor of water bodies.

7. Chemical Water Pollution

Many industries and farmers work with chemicals that end up in water. These include chemicals

that are used to control weeds, insects and pests. Metals and solvents from industries can pollute

water bodies. These are poisonous to many forms of aquatic life and may slow their

development, make them infertile and kill them.

8. Oil Spillage

Oil spills usually have only a localized affect on wildlife but can spread for miles. The oil can

cause the death of many fish and stick to the feathers of seabirds causing them to lose the ability

to fly marine oil pollution Do you remember the BP Oil spill in 2010? (Read about it here) Over

1,000 animals (birds, turtles, mammals) were reported dead, including many already on the

endangered species list. Of the animals affected by the spill that are still alive only about 6%

have been reported cleaned, but many biologists and other scientists predict they will die too

from the stress caused by the pollution.

EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION

You will notice in the previous pages that water pollution is very harmful to humans, animals

and water life. The effects can be catastrophic, depending on the kind of chemicals,

concentrations of the pollutants and where there are polluted. Below, we shall see a summary of

the effects of water pollution.

The effects of water pollution are varied and depend on what chemicals are dumped and in what

locations.

Many water bodies near urban areas (cities and towns) are highly polluted. This is the result of

both garbage dumped by individuals and dangerous chemicals legally or illegally dumped by

manufacturing industries, health centers, schools and market places.

FACTS ON WATER POLLUTIONDEATH OF AQUATIC (WATER) ANIMALS

The main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills life that depends on these water

bodies. Dead fish, crabs, birds and sea gulls, dolphins, and many other animals often wind up on

beaches, killed by pollutants in their habitat (living environment).

FACTS ON WATER POLLUTIONDISRUPTION OF FOOD-CHAINS

Pollution disrupts the natural food chain as well. Pollutants such as lead and cadmium are eaten

by tiny animals. Later, these animals are consumed by fish and shellfish, and the food chain

continues to be disrupted at all higher levels.

POLLUTION DISEASES

Eventually, humans are affected by this process as well. People can get diseases such as hepatitis

by eating seafood that has been poisoned. In many poor nations, there is always outbreak of

cholera and diseases as a result of poor drinking water treatment from contaminated waters.

DESTRUCTION OF ECOSYSTEMS

Ecosystems (the interaction of living things in a place, depending on each other for life) can be

severely changed or destroyed by water pollution. Many areas are now being affected by careless

human pollution, and this pollution is coming back to hurt humans in many ways.

WATER POLLUTION IN INDUSTRY

IN the United States industry is the greatest source of pollution, accounting for more than half

the volume of all water pollution and for the most deadly pollutants. Some 370,000

manufacturing facilities use huge quantities of freshwater to carry away wastes of many kinds.

The waste-bearing water, or effluent, is discharged into streams, lakes, or oceans, which in turn

disperse the polluting substances. In its National Water Quality Inventory, reported to Congress

in 1996, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concluded that approximately 40% of the

nation's surveyed lakes, rivers, and estuaries were too polluted for such basic uses as drinking

supply, fishing, and swimming. The pollutants include grit, asbestos, phosphates and nitrates,

mercury, lead, caustic soda and other sodium compounds, sulfur and sulfuric acid, oils, and

petrochemicals.

In addition, numerous manufacturing plants pour off undiluted corrosives, poisons, and other

noxious byproducts. The construction industry discharges slurries of gypsum, cement, abrasives,

metals, and poisonous solvents. Another pervasive group of contaminants entering food chains is

the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds, components of lubricants, plastic wrappers, and

adhesives. In yet another instance of pollution, hot water discharged by factories and power

plants causes so-called thermal pollution by increasing water temperatures. Such increases

change the level of oxygen dissolved in a body of water, thereby disrupting the water's ecological

balance, killing off some plant and animal species while encouraging the overgrowth of others.

WATER POLLUTION IN FOOD INDUSTRY

A food processing industry is involved with the total environment from the farm to the customer.

It is dependent upon good quality water and therefore is aware of water as a commodity which

must be used as efficiently and effectively as possible. Water is absolutely necessary for many

steps in the food processing industry. At present, there is no economical substitute. Conse-

quently, water conservation and water reuse are necessary and most of the industry practices this

in order to conserve this vital natural resource and reduce operating costs. By practising

conservation and reuse, the amount of liquid waste is reduced as is also the pollution potential

from food pro- cessing operations.

MEASURES AGAINST WATER POLLUTION IN FOOD INDUSTRY

Historically, little consideration was given to the reuse of water both because of its abundance

and also because reuse was considered to be hazardous because of the problems of bacterial

contamination with subse- quent spoilage of cans. An example of water use to maintain sanitary

con- ditions is shown in Figure 1 where the relationship of water exchange to bacteriological

conditions shows that unless 40 per cent of the water is exchanged each hour, the growth rate of

bacteriological organisms is extremely high. Of course, in order to overcome this, other means of

control must be used such as chlorination. By development of new techniques such as

chlorination, reuse of water could be considered, but even so, quality is the most essential factor

and therefore sanitary conditions of operation are the controlling criteria for the reuse of water.

Much study and research are required to ascertain the limitations of chlorine as a benefit in order

to prevent bacterial problems in the final product. The National Canners Association has set up

four principal conditions governing the use of re- claimed waters in contact with food products.

They are as follows:

(1) that the water be free of microorganisms of public health significance,

(2) that the water contain no chemicals in concentrations toxic or otherwise harmful to man,

(3) that the water be free of any materials or compounds which could impart discolouration, off-

flavour, or odours to the product or otherwise adversely affect its quality, and

(4) that the appearance and content of the water be acceptable from an aesthetic viewpoint.

WASTE TREATMENT

The National Canners Association developed Table 1 to show the different types of waste and

how they can be treated. The asterisk indicates which of these methods have been studied under

special research projects by the NCA. There is no simple rule of thumb to guide the food

processor into the most practical and economical method of treatment. Each type of system and

approach may have merit, depending upon the peculiarity of the local conditions or

circumstances. The food processor, if he does not have his own sanitary engineering staff, has to

depend upon consulting engineers and should be sure that those whom he calls upon to perform

such services have wide-spread knowledge in the area of the characteristics of food processing

wastes and how they can be treated in order that he can receive through this service the most

economical system possible.

APPLE FACTORY IN CHINA PUNISHED BY WATER POLLUTION

RiTeng, an Apple supplier which makes iPad cases, was charged with pouring untreated metal-

cutting liquid and greasy, waste water into Shanghai's rain water drainage system which runs into

the city's largest river, according to the local environment authority.

The Songjiang Environmental Protection Bureau fined the company, suspended production, and

ordered it to stop the waste outlet from flowing into the drainage system.

Nearby residents said the river had been polluted long before the authority stepped in, but they

had no choice but to continue using the polluted river water to irrigate crops.

"The water had a milky color and looked as if people used it to wash rice," said a local farmer.

"It was very stinky, but we didn't know where the waste came from."

"The grass on the river banks is all dead," said another farmer.

The company insisted that the pollution was unintentional and claimed some workers

"accidentally" discharged water that was used to wash the factory compound into the city's

drainage system.

"We are not the only company around here, and what companies do not discharge waste water?"

an unidentified source in RiTeng's management told local newspaper, National Business Daily.

"It is unfair to blame us for this incident. All of our production waste is treated before being

discharged. This is not a production-related incident."

The source claimed that the company was equipped with imported waste water-treating facilities.

He denied all requests for further information.

SUMMARY:-  Apple supplier in Shanghai, which makes iPad cases, has been fined and its

production suspended for allegedly pouring waste chemicals into a local river. The company

denies any wrongdoing. By Liu Jiayi for View from China | February 28, 2013 -- 03:08 GMT

(08:38 IST)

WATER POLLUTION IN TEXTILE INDUSTRY

More than 6000 water pollution violations from apparel factories in China – that is just one

revelation in a stunning new account of water pollution from the Chinese textile industry,

courtesy of noted Chinese environmentalist Ma Jun and his Green Alliance of activist partners.

The violations included serious threats such as illegally dumping untreated toxic wastewater into

rivers and streams. And these are the just violations we know about! Given the general lack of

enforcement of environmental laws in China, there are likely many more violators out there that

simply did not make the official record books.

Retailers and brands can no longer realistically hope that problems at their manufacturing

facilities around the world will remain quietly local; the curtain is rising on these operations, and

the public is becoming savvier about linking international businesses to the environmental

problems they are experiencing from these factories. .

After nearly five years of work on pollution problems in China’s apparel industry through

NRDC’s Clean By Design initiative, it comes as no surprise to me that some of these polluting

factories are making clothes for well-known international retailers and brands. Clean By Design

is an NRDC effort to work with clothing retailers and brand to improve environment

performance of their suppliers. While many companies, including ones we’ve worked with, have

made very public efforts to improve sustainability in their operations, we’ve seen that their reach

into their supply chains is often not as thorough as it needs to be to make real change.

To protect their brand reputations, (and to make truly sustainable products), international

companies must take much more aggressive steps to ensure that the factories that make their

goods are not polluting the communities where they are operating. Companies can start by

mapping out their full supply chain, and checking for compliance problems by making routine

checks of Ma Jun's database of violations and other public sources of information. If the factories

have problems, the retailers and brands should require them to inform the public and to work to

resolve the problems quickly. Responsible companies need to walk away from places that are in

chronic non-compliance with environmental laws. To move even further ahead, the companies

need policies that give their suppliers business incentives to go beyond simple compliance, and

adopt innovative and efficient ways to make clothes that use less water, have a smaller carbon

footprint and use nontoxic dyes and materials.

WATER POLLUTION IN GANGA RIVER

The Ganges is the largest river in India with an extraordinary religious importance for Hindus.

Along its banks are some of the world's oldest inhabited places like Varanasi and Patna. It

provides water to about 40% of India's population in 11 states. Today, it is one of the five most

polluted rivers in the world.

An estimated 2.9 billion litres or more of human sewage is discharged into the Ganges daily (200

million litres daily in the city Varanasi alone), although the existing treatment plants have

capacity to treat only 1.1 billion litres per day, leaving a huge deficit.

HUMAN WASTE

The Ganges river basin is one of the most fertile and densely populated regions in the world and

covers an area of 1,080,000 km2 (400,000 square miles). The river flows through 29 cities with

population over 100,000; 23 cities with population between 50,000 and 100,000, and about 48

towns. A large proportion of the waste in the Ganges is from this population through domestic

usage like bathing, laundry and public defecation.

INDUSTRIAL WASTE

Countless tanneries, chemical plants, textile mills, distilleries, slaughterhouses, and hospitals

contribute to the pollution of the Ganges by dumping untreated waste into it. Industrial effluents

are about 12% of the total volume of effluent reaching the Ganges. Although a relatively low

proportion, they are a cause for major concern because they are often toxic and non-

biodegradable.

RELIGIOUS EVENTS

During festival seasons, over 70 million people bathe in the Ganges over a few weeks to cleanse

themselves from their sins. Some materials like food, waste or leaves are left in the Ganges for

ritualistic reasons.

WATER POLLUTION IN YAMUNA

The Yamuna or Jamuna, is the largest tributary river of the Ganges (Ganga) in northern India.

Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of 6,387 metres on the south western slopes

of Banderpooch peaks in the Lower Himalayas or Shiwalik Range in Uttarakhand, it travels a

total length of 1,376 kilometers (855 mi) and has a drainage system of 366,223 square kilometres

(141,399 sq mi), 40.2% of the entire Ganges Basin, before merging with the Ganges at Triveni

Sangam, Allahabad, the site for the Kumbha Mela every twelve years.

It crosses several states, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, passing by Himachal Pradesh

and later Delhi, and meets several of its tributaries on the way, including Tons, its largest and

longest tributary in Uttarakhand, Chambal, which has its own large basin, followed by Sindh, the

Betwa, and Ken. Most importantly it creates the highly fertile alluvial, Yamuna-Ganges Doab

region between itself and the Ganges in the Indo-Gangetic plain. Nearly 57 million people

depend on the Yamuna waters. With an annual flow of about 10,000 cubic billion metres (cbm)

and usage of 4,400 cbm (of which irrigation constitutes 96 per cent), the river accounts for more

than 70 per cent of Delhi’s water supplies. Just like the Ganges, the Yamuna too is highly

venerated in Hinduism and worshipped as goddess Yamuna, throughout its course. In Hindu

mythology, she is the daughter of Sun God, Surya, and sister of Yama, the God of Death, hence

also known as Yami and according to popular legends, bathing in its sacred waters frees one

from the torments of death.

The water of Yamuna is of "reasonably good quality" through its length from Yamunotri in the

Himalayas to Wazirabad in Delhi, about 375 km, where the discharge of waste water through 15

drains between Wazirabad barrage and Okhla barrage renders the river severely polluted after

Wazirabad in Delhi. One official describes the river as a "sewage drain" with biochemical

oxygen demand (BOD) values ranging from 14 to 28 mg/l and high coliform content. There are

three main sources of pollution in the river, namely households and municipal disposal sites, soil

erosion resulting from deforestation occurring to make way for agriculture along with resulting

chemical wash-off from fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides and run-off from commercial

activity and industrial sites.

WATER POLLUTION IN GODAVARI

The second largest river in India, Godavari is often referred to as the Vriddh (Old) Ganga or the

Dakshin (South) Ganga. The name may be apt in more ways than one, as the river follows the

course of Ganga's tragedy: Pollution in this peninsular river is fast reaching unsafe levels. The

Godavari originates near Triambak in the Nasik district of Maharashtra, and flows through the

states of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. Although its point of origin is

just 80 kms away from the Arabian Sea, it journeys 1,465 kms to fall into the Bay of Bengal.

Some of its tributaries include Indravati, Manjira, Bindusara and Sarbari. Some important urban

centers on its banks include Nasik, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Nizamabad, Rajahmundry, and

Balaghat.

POLLUTION

Like most other rivers, domestic pollution is the biggest polluter of the river Godavari,

accounting for 82 per cent of total pollution, whereas industrial pollution accounts for about 18

percent. Over half of the river basin (18.6 million ha), is categorized as cultivable land. Most of

the river’s water is drawn for irrigation purposes. Application of fertilizers is very high at 49.34

kg/hectares, almost double the country’s average. Pesticides are also applied at the high rates of

146.47 kgs/sq. km of which 79 per cent are organochlorines. However, the Central Pollution

Control Board refuses to acknowledge the pollution created by such high levels of fertilizer and

pesticideusage.

But the story of pollution in the Godavari river evolves around the tiny Nakavaggu rivulet, which

joins the Manjira, a tributary of the Godavari. The rivulet is dead and supports no life. Highly

productive agricultural land surrounds the rivulet. More than 150 small and medium industries

and several large industries near the twin cities of Secunderabad and Hyderabad release their

effluents into the Nakavaggu rivulet.

However most of the blame lies with the 72 industries in the Patancheru Industrial area that have

been dumping their effluents into the river. Bereft of treatment facilities, industrial effluents are

let out into streams that collect in ponds. This overflow later reaches the Nakavaggu. A drain

leading to Nakavaggu also carries effluents from BHEL, Asian Paints, and Voltas industries.

Industrial discharge from such industries has severely affected public health, surface and ground

water and agriculture in 22 villages in this area.

The river water is heavily used for agriculture, as it is the only available water source. However,

the river’s water has turned the fertile soil toxic with heavy metals. The soil contains heavy

metals like iron, nickel, zinc, copper, cobalt and cadmium.

Even the crop yield has suffered terribly. Before industrialization, the land’s crop yield was 40

bags of paddy per acre and is now a mere 10 bags. Toxic metals in the soil have contaminated

the crops, penetrated animal milk and affected human health.

Incidence of cancers has also sharply risen, including leukemia in young boys, lung cancer in

non-smokers and liver cancer. Medical experts attribute these increased rates to high water

pollution. The polluted water has also seeped underground, contaminating groundwater, and the

surrounding soil is contaminated due to acidification.

GOVERNMENT ACTION

In 1993, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court ordered two paper mills in Paithan to

stop discharging effluents into the river and ordered the Beed Zilla Parishad to supply drinking

water for the affected villages.

During the hearing the state government admitted that the river was polluted since 1984. After

prolonged agitation by farmers and pressure from citizen bodies, the district administration got

the courts to serve notice to 22 industries giving them till September 1987 to establish individual

Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP’s). After the farmers filed a writ petition against 220 industries

in the high court, the government held a number of public meetings to discuss short- and long-

term solutions. Twelve units were served closure notices on May 7, 1989. However, the

industrial units obtained stay orders from the court. With the court order going in favour of the

industries, he farmers filed petitions in the Supreme Court. The apex court ruled in favour of the

farmers and asked the state pollution board to serve notices to 56 polluting industries asking

them to provide safe drinking water to the affected villages, restore cultivable land, and provide

monetary relief, medical care to the victims, and ordered sustained vigilance of the industrial

discharge.

In compliance with the court order, the Andhra Pradesh government decided to lay down a

pipeline carrying industrial waste from Patancheru to the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in

Amberpet in 2001. The STP already discharged treated and untreated sewage into another river,

the Musi. Instead of treating the waste, the government just diverted the waste to another river.

With these developments it is clear that the government is least interested in solving the problem;

it just wants to circumvent the court order.

PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT

What few steps taken to stop pollution in this river are the outcome of efforts by the citizens of

Patancheru town and Hyderabad city. In 1986, citizens launched an awareness campaign against

river pollution. Dr Kishan Rao, a medical practitioner from Patancheru and members of the

Citizens Against Pollution (CAP) movement initiated the campaign. Combined with the affected

communities, they formed the Patancheru Anti-Pollution Committee (PAPC) in 1986. Activists

staged dharnas, relay hunger strikes and demanded that the state government end such pollution.

Their protests also included a Patancheru bandh and a 40-km long march to the state assembly,

where they presented a list of demands to the then chief minister, N T Rama Rao.

Their demands included that each industry construct an effluent treatment plant (ETP); that

industries ensure adequate compensation for degraded agricultural land and that they supply safe

drinking water to the affected villages. Farmers from the adjoining areas of Sultanpur,

Gandigudem and Krishnareddypeta organized a rally as part of an awareness campaign in the

Bollaram industrial area on August 18, 1986, blocking roads leading to the industrial area. Three

days later, the PAPC held a dharna in front of the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO)

Rangareddy’s office. The outcome was a promise to control pollution.

WATER POLLUTION THROUGH SEWAGE

Sewage is a water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a

community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by

volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological

organisms that it contains. In loose American English usage, the terms 'sewage' and 'sewerage'

are sometimes interchanged. Both words are descended from Old French assewer, derived from

the Latin exaquare, "to drain out (water)". Sewerage refers to the infrastructure that conveys

sewage.

Classes of sewage include sanitary, commercial, industrial, agricultural and surface runoff. The

wastewater from residences and institutions, carrying body wastes, washing water, food

preparation wastes, laundry wastes, and other waste products of normal living, are classed as

domestic or sanitary sewage. Liquid-carried wastes from stores and service establishments

serving the immediate community, termed commercial wastes, are included in the sanitary or

domestic sewage category if their characteristics are similar to household flows. Wastes that

result from an industrial process or the production or manufacture of goods are classed as

industrial wastewater. Their flows and strengths are usually more varied, intense, and

concentrated than those of sanitary sewage. Surface runoff, also known as storm flow or

overland flow, is that portion of precipitation that runs rapidly over the ground surface to a

defined channel. Precipitation absorbs gases and particulates from the atmosphere, dissolves and

leaches materials from vegetation and soil, suspends matter from the land, washes spills and

debris from urban streets and highways, and carries all these pollutants as wastes in its flow to a

collection point.

SEWAGE SERVICES

DISEASE POTENTIAL

All categories of sewage are likely to carry pathogenic organisms that can transmit disease to

humans and other animals; contain organic matter that can cause odor and nuisance problems;

hold nutrients that may cause eutrophication of receiving water bodies; and can lead to

ecotoxicity. Proper collection and safe, nuisance-free disposal of the liquid wastes of a

community are legally recognized as a necessity in an urbanized, industrialized society. The

reality is, however, that around 90% of wastewater produced globally remains untreated causing

widespread water pollution, especially in low-income countries.

Increasingly, agriculture is using untreated wastewater for irrigation. Cities provide lucrative

markets for fresh produce, so are attractive to farmers. However, because agriculture has to

compete for increasingly scarce water resources with industry and municipal users, there is often

no alternative for farmers but to use water polluted with urban waste, including sewage, directly

to water their crops. There can be significant health hazards related to using water loaded with

pathogens in this way, especially if people eat raw vegetables that have been irrigated with the

polluted water.

The International Water Management Institute has worked in India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Ghana,

Ethiopia, Mexico and other countries on various projects aimed at assessing and reducing risks

of wastewater irrigation. They advocate a ‘multiple-barrier’ approach to wastewater use, where

farmers are encouraged to adopt various risk-reducing behaviours. These include ceasing

irrigation a few days before harvesting to allow pathogens to die off in the sunlight, applying

water carefully so it does not contaminate leaves likely to be eaten raw, cleaning vegetables with

disinfectant or allowing fecal sludge used in farming to dry before being used as a human

manure. The World Health Organization has developed guidelines for safe water use.

A system of sewer pipes (sewers) collects sewage and takes it for treatment or disposal. The

system of sewers is called sewerage or sewerage system (see London sewerage system) in British

English and sewage system in American English. Where a main sewerage system has not been

provided, sewage may be collected from homes by pipes into septic tanks or cesspits, where it

may be treated or collected in vehicles and taken for treatment or disposal. Properly functioning

septic tanks require emptying every 2–5 years depending on the load of the system.

Sewage and wastewater is also disposed of to rivers, streams, and the sea in many parts of the

world. Doing so can lead to serious pollution of the receiving water. This is common in third

world countries and may still occur in some developed countries, where septic tank systems are

too expensive.

TREATMENT

Sewage treatment is the process of removing the contaminants from sewage to produce liquid

and solid (sludge) suitable for discharge to the environment or for reuse. It is a form of waste

management. A septic tank or other on-site wastewater treatment system such as biofilters can be

used to treat sewage close to where it is created.

Sewage water is a complex matrix, with many distinctive chemical characteristics. These include

high concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, phosphorus, high conductivity (due to high dissolved

solids), high alkalinity, with pH typically ranging between 7 and 8. Trihalomethanes are also

likely to be present as a result of past disinfection.

In developed countries sewage collection and treatment is typically subject to local, state and

federal regulations and standards.

CONVERSION TO FERTILISER

Sewage sludge can be collected through a sludge processing plant that automatically heats the

matter and converts it into fertiliser pellets (thereby removing possible contamination by

chemical detergents, ...) This approach eliminates seawater pollution caused when the water is

discharged directly to the sea without treatment (a practice which is still common in developing

countries, despite environmental regulation). Sludge plants are useful in areas that have already

set-up a sewage-system, but not in areas without such a system, as composting toilets are more

efficient and do not require sewage pipes (which break over time).

Domestic households, industrial and agricultural practices produce wastewater that can cause

pollution of many lakes and rivers.

Sewage is the term used for wastewater that often contains faeces, urine and laundry

waste.

There are billions of people on Earth, so treating sewage is a big priority.

Sewage disposal is a major problem in developing countries as many people in these

areas don’t have access to sanitary conditions and clean water.

Untreated sewage water in such areas can contaminate the environment and cause

diseases such as diarrhoea.

Sewage in developed countries is carried away from the home quickly and hygienically

through sewage pipes.

Sewage is treated in water treatment plants and the waste is often disposed into the sea.

Sewage is mainly biodegradable and most of it is broken down in the environment.

In developed countries, sewage often causes problems when people flush chemical

and pharmaceutical substances down the toilet. When people are ill, sewage often carries

harmful viruses and bacteria into the environment causing health problems.

CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION

The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals,

pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated temperature and discoloration.

While many of the chemicals and substances that are regulated may be naturally occurring

(calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, etc.) the concentration is often the key in determining what

is a natural component of water, and what is a contaminant. High concentrations of naturally

occurring substances can have negative impacts on aquatic flora and fauna.

Oxygen-depleting substances may be natural materials, such as plant matter (e.g. leaves and

grass) as well as man-made chemicals. Other natural and anthropogenic substances may cause

turbidity (cloudiness) which blocks light and disrupts plant growth, and clogs the gills of some

fish species.

Many of the chemical substances are toxic. Pathogens can produce waterborne diseases in either

human or animal hosts. Alteration of water's physical chemistry includes acidity (change in pH),

electrical conductivity, temperature, and eutrophication. Eutrophication is an increase in the

concentration of chemical nutrients in an ecosystem to an extent that increases in the primary

productivity of the ecosystem. Depending on the degree of eutrophication, subsequent negative

environmental effects such as anoxia (oxygen depletion) and severe reductions in water quality

may occur, affecting fish and other animal populations.

PATHOGENS

Coliform bacteria are a commonly used bacterial indicator of water pollution, although not an

actual cause of disease. Other microorganisms sometimes found in surface waters which have

caused human health problems include:

Burkholderia pseudomallei

Cryptosporidium parvum

Giardia lamblia

Salmonella

Novovirus and other viruses

Parasitic worms (helminths).

High levels of pathogens may result from inadequately treated sewage discharges. This can be

caused by a sewage plant designed with less than secondary treatment (more typical in less-

developed countries). In developed countries, older cities with aging infrastructure may have

leaky sewage collection systems (pipes, pumps, valves), which can cause sanitary sewer

overflows. Some cities also have combined sewers, which may discharge untreated sewage

during rain storms.

CHEMICAL AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS

Contaminants may include organic and inorganic substances.

Organic water pollutants include:

Detergents

Disinfection by-products found in chemically disinfected drinking water, such as

chloroform

Food processing waste, which can include oxygen-demanding substances, fats and grease

Insecticides and herbicides, a huge range of organohalides and other chemical

compounds

Petroleum hydrocarbons, including fuels (gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuels, and fuel oil) and

lubricants (motor oil), and fuel combustion byproducts, from stormwater runoff

Tree and bush debris from logging operations

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as industrial solvents, from improper storage.

Chlorinated solvents, which are dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs), may fall to

the bottom of reservoirs, since they don't mix well with water and are denser.

o Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs)

o Trichloroethylene

Perchlorate

Various chemical compounds found in personal hygiene and cosmetic products.

INORGANIC WATER POLLUTANTS INCLUDE:

Acidity caused by industrial discharges (especially sulfur dioxide from power plants)

Ammonia from food processing waste

Chemical waste as industrial by-products

Fertilizers containing nutrients--nitrates and phosphates—which are found in stormwater

runoff from agriculture, as well as commercial and residential use

Heavy metals from motor vehicles (via urban stormwater runoff) and acid mine drainage

Silt (sediment) in runoff from construction sites, logging, slash and burn practices or land

clearing sites.

Macroscopic pollution—large visible items polluting the water—may be termed "floatables" in

an urban stormwater context, or marine debris when found on the open seas, and can include

such items as:

Trash or garbage (e.g. paper, plastic, or food waste) discarded by people on the ground,

along with accidental or intentional dumping of rubbish, that are washed by rainfall into

storm drains and eventually discharged into surface waters

Nurdles, small ubiquitous waterborne plastic pellets

Shipwrecks, large derelict ships.

THERMAL POLLUTION

Thermal pollution is the rise or fall in the temperature of a natural body of water caused by

human influence. Thermal pollution, unlike chemical pollution, results in a change in the

physical properties of water. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a

coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. Elevated water temperatures decreases

oxygen levels, which can kill fish, and can alter food chain composition, reduce species

biodiversity, and foster invasion by new thermophilic species. Urban runoff may also elevate

temperature in surface waters.

Thermal pollution can also be caused by the release of very cold water from the base of

reservoirs into warmer rivers.

TRANSPORT AND CHEMICAL REACTIONS OF WATER POLLUTANTS

Most water pollutants are eventually carried by rivers into the oceans. In some areas of the world

the influence can be traced hundred miles from the mouth by studies using hydrology transport

models. Advanced computer models such as SWMM or the DSSAM Model have been used in

many locations worldwide to examine the fate of pollutants in aquatic systems. Indicator filter

feeding species such as copepods have also been used to study pollutant fates in the New York

Bight, for example. The highest toxin loads are not directly at the mouth of the Hudson River,

but 100 kilometers south, since several days are required for incorporation into planktonic tissue.

The Hudson discharge flows south along the coast due to coriolis force. Further south then are

areas of oxygen depletion, caused by chemicals using up oxygen and by algae blooms, caused by

excess nutrients from algal cell death and decomposition. Fish and shellfish kills have been

reported, because toxins climb the food chain after small fish consume copepods, then large fish

eat smaller fish, etc. Each successive step up the food chain causes a stepwise concentration of

pollutants such as heavy metals (e.g. mercury) and persistent organic pollutants such as DDT.

This is known as biomagnification, which is occasionally used interchangeably with

bioaccumulation.

WATER POLLUTION AND IT’S CONSEQUENCES

by Anonymous • on News • April 12th• has no comments yet!

Different reports of some UN agencies warn on increasing scarcity of water per capita in many

parts of the developing countries. This crises is happening due to population growth which has

the highest rate in those countries, as well as the absence of proper sanitation systems and

infrastructures. Than, there are also changes in climate, and the pollution factor that brought us

were we are now.

As far as water quality, the poor are still under the strongest attack: 50% of the population in

developing countries are exposed to polluted water sources.  Asia has the most contaminated

rivers in the world, that have three times more bacteria than average human waste. Moreover,

these rivers also have larger amount of heavy metals than rivers in industrialized countries.

Urban areas without proper infrastructures for water and sanitation are the most dangerous

environment for human survival in these countries. According to the survey covering 116 cities,

urban areas in Africa are in the worst position, where only 18% of households are connected to

savage systems. In Asia that number is 40%, witch is still alarming figure.

Naturally, poor people in these cities are the first victims of diseases related to absence of

infrastructure and sewage systems, floods and decontaminated water. As a result, we have a

typical example of this issue-  Malaria, which is today one of the major causes of illness and

death in many urban areas in Africa. Another example in South Asia is this disease transmitter-

mosquito Anopheles Stephensi, that adapted its reproductive cycle for many water conditions

there.

These facts tell us, how important are the sanitation conditions and proper waste management

today. One liter of waste water is polluting 7 liters of fresh water, and the amount of waste water

in the world is high above reasonable levels (12,000 km3).

There are several reasons why cities and urban areas should have higher priority from rural parts

when it comes to water supply and protection of natural sources. First of all, unit cost of

infrastructure in urban areas are lower due to smaller distances and a large number of users.

Second, most cities have a better economic base, that provides greater opportunities for the

special funds for infrastructure development. Third, in urban areas are concentrated not only the

people and industries, but also waste.

Nowadays, the industry takes 22% of the total water consumption (59% is in developed, and 8%

in developing countries). This percentage will rise up to 24% in 2025. Each year 300-500 million

tons of heavy metals, toxic and other dangerous substances from industrial plants go into water

catchments and rivers. More than 80% of hazardous waste in the world is produced in the US

and other industrialized countries.

So as we see, the developed countries also have to make smart actions in future to protect water

sources and their pollution. In near future water crisis will be felt in all countries around the

world with consequences on the health of children, and the opportunity to secure food supplies

for everyone. The precise predictions depend on factors such as population growth and political

measures, while climate change will be responsible for 20% increase in the level of global water

scarcity.

The crisis has occurred because there is no political commitment or adequate measures for

prevention of current trends, despite the countless evidences of deterioration in everyday

situations. Although many goals and objectives were set in the past years for fresh water supply,

sanitation and waste control, practically non of them were achieved so far.

We hope that all the governments will put this on their list of priorities, before its to late to react.

CONTROL ON WATER POLLUTION

DOMESTIC SEWAGE

Domestic sewage is typically 99.9 percent water with 0.1 percent pollutants. Although found in

low concentrations, these pollutants pose risk on a large scale. In urban areas, domestic sewage is

typically treated by centralized sewage treatment plants. Well-designed and operated systems

(i.e., secondary treatment or better) can remove 90 percent or more of these pollutants. Some

plants have additional systems to remove nutrients and pathogens. Most municipal plants are not

specifically designed to treat toxic pollutants found in industrial wastewater.

Cities with sanitary sewer overflows or combined sewer overflows employ one or more

engineering approaches to reduce discharges of untreated sewage, including:

utilizing a green infrastructure approach to improve stormwater management capacity

throughout the system, and reduce the hydraulic overloading of the treatment plant

repair and replacement of leaking and malfunctioning equipment

increasing overall hydraulic capacity of the sewage collection system (often a very

expensive option).

A household or business not served by a municipal treatment plant may have an individual septic

tank, which treats the wastewater on site and discharges into the soil. Alternatively, domestic

wastewater may be sent to a nearby privately owned treatment system (e.g. in a rural

community).

INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER

Some industrial facilities generate ordinary domestic sewage that can be treated by municipal

facilities. Industries that generate wastewater with high concentrations of conventional pollutants

(e.g. oil and grease), toxic pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, volatile organic compounds) or other

nonconventional pollutants such as ammonia, need specialized treatment systems. Some of these

facilities can install a pre-treatment system to remove the toxic components, and then send the

partially treated wastewater to the municipal system. Industries generating large volumes of

wastewater typically operate their own complete on-site treatment systems.

Some industries have been successful at redesigning their manufacturing processes to reduce or

eliminate pollutants, through a process called pollution prevention.

Heated water generated by power plants or manufacturing plants may be controlled with:

cooling ponds, man-made bodies of water designed for cooling by evaporation,

convection, and radiation

cooling towers, which transfer waste heat to the atmosphere through evaporation and/or

heat transfer

cogeneration, a process where waste heat is recycled for domestic and/or industrial

heating purposes.

AGRICULTURAL WASTEWATER

Nonpoint source controls Sediment (loose soil) washed off fields is the largest source of

agricultural pollution in the United States. Farmers may utilize erosion controls to reduce runoff

flows and retain soil on their fields. Common techniques include contour plowing, crop

mulching, crop rotation, planting perennial crops and installing riparian buffers.

Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) are typically applied to farmland as commercial fertilizer;

animal manure; or spraying of municipal or industrial wastewater (effluent) or sludge. Nutrients

may also enter runoff from crop residues, irrigation water, wildlife, and atmospheric deposition.

Farmers can develop and implement nutrient management plans to reduce excess application of

nutrients and reduce the potential for nutrient pollution.

To minimize pesticide impacts, farmers may use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques

(which can include biological pest control) to maintain control over pests, reduce reliance on

chemical pesticides, and protect water quality.

Feedlot in the United States

Point source waste water treatment Farms with large livestock and poultry operations, such as

factory farms, are called concentrated animal feeding operations or feedlots in the US and are

being subject to increasing government regulation. Animal slurries are usually treated by

containment in anaerobic lagoons before disposal by spray or trickle application to grassland.

Constructed wetlands are sometimes used to facilitate treatment of animal wastes. Some animal

slurries are treated by mixing with straw and composted at high temperature to produce a

bacteriologically sterile and friable manure for soil improvement.

CONCLUSION

Water pollution has many forms, all of which are damaging and none of which are less important

than the other. Whether it be oil pollution, which is a largely silent (excluding the occasional

large spill) but deadly polluter or the widely encompassing chemical pollution which can include

Persistant Organic Pollutants (including PCB's and DDT), all water pollution have unimaginable

consequences. Some of these effects, which can also be considered further pollutants, are Acid

Mine Drainage and Eutrophication. These effects effectively choke out the water they pollute

and have the ability to devastate entire ecosystems centered on a water supply.

The most obvious, not to mention hard to admit, conclusion at which we can arrive is that this is

overwhelmingly a product of human consumption and laziness. Oil pollution is mainly caused by

the improper drainage of everyday human activities. Chemical pollution, including POP, PCB,

and DDT, is created from our desire for excellent pesticides that will do the work and thinking

for us, and from our ever growing demand for more electricity. Acid Mine Drainage is caused

when careless mining companies disrupt pyrite deposits underground without taking the time to

first test the ground or the effort to neutralize any acidity initially caused from pollution.

Eutrophication is an excellent example of what can happen from chemical pollution, as it is

caused when excess nutrients enter the water system and promote the excessive growth of

invasive species which effectively removes the oxygen from water and chokes the life out of an

ecosystem

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