Water pollution is one the main environmental issues that we are facing, as more than 70% of the Earth’s surface is water-covered.

Various simple and implementable ways can be used to limit the pollution of our water resources. These actions can be taken individually or collectively and must be done repeatedly to reduce the impacts on the water systems. Some people perceive that the harmful substances or pollutants normally disappear once discharged into water but keep in mind this sentence :“Just because it disappears, doesn’t mean it goes away”.

Here are 15 solutions to water pollution :

1. Practice responsible use of fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides

The term “pesticide” is a composite term that includes all chemicals that are used to kill or control pests.

In agriculture, this includes herbicides (weeds), insecticides (insects), fungicides (fungi), nematocides (nematodes), and rodenticides (vertebrate poisons).

These chemicals can kill plants, insects, and animals in and around the affected waters, as well as create an environment that is costly to recover. Additionally, the reach of the contaminated water is magnified when one considers that water flows from one source to another until it reaches the ocean.

With each populated area that contaminated water passes, it picks up more chemicals and pollutants. The polluted water also often makes its way into the water tables and the public water system, which means it’s in the drinking water you access.

The simplest solution for water pollution prevention is to be responsible with any chemical use:

Read and explicitly follow the directions for mixing and use.
Use organic options whenever possible. Check your local stormwater division for suggestions.
Prevent spills. As spills are generally accidental, prepare in advance to contain and absorb the solution if there is a spill.
Don’t leave the unused chemicals exposed to weather. Dispose of the leftover chemicals and container properly per the product instructions, or check with your local municipality.
Do not apply near water systems such as wells, streams, lakes, or curb inlets/drains

2. Never dispose of cooking fats and oils by pouring them down the sink.

Not only can this seriously clog up your drains, but it can also cause disease and illness to spread in your local water supply.

This is a big problem with groundwater contamination in yards, so if you have a well you should be doubly concerned with properly disposing of fat, grease, and oil. If these substances get stuck in pipes, they can leach into the surrounding soil easily. They attract bacteria almost right away, and those bacteria contribute to the spread of disease in water sources.

3. Plant trees or any plants near bodies of water

So that when it rains, the topsoil with personal chemicals will not get washed away. Big trees will help prevent soil erosion. When the soil is eroded, the pesticides and chemicals on the land will be washed away and carried on the sea. But if there are big trees to stop the eroding of the soil, the Oceans will be protected !

4. Do not make your toilet as your wastebasket

Do not flush unnecessary things in the toilet because this will only clog up your drains. Most tissues, wrappers, dust cloths, and other paper goods should be properly discarded in a wastebasket. Throwing them in your toilet is unsustainable, and it will only lead to massive pollution in the end…

5. Avoid using plastics if possible especially when dining

Say no to straws, plastic cups, and plastic utensils when you dine and get out in the beach.

Around the world, one million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute, while up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide every year. In total, half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once — and then thrown away ! Here a 4 simple ways to reduce your plastic consumption :

REFUSE disposable plastic whenever and wherever possible. Choose items that are not packaged in plastic, and carry your own bags, containers and utensils. Say ‘no straw, please.’

REDUCE your plastic footprint. Cut down on your consumption of goods that contain excessive plastic packaging and parts. If it will leave behind plastic trash, don’t buy it.

REUSE durable, non-toxic straws, utensils, to-go containers, bottles, bags, and other everyday items. Choose glass, paper, Stainless steel Straws, wood, ceramic and bamboo over plastic.

RECYCLE what you can’t refuse, reduce or reuse. Pay attention to the entire life cycle of items you bring into your life, from source to manufacturing to distribution to disposal.

6. Do your part by picking up some litter that you see in the environment.

Especially near rivers, rivers carry plastic waste from deep inland to the sea, making them major contributors to Ocean pollution. A staggering 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every year.

How does it get there? A lot of it comes from the world’s rivers, which serve as direct conduits of trash from the world’s cities to the marine environment. 90% of plastic polluting our oceans comes from just 10 rivers…

Kids collect and recycle garbage below the Old Iron Bridge, on the polluted Yamuna river.

7. Ensure minimal use of bleach or detergents

Water pollution by chemicals (such as detergents) is a big concern in the global context. Many laundry detergents contain approximately 35 percent to 75 percent phosphate salts. Phosphates can cause a variety of water pollution problems. For example, phosphate tends to inhibit the biodegradation of organic substances.

During cleaning of laundry or cutleries, it is vital to minimize the use of bleach and detergents. Instead, you can persist on only using phosphate-free detergents and soaps.

8. Practice tree planting

Trees are the unsung heroes of urban life. It’s hard to overstate their benefits: They filter pollution out of the air, lower our energy bills, undercut the misery of summer heat, raise property values…

Planting trees reduce the speed of surface water runoff and as such, lessens erosion and prevents toxic substances and chemicals from washing into water systems. Trees are excellent at managing stormwater. In essence, they act like mini-reservoirs, capturing and storing rainfall and melting snow. This helps reduce the volume of stormwater runoff that enters our stormsewers.

So if you live next to a water body, please take this initiative today and plant trees and vegetation covers such as flowers, grass, and shrubs.

9. Watch how much water you use

You might be surprised to find out just how much water you use in a day and how much you can save on water and on your water bill. For example, when brushing your teeth, make sure to turn off the tap while you do so

10. Eat More Organic Food

While chemicals can be used on organic foods, they tend to be produced with few synthetic chemicals. Eating organic reduces the amount of chemical pollution that ends up in the water.

The food we choose to eat has a huge impact on environmental quality, between the chemicals used to grow food, the fuel used to transport the crops, and the fuel used to power farm equipment on industrial farms.

11. Keep Your Vehicles from Leaking

Spilt oil can pollute streams, rivers and, if it soaks through the soil and rock, groundwater. Oil pollution can have a devastating effect on the water environment, it spreads over the surface in a thin layer that stops oxygen getting to the plants and animals that live in the water.

Just 1 litre of oil can contaminate 1 million litres of water.

This runoff problem is easy to treat, just be diligent about maintaining and repairing your vehicles.

12. Buy Sustainable Meats

While we all enjoy a hamburger from time to time, it is important to think about the impact of factory farms on our water supply. These farms produce huge amounts of waste, which ends up harming the nearby water supplies. Whenever possible, buy sustainable meats instead of those produced at factory farms.

13. Support Environmental Charities

No matter where you live in the country, there are going to be charities working on watershed protection, water pollution cleanup, and similar causes. Find an organization that’s active in your area and make a donation every year. Your support may even lead to expanded anti-pollution work.

14. Laws and Regulations

Laws and regulations can also help to prevent and mitigate pollution, if they are effectively designed and enforced. Local, state and federal laws, as well as international efforts, set limits on pollution and create accountability for those who might otherwise dump contaminants.

For these regulations to work well, they should be based on science and designed in a way that prevents loopholes and makes them easy to understand. They also need to be enforced honestly without improper exceptions.

15. Shop with Water Pollution in Mind

You can avoid issues with household chemicals and pesticides by not buying products that contain persistent and dangerous chemicals in the first place. Many companies now sell non-toxic cleaners and biodegradable cleaners and pesticides. Spending a little extra money on those products automatically cuts down on water pollution.

Conclusion

In sum, water pollution is caused by all citizens, whether those are small-scale unto huge oil spills and waste disposals by big factories. Everything that we do will ultimately cause the destruction of the bodies of water, from disposing plastics in the sea, flushing of drugs in the toilet, or using pesticides for the plants in our garden.

However, we still have time to prove our worth in this planet and save mother earth from destruction. We must change our lifestyle and live simple. Go green, save the water and Spread this solutions to water pollution around you 💧

Discover the waterproof jewelry of ATOLEA, each purchase gives back to Coral Conservation