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Water Pollution 101

By Grace Sun, Grade 10


“Water is essential to all of us living on Earth, whether we’re plants, animals, or humans.” This is said so often that you’re probably rolling your eyes just reading it, but water sources, so key to the existence of life, are drastically diminishing by the day due to human pollution and carelessness.


Water pollution is defined as “when unwanted materials enter into water, change the quality of water and [are] harmful to the environment and human health.” As we have seen in many countries recently, colorful bits of plastic choke the oceans and rivers; styrofoam and six pack rings kill off wildlife that consume them in oceans and pollute the major water sources people rely on. Water pollution not only affects animals, but it also affects the health of people living in less developed countries.


Despite its many uses as a universal solvent, water’s solvent properties also make it a major source of infection and an ideal habitat for the development of many bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases. Mosquitos who lay their eggs in or make contact with contaminated water spread viral diseases, such as hepatitis, jaundis, and encephalitis. Parasitic diseases like cryptosporidiosis live and reproduce in contaminated water. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 80% of diseases are water borne and 3.1% of all deaths occur due to unhygienic water quality.


The most common symptoms for diseases spread by contaminated water are diarrhea and vomiting, caused by infection in the abdomen. Other symptoms include abdominal cramping, fever, fatigue, and weight loss for certain viral strains.


The major sources of water pollution include the discharge of domestic and agriculture wastes, population growth, excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers, inconsistent disposal of potential pollutants, and urbanization. Realistically, most of the sources on this list are due to poor management and can be preventable. That is why it is imperative to implement proper waste disposal systems and treat waste before entering into rivers to limit the amount of water contamination in an area. Local governments should also invest in educational and awareness programs for the public.


Plainly and simply, life on Earth depends on water. It acts as a pillar to our daily functions, and is a major regulator of society. However, the vital liquid comes at a cost—the fragility of its purity, and the contamination of it around us. The corruption of this sacred resource stems from within the human race, leaving behind a trail of destruction in the wake of industrialization. Even so, awareness about this activity is lacking, and not enough to ignite a change in our behavior. We require something more: a dire warning. And that is what Clearwater Innovation seeks to provide.


Cover photo from NRDC

The Texas Water Crisis Shows Just How Inefficient Our Water Systems Are. Change Needs to Occur.

By Joanna Hou, Grade 12


As the winter storms swept through Texas, residents were left without several resources, including much needed electricity and food. However, even as these necessities are being replaced as the winter storm clears, Texans still lack a crucial component: clean drinking water.


The unexpected winter storm burst pipes across the state, leading water to become undrinkable. Furthermore, the wastewater cleaning plants used to keep water clean lost their power completely and couldn't control their sewage management. (1) That sewage waste went straight into the state's overall water supply. Millions of people in Texas were under a "boil water notice", indicating that the water wouldn't be consumable unless boiled. (2) But those were only for residents who were lucky enough to even receive water from their taps. Across the state, thousands of people couldn't even get access to water from their sinks and bottled water was all sold out.


It's also important to note the disparities behind water access for Texans. (3) Those in communities of color, or those who were low income were already much more susceptible to the cold. These are the same communities that were disproportionately affected by the dirtied water supply. It's often much harder for these communities to relocate or even get to water supplies provided by the state. It's often the groups facing the most challenges that are the first to get impacted by water crises, a pattern that we saw continue from the Flint Water crisis.


These two crises are probably just the beginning. As the world continues to warm, extreme weather will occur more regularly. (4) The truth is, we aren't prepared for that. Wastewater plants and water purification facilities in typically warm areas haven't been rebuilt for decades and aren't prepared for freezing or any other major changes. The technology we've created isn't sustainable because the world around us is warming to an intolerable rate.


Clean water is an essential part of human life and needs to be put at a higher priority. While what happened in Texas is devastating, the crisis gives everyone an opportunity to become more prepared in the future. While current water waste plants are not particularly sustainable, they can be, and Texas is a good place to start. By rebuilding our water supply, we can kill two birds with one stone, helping out our environment and ensuring that any quick changes in the environment won't have an impact on our most vulnerable communities.


There are several ways to approach more humane water systems. (5) While classic dams and groundwater supplies aren't very sustainable, there are new techniques being developed all the time, just waiting to be implemented. While current groundwater is wasteful, if we conserve the water and keep it rotating in a cycle, groundwater can become more sustainable. Other newer methods include rainwater harvesting (a more direct and less environmentally-damaging practice) and reclaimed water (water reused from human waste) can take some stress off the dam and groundwater systems, also helping with the environment.


Texas gives us the opportunity to see into the plethora of new challenges that might await us, but also serves as a warning sign. If officials start implementing new, environmentally-conscious water sources, we have the opportunity to start making changes now.


Check Your Water Privilege

By Ainsley Jackman, Grade 12


Despite the growing conversation around water scarcity, most of the developed world has only an abstract idea of what it looks like in day-to-day life. To us, “water scarcity” means a summer of brown lawns and unwashed cars amidst a California drought. So--hardly anything at all. Clean drinking water is something we take for granted in even the worst of times but is a privilege much of the world goes without.


Western Libya is a current hotspot of water scarcity. Contaminated water is the worst killer of the Libyan Civil war, as many power and water control systems have been damaged and destroyed by the violence. United Nation Children’s Fund spokesperson Mustafa Omar recently shared that almost four million Libyans lack safe drinking water, worsening the rampant and deadly spread of diseases like Cholera and Hepatitis A.


Clean water has become such a valuable resource that in some areas it is being used as a weapon of war. Last April, revolutionary leader Hasan Al-Gaddafi initiated a water cut to gain leverage while bargaining for his captured brother. Following his lead, armed groups forced water workers to shut off the supply of nearly two million people for two days in a ploy to release a relative of their own.


For these people, water is no casual necessity that can be found for free in any public restroom. It is a commodity to be bargained for, a life-source many struggle daily to find--while our survival is practically a guarantee. Hydrating our bodies is a mindless nuisance before we can get on with the rest of our lives.


Here is your reminder that everyone is not so fortunate. Day-by-day survival is not a life most of us can comprehend, but doing our best to imagine it might lend more powerful meaning to the term “water scarcity.”



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