Did you know that wastewater effluents (water from sewer systems) have been cited as the biggest source of surface water pollution in Canada? (Government of Canada, 2017)

Safe drinking water and proper sanitation are not just essential to human health in a direct sense, but water also represents an indispensable part of the ecosystems that all living beings on this earth inhabit and rely on.

While the threat of myriad environmental and social crises can be overwhelming, the good news is that there are multiple ways in which each person holds the power to enact cumulative change for brighter future, and, perhaps more importantly, to made a positive difference for the people and animals of today. 

Individual action and systemic change are two sides of the same coin. Though not all best practices will be feasible for every person, each small change adopted marks a significant step towards more progressive norms, increased availability and accessibility of more sustainable products, and widespread policy reform.

Click here for an infographic detailing 200 ways to save water at home

There are a multitude of factors that impact wastewater and the water supply. Below are a few of those concerns and what can be done to protect this invaluable resource.

 

Nutrient pollution

Ammonia is particularly toxic to fish (Randall & Tsui, 2002) and consumes oxygen from water sources as it is oxidized into nitrite and nitrate (EPA, 2024a). Nitrogen and phosphorus disrupt healthy aquatic ecosystems by causing overgrowth of aquatic plants and algae through a process called eutrophication (EPA, 2024c). 

Aside from the potential to create toxic algae blooms, these conditions can eventually kill off aquatic life as the overgrowth consumes the water’s available oxygen and blocks the sun (EPA, 2024c; Zhang, 2017). Once nutrient pollution has occurred, it is extremely difficult to reverse the problem even after the source has been eliminated (Zhang, 2017), highlighting how vitally important is to adopt management practices that prioritize protecting water for the sake of all the ecosystem's inhabitants.

(EPA, 2008)

Nutrients, as their name might imply, serve as food for plants. While they can promote growth and productivity when applied at appropriate rates, the fertilizers used on lawns and gardens create a significant source of pollution to waterways. 

In order to avoid over-application, the most accurate method of soil fertility testing is to find a laboratory in your region that accepts soil samples. DIY soil testing kits are also available at garden centres. Though they cannot provide the same level of accuracy as lab testing, they can still inform conservative fertilizer use based on specific plant and soil needs.

Excess nutrients can also enter waterways by other means, including household products — such as detergents containing phosphates, and pet waste that isn’t cleaned up.

Click here for more information on what you can do at home

 

Runoff

In addition to effluent, surface runoff serves as a major source of water pollution. When more water is introduced to the environment than the earth can absorb, such as after heavy rain or snow melt, it runs over the land and into natural bodies of water. Along its journey, it collects various contaminants (including nutrients, chemicals, and microplastics) and deposits them in water sources.

Plants act as natural filtration sources; particularly native species with deep root systems. One way to mitigate runoff risk is to research creating a rain garden; a shallow area of the yard where water can collect for excess nutrients to be absorbed and filtered through roots and soil (Obropta et al., 2006).

(City of Windsor, n.d)

Vegetative filter strips or buffers are most commonly used in agriculture, but similarly help protect the bodies of water they are planted around from contamination (Health Canada, 2024).

Native plants are not only beneficial in reducing pollution, but they additionally enhance biodiversity through providing resources for wildlife threatened by urban and agricultural expansion.

For more information on the important role of native plants:

Another way to reduce run-off and conserve water is to set eavestroughs up to drain into a rain barrel that can be used to water gardens.

Click here for more information and resources related to reducing runoff at home

Medical waste

Pharmaceuticals may contaminate water systems if they are washed down the drain, or can pollute groundwater if they are sent to landfills and allowed to seep into the earth. 

Many medications have been detected in both urban and rural water systems, which have been linked to behavioural and physical changes, organ damage, genotoxicity, and mortality in aquatic animals (Anand et al, 2022; Kusturica et al., 2022). Antibiotic pollution also poses a serious threat to ecosystems and may significantly contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistant genes through groundwater (Zainab et al., 2020).

Though different regions might have different programs available, drug take-back initiatives for safe disposal of unwanted medications are in place across various communities, governments, and organizations.

Collection programs also exist for farm pharmaceuticals that may not be accepted by standard drug collection programs (Unwanted Pesticides & Old Livestock/Equine Medications, 2024).

Antibiotic resistance and pollution is often thought of in relation to medications, but studies have found that antibacterial additives in soap can sabotage water treatment processes that rely on microorganisms (amongst other threats to ecosystems) while not even cleaning more effectively than regular soap (Chirani et al., 2021).

 

Microplastics

Little plastic exfoliating beads used to be ubiquitous in soaps and facial cleansers, but beginning around 10 years ago, some companies began to phase them out as governments began the process of regulating them due to the environmental damage they were causing (Landau, 2013; Government of Canada, 2023). However, microplastics and other polymers are still common ingredients in the personal care and beauty industry (Cubas et al., 2022; Khare & Khare, 2022).

Microplastics are known to attract, concentrate, and distribute other harmful contaminants including antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant genes, persistent organic pollutants, chemicals, and heavy metals (Liu et al., 2022).

Because they do not readily break down, plastics accumulate at an exponential rate in soil and water. They can also be small enough to be transported through the atmosphere over long distances (Wu et al., 2016; Zhang et al, 2019; Liu et al., 2022)

 

Sources of micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) from Liu et al., 2022, including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Polyester fibres shed from clothing during laundry are actually a major source of microplastic pollution. (Tian et al., 2020; Okamoto, 2021)

Many governments have already enacted legislation that mandates all new washing machines be equipped with microplastic fibre filters, but for those with older machines, there are still filter options available.

A study of microfibre laundry filters available in 2018 (Napper et al., 2020) found the XFiltra filter and the Guppyfriend laundry bag to significantly reduce the amount of fibres shed into wastewater.

Beat the Microbead provides a list of ‘Red Flag’ ingredients as a reference to help consumers identify microplastic ingredients in personal care products. 

Common plastic ingredients include but aren’t limited to:

• Polyethylene (PE)
• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
• Nylon (PA)
• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)

(Government of Connecticut, 2016)

Additional research

This post isn’t extensive, but it presents some concepts that might be interesting to research further. 

Not everyone will have access to studies in peer-reviewed journals, but university extension websites are generally accessible sources of reputable, science-backed information. Respected journalistic publications will also often summarize study results, interviewing researchers and presenting findings in a comprehensible format. Various government departments may have valuable information available to the general public as well.

(Nowlain, 2020)

Click here for more information on evaluating sources

 

References

Anand, U., Adelodun, B., Cabreros, C., Kumar, P., Suresh, S., Dey, A., Ballesteros, F., & Bontempi, E. (2022). Occurrence, transformation, bioaccumulation, risk and analysis of pharmaceutical and personal care products from wastewater: a review. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 20(6), 3883–3904. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-022-01498-7

Beat the Microbead. (2022). Guide to microplastics - Check your products. https://www.beatthemicrobead.org/guide-to-microplastics/

Catherine Zimmerman (TheMeadowProject). (2011, July 18). Doug_Tallamy_wcredits.mp4 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLn5UCM_tv8

City of Windsor. (n.d.). Rain Gardens. https://www.citywindsor.ca/residents/environment/climate-change-adaptation/climate-resilient-home/rain-gardens

Connect4Climate. (n.d.). 200+ ways to save water. https://www.connect4climate.org/infographics/200-ways-save-water

Cubas, A. L. V., Bianchet, R. T., Reis, I. M. a. S. D., & Gouveia, I. C. (2022). Plastics and Microplastic in the Cosmetic Industry: Aggregating Sustainable Actions Aimed at Alignment and Interaction with UN Sustainable Development Goals. Polymers, 14(21), 4576. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214576

CWC. (2024, November 14). Evaluating Sources: CRAAP. Central Wyoming College Library. https://libguides.cwc.edu/bias

EPA. (2008, June). Sowing the seeds for healthy waterways: How your gardening choices can have a positive impact in your watershed [Slide show presentation]. EPA-820-C-08-001. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/gardenbasicnotes.pdf

EPA. (2011). How to dispose of medicines properly. United States Environmental Protection Agency. https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/P100ZW8A.PDF?Dockey=P100ZW8A.PDF

EPA. (2024a, February 29). Ammonia. United States Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/caddis/ammonia

EPA. (2024b, May 23). What you can do to soak up the rain. United States Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/soakuptherain/what-you-can-do-soak-rain

EPA. (2024c, November 15). The problem. United States Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/problem

EPA. (2024d, November 18). What you can do: in your home. United States Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/what-you-can-do-your-home

Government of Canada. (2017, July 31). Wastewater management. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/wastewater/management.html

Government of Connecticut. (2016). Microbeads. Connecticut’s Official State Website. https://portal.ct.gov/deep/municipal-wastewater/microbeads

Health Canada. (2024, April 8). Vegetative Filter Strips Factsheet. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/pesticides-pest-management/growers-commercial-users/runoff-mitigation/vegetative-filter-strips.html

HPSA & College of Pharmacists of Manitoba. (n.d.). Manitoba Medications Return Program FAQs and Operational Tips. College of Pharmacists of Manitoba. https://cphm.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Manitoba-Medication-Return-Program-FAQNov2014.pdf

Khare, R., & Khare, S. (2022). Polymer and its effect on environment. Journal of the Indian Chemical Society, 100(1), 100821. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jics.2022.100821

Kusturica, M. P., Jevtic, M., & Ristovski, J. T. (2022). Minimizing the environmental impact of unused pharmaceuticals: Review focused on prevention. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.1077974

Liu, P., Dai, J., Huang, K., Yang, Z., Zhang, Z., & Guo, X. (2022). Sources of micro(nano)plastics and interaction with co-existing pollutants in wastewater treatment plants. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 53(7), 865–885. https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2022.2095844

Nowlain, L. (2020, April 25). Give information the CRAAP test. ALSC Blog. https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2020/04/information-literacy-for-parents/craap/

Obropta, C., Sciarappa, W., & Quinn, V. (2006). Rain gardens. Rutgers Cooperative Research & Extension. https://esc.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/RAIN-GARDENK.pdf

Okamoto, K. (2021). Your laundry sheds harmful microfibers. Here’s what you can do about it. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/reduce-laundry-microfiber-pollution/

Randall, D., & Tsui, T. (2002). Ammonia toxicity in fish. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 45(1–12), 17–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0025-326x(02)00227-8

Tian, Y., Chen, Z., Zhang, J., Wang, Z., Zhu, Y., Wang, P., Zhang, T., Pu, J., Sun, H., & Wang, L. (2020). An innovative evaluation method based on polymer mass detection to evaluate the contribution of microfibers from laundry process to municipal wastewater. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 407, 124861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124861

Unwanted pesticides & old livestock/equine medications. (2024). Cleanfarms. https://cleanfarms.ca/materials/unwanted-pesticides-animal-meds/#toggle-id-1

Wu, W., Yang, J., & Criddle, C. S. (2016). Microplastics pollution and reduction strategies. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-017-0897-7

Zainab, S. M., Junaid, M., Xu, N., & Malik, R. N. (2020). Antibiotics and antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) in groundwater: A global review on dissemination, sources, interactions, environmental and human health risks. Water Research, 187, 116455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116455

Zhang, H. (2017, April). Phosphorus and water quality. Id:PSS-2917 Oklahoma State University Extension https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/phosphorus-and-water-quality.html

Zhang, Y., Gao, T., Kang, S., & Sillanpää, M. (2019). Importance of atmospheric transport for microplastics deposited in remote areas. Environmental Pollution, 254, 112953. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.07.121