Pollution and Water Quality

According to the United Nations, declining water quality has become a global issue of concern as human populations grow, industrial and agricultural activities expand, and climate change threatens to cause major alterations to the hydrological cycle. Resources available in this sub-theme include manuals describing water quality testing and treatment, reports and assessments of water quality from around the world, methods of maintaining water quality and managing pollution, and other resources that support enabling environments for effective water quality control.

Pollution and Water Quality Resources

A Study of the Environmental Policies, Processes and Practices of Worchester Polytechnic Institute and the Technische Universitat Darmstadt

Publication date:
January 1, 2008
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
The goal of this research project, which has an environmental focus, is to study and compare the environmental policies, practices and processes of the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA, in addition to outside factors that may also have an influence...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States

Addressing Water Misconceptions in Katutura

Publication date:
January 1, 2005
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Namibia is the driest country south of the Sahara. The administration of Windhoek, the capital, predicts that by the year 2020, the water demands will be greater than the supply. Many residents in Katutura, a mainly black section of Windhoek, have misconceptions about the quality of water they...Read more

Ammonia Wastewater Treatment by Immobilized Activated Sludge

Publication date:
January 1, 2010
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
The increase in urbanization has created the need for proper management and treatment of wastewater. The activated sludge process is an alternative method to treat high strength ammonia wastewater. In this project, the effect of temperature and the nitrification performances in treating ammonia...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
Global

Improving Water Quality (2 of 3): A National Modeling Analysis on Increasing Cost Effectiveness Through Better Targeting of U.S. Farm Conservation Funds

Publication date:
June 1, 2014
World Resources Institute
In this second installment of our 3-part series on better targeting of U.S. farm conservation funds, WRI found that combining geographic targeting with benefit-cost principles could potentially yield seven to 12 times more environmental benefits per dollar spent than the current approach. To...Read more

Quick Resource: Stormwater Quality

Publication date:
December 1, 2013
The National Institutes for Water Resources
To combat the threat and elusive nature of nonpoint source pollution, the EPA has turned to Green Infrastructure (GI) to help treat runoff. Green infrastructure is an effective pollution prevention option for nonpoint source pollution in several ways.Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States
North America

Quick Resource: Stormwater Quantity

Publication date:
December 1, 2013
The National Institutes for Water Resources
Rainwater harvesting can help ameliorate the effects of development on natural hydrology. In fact, a major goal of low impact development (LID) is to mimic a site's natural hydrology as much as possible. LID practices can even restore a watershed's hydrological functions. Water harvesting...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
United States
North America

Water Pollution Awareness Campaign in the Litani River Basin

Publication date:
January 1, 2012
U.S. Agency for International Development
The LRMBS Program is a four-year program to improve water management in the Litani River Basin in the Bekaa. It is undertaken by IRG, in cooperation with LRA, and is funded by USAID. The program began in October 2009 and has four components: Building institutional capacity, Water monitoring,...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
Lebanon
Middle East and North Africa

Quarterly Program Performance Report 1 of 2001: Appropriate Technology for Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Rural Middle East Areas -- Reporting Period January 1, 2001-March 31, 2001

Publication date:
April 10, 2001
U.S. Agency for International Development
Progress report detailing work on irrigation networks, tree transplants, wetland and polishing pond construction, evaluative studies for the construction of a full scale treatment plant, pilot plant construction, pathogen testing, and educational workshops in Middle East North AfricaRead more
Regional/Country focus:
Middle East and North Africa

Final Report Covering Period 1 January 1996-30 June 2000: Hydrogen-Dependent Denitrification of Drinking Water

Publication date:
August 1, 2000
U.S. Agency for International Development
The objective of this study was to develop a novel, efficient and cost effective microbial process for the removal of nitrate from polluted drinking water. a small scale system was designed in which denitrification was achieved by autotrophic bacteria using hydrogen as their energy sourceRead more
Regional/Country focus:
Europe and Central Asia

Coping with Intermittent Water Supply: Problems and Prospects -- Dehra Dun, Uttar Pradesh, India

Publication date:
October 1, 1996
U.S. Agency for International Development
This report summarizes the methodology and results of a water use survey and presents a prefeasibility study of options for improving water quality. The study was based on a random sample of 1,100 households in Dehra Dun in Uttar Pradesh, India, for the purpose of estimating the real costs of an...Read more
Regional/Country focus:
India
South East Asia

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