Causes of Water Pollution

Water constitutes scarce natural resource on earth which is crucial for life sustenance for all types of living creatures (Saravanan, 2010). Water pollution indicates contamination of various water bodies as rivers, lakes, oceans, aquifers and ground water. Such pollution is caused when pollutants are directly or indirectly is discharged into water bodies prior to their treatments. In case of water pollution there are concerns relation to impact on the greatest biospheres as plants and other living organisms. Thus, water pollution not only impacts individual species but also biological communities in totality. The problem of water pollution is gradually rising however ongoing water resource policy have not been able to make impacts on such bodies leading to diseases and death. A large population from entire community of people and greater biosphere death can be accounted to water pollution sources. Majority of underdeveloped countries do not have access to clean and safe drinking water (Rozell, 2012). Thus, the scope of this report analyses ethical concerns regarding water pollution in Singapore by understanding its impact on society with certain recommendations to overcome the same.

Figure 1: Causes of Water Pollution

Source: https://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/09-06/water-pollution-causes-article.htm

Figure 2: Climate Changes in Singapore

Source: https://www.nccs.gov.sg/climate-change-and-singapore/national-circumstances/impact-climate-change-singapore

Industrialists, conservationists and government might describe a large number of causes of water pollution that includes pathogens, chemicals, wastages and so on and so forth. Such pollutants cause a large number of effects leading to discoloration, growth of further pathogens, chemical changes which can become of high concentrations leading to negative impacts on aquatic flora and fauna (Vesilind, 2013).

Figure 3: Environmental Concerns in Singapore

Source: https://www.greenbusiness.sg/2011/05/18/ge-energy-poll-indicates-that-more-than-9-in-10-singaporeans-view-renewable-energy-positively-press-releases/

Various oxygen depleting substances hamper plants and other lives within water blocking light, clogging fish gills and disrupting growth of plants. Pathogens often produce toxic elements that help in spreading water borne diseases that feed on either humans or animal hosts. They also impact acidity of water, electric conductivity, temperature, eutrophication and causing other impacts. Water pollutions in Singapore affect the total safe drinking water that is available for humans and water pollution also impacts the overall health of humans from drinking unsafe water (Des Jardins, 2012). Water collected from polluted water source is left untreated and often circulated as safe drinking water impacts mortality rates amongst children in developing world. Fishing from water sources that are contaminated affects human health if eaten, cases of mercury poising arising from eating fishes from industrial area have been reported worldwide. Thus, in short water pollution hampers the entire eco system (Barnes, 2009).   

Major countries globally are now facing acute shortage of fresh water, with rise in considerable salinity of water. Low education regarding water pollution is also hampering the overall infrastructure needed to act on the issue. Hence, instead of lowering of water pollution, there is a constant rise in contamination and water borne disease from water pollutants (Schwarzenbach, 2010). Developing countries are facing tremendous impacts from such rising water pollution and incidence of diseases that is harming quality of lie lowering birth expectancy. The greater impacts of water pollution include disruptions in salt water and fresh water imbalances causes greater ecological dis-balance. Such dis-balances in water systems might hamper the overall marine and aquatic life causing a shift in food chain. Human dependence on water and its various sources is bound to undergo immense transformation as there will be a dis-balance (Richardson, 2009). Though volcanoes, earthquakes, storms and algae blooms have significant impact on quality of water damaging its ecological systems, but such does not account for pollutants from humans. Water is generally polluted by anthropogenic contaminants by reduced capabilities to support human usage of drinking or its ability to support its own communities as fish and plants. analysis of major water bodies around the world reflects that in US approximately 65% water bodies are polluted whereas in China a seventh of its river streams are poisoned that has harmed skin also (Vörösmarty, 2010). With reduced access to safe and clean drinking water facilities government along with several bodies needs to work in a coordinated manner to provide drinking water and support human life in their self-interest.

Impact on Society

The world is gradually shifting towards water scarcity and acute shortages in water caused by increasing discharge into the sea, rivers, lakes and other water bodies (Gyawali, 2007). Ethical problems regarding water pollution is greatly separate from ethical concerns relating to environment. Challenges regarding water management or its pollution concerns can be considered in factors as food production, human health, loss of human life, economic development, economic losses and displacement of people. Public actions regarding control of water contamination is greater considering its wide scale acceptance, reaction on the topic (Brown, 2010). There are wide range of television and other form of media presentation over controlling of water pollution and conserving water sources as crisis has expanded beyond local community and human horizons. Potential risks that might arise from water pollution has to be considered against the reduced benefit versus the costs that might be incurred to reverse the effects. The risks and attitudes raises concerns that leads to moral obligations requiring scopes of decision makers to preserve and protect the environment for ecology as well as for genetic engineering (Ip, 2009).

Figure 4: Causes of Water Pollution

Source: https://www.slideshare.net/TaherKD/water-pollution-48195641

According to ethical utilitarianism principles of ethics it applies that it is a moral duty to follow which is intrinsically right. The rightfulness or wrongfulness of an act can be taken into consideration for understanding the moral good. Thus, from this ethical point of view it can easily be argued that it is morally unacceptable to dump pollutants into the ocean as it might hamper various forms of aquatic lives (Sullivan, 2009). Thus, industrialists and humans needs to consider all aspects of intrinsic values as it is their moral duty to conserve and presence the ecology and water sources. Moral principles as not polluting the water can be applicable and said as universalizable in nature.

The ethical scopes of water pollution can also be evaluated using Kant’s deontological moral theory discuses that rightfulness or wrongfulness is dependent on consequences they create in fulfilling duties. As in case of water pollution, polluting cannot be treated as rightful or wrongful in nature however the impact they create on human lives can be evaluated as wrongful or rightful in nature. It becomes imperative to consider the harms done by water pollution on human and other lives while understanding the role of ethics. Lives lost due to pollution from water sources accounts for a few billion annually globally. Such loss of lives might be assessed against non-access to clean drinking water and water borne diseases as leading and major causes. Pertinence of ethics to water utilization as well as for its management includes water resource and in understanding the moral obligations and values for it (York, 2009). The domain of ethics in connection to water resource might be valuated against scientific knowledge that deals with its conservation, justice, rights and equity that questions sustainability as well as bio diversity along with consideration from law, government and policy. As more than a billion people need clean water and such access is blocked, there are also rising concerns regarding lack of access to sanitation. With rise in water intensive agriculture and manufacturing there is a rising contamination of ground water at alarming rates. Thus, many debates that clean and adequate supply of clean and safe drinking water might not be assessable today as well as for coming generations. Ecological dimensions of water crisis is raising public health dimensions which are not limited to water borne diseases in developing countries around the world. Thus, to attend to this rising health and ethical concern regarding water pollution existing systems needs to be modified and new systems needs to be accommodated such that effective societal response can be generated over public health concerns. Water pollution is also the major cause for vectors of infectious diseases and it’s a founding resource for sustainable human capacities. The focus of ethics should not be on water pollution alone but on the entire water cycle to establish its greater connection to land and atmospheric cycles.          

Ethical Dilemma

Major cause of water pollution has been attributed to leaving untreated water into natural water sources. Decisive steps and degree of treatment can control wastes by controlling disposal of waste water. Drainage basins need to accommodate technical considerations while dumping contaminated water to lessen the impact caused on the environment. Sewage treatment is a method that are adopted across urban areas to treat sewage in treatment plants in designed and coordinated operating systems. Such plants can remove over 92% sewage, some newly developed plants have facility to treat pathogens and nutrients as well. Industrial wastewater treatment facility can filter and treat oil, greases and large amounts of industrial wastes and conventional pollutants as toxic components needs to be installed. There are various countries including Singapore that have adopted ways and means of treating agricultural wastewater treatment as well. Non-point source controls along with point source wastewater treatment can highly impact soil quality and prevent it from erosion and reduce levels of water pollutants. Controlling of urban runoff or storm water by reducing pollutant discharge into water are some techniques that are being adopted in order to overcome the water pollution impacts. Water pollutant can cause damage to the greater eco system hampering and dis-balancing fresh water alongside salty water. Such imbalances might cause greater disruptions and hamper climatic systems altogether.

Figure 5: Combating Water Pollution

Source: https://www.lienaid.org/water-you-waiting-for/

Conclusion

Analysis regarding sources and causes of water pollution reflects that the vast majority of the world suffers from it. Impacts of water pollution are so immense that the entire world and ecological system is suffering as a cause of it. While government and other regulatory agencies in Singapore are raising concerns regarding water pollution, little is actually been done to curb such pollution. Rising water pollution globally is causing disruptions in plant, marine and human life. Steps and adequate actions need to be taken in order that such pollution can be curbed and healthier ecological systems can be established. 

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