Research and Reviews in Sustainability 2977-8441 Caravel Press 10.5334/rss.11 2025.005 Drinking Water Purification Techniques and the Emerging Environmental Challenges https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2205-1592 Abdul SalimNur Atikah atikah.salim@nmuc.edu.my XuanWilson Lee Hua 2240100327@student.nmuc.edu.my AsruziNur Aina Farzana 2240100322@student.nmuc.edu.my AbdullahNoorul Hudai noorul@uthm.edu.my SeanNor Arbani norarbani@utm.my SupianNur Sumaiyyah maiasumaiyyah@gmail.com MansurFatin Zafirah fatinzafirah@umpsa.edu.my School of Occupational Safety and Health, Netherlands Maritime University College, Johor Bahru, 80888 Ibrahim International Business District Johor, Johor, Malaysia Faculty of Civil Engineering, Centre for Diploma Studies, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 84600 Muar, Johor, Malaysia Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia Department of Energy & Environmental, Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, 26300, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia 11112025 1 61 73 11 November 2025 © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Caravel Press. 2025 This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 licence.

Water is a fundamental resource vital to the survival and well-being of all living organisms. Ensuring access to clean and safe drinking water has been a central concern of human societies since the earliest civilizations. Over time, the methods and technologies for water treatment have evolved significantly, which reflects advances in science, engineering, and public health. Today, drinking water treatment systems serve as a cornerstone of modern infrastructure and are designed to remove contaminants and safeguard populations against waterborne diseases and environmental pollutants. This paper explores current treatment technologies—including chlorination, flocculation, filtration, biological filtration, adsorption, and emerging technologies and nanotechnology-based approaches—to highlight their effectiveness and limitations. It also examines challenges such as emerging pollutants, temperature fluctuations, toxic sludge generation, and climate change. The discussion underscores the urgent need for innovative technologies, sustainable practices, and robust regulatory frameworks to ensure access to safe and clean drinking water. Addressing these issues is critical in protecting public health and conserving water resources for future generations.

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