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Sewage pollution is a
solvable problem.
Sewage pollution is one of the most pervasive, hidden-in-plain-sight crises facing our planet. Nearly half of the world's wastewater flows untreated into our rivers and oceans. And even when it is treated, the effluent discharged can still carry pathogens, forever chemicals, microplastics, heavy metals and other industrial contaminants that devastate ecosystems and communities.
What we flush doesn’t disappear.
This pollution creates an annual economic burden exceeding $4 trillion in human health costs, fisheries and agricultural losses. This burden falls hardest on women and girls as caregivers, water carriers, food preparers, hygiene teachers, life creators and community leaders who are often left out of solutions.
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Sewage pollution harms coral reefs, fuels biodiversity loss, and contributes to antimicrobial resistance. Over 70% of tropical coastal marine protected areas, 55% of coral reefs, and 80% of seagrass meadows are exposed to wastewater pollution.
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Wastewater management is public health management. When sewage systems fail, diseases spread, antimicrobial resistance accelerates, and the safety and security of our drinking water is put at risk.
Climate change is making this crisis worse. Rising populations increase waste, while sea level rise and heavier rainfall overwhelm aging systems, causing sewage overflows, runoff and widespread contamination.
Existing global treaties on climate, plastics, and biodiversity do not specifically address sewage and wastewater pollution. This leaves one of the largest sources of global contamination ungoverned.
This isn't just an environmental issue. It's a health crisis, an economic drain, and a violation of human rights.
It doesn't have to be this way.
Investing in sanitation is one of the highest-return decisions governments can make. A 2012 World Health Organization study found a $5.50 return for every $1 invested, while more recent estimates show returns as high as $7 in some regions, with an estimated $86 billion in annual global benefits.
The technology exists. The solutions exist. The opportunity exists, but funding is uneven, access is limited and investment is not reaching the places it’s needed most. What’s missing is a global framework to coordinate action, set standards, and unlock financing at the scale this crisis demands.
Sewage pollution is one of the most solvable global challenges we face.
Waste becomes
a resource.
Wastewater is treated and safely reused as a source of clean drinking water, renewable energy, and agricultural nutrients, rather than being discharged into rivers or the ocean.
Outdated systems
are replaced.
Circular economies move us beyond “flush and forget” and “dilution is the solution” models. They conserve resources, transform waste, and restore balance between communities and the ecosystems we depend on.
Health and equity
are centered.
The human rights to water, sanitation, and a healthy environment are fulfilled, with women and girls leading as change agents in their communities and benefiting directly from the solutions.
This isn't a pipe dream.
It's a future we can build now.
A Global Sewage Treaty is the framework we need.
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Sewage pollution crosses borders, contaminates shared waters, and cannot be solved by any one country alone. A coordinated global response is essential.
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The treaty will establish a binding international agreement among United Nations member states to set standards, unlock financing, and hold countries accountable to shared goals.
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Together, these six pillars create a complete system for understanding, managing, and eliminating sewage pollution at its source:
1. Build Strong Monitoring Systems
Establish robust Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (MER) systems to measure wastewater pollution at local, national, and global levels. Many regions lack consistent methods for tracking pollution, reporting spills and overflows, or establishing baseline conditions. Standardized systems are needed to understand the full scale of the problem and measure progress. Many regions still lack the data needed to understand the full scale of wastewater pollution. Only 55 countries have complete information on wastewater production, treatment, and reuse, while 57 countries have no publicly available wastewater data at all. Monitoring is also essential for protecting ecosystems, research shows that more than 70% of tropical coastal marine protected areas are exposed to wastewater pollution. Without consistent monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems, governments cannot accurately identify risks, target investments, or measure progress over time. See the Citations page for supporting reports and publications.
2. Update Regulatory Standards
Set modern treatment and discharge standards that address today’s pollutants, including microplastics, excess nutrients, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and forever chemicals. Standards must be adaptable to regional differences in wastewater composition, infrastructure, and cultural practices, enabling progress at every level, from communities with little or no infrastructure to those with advanced treatment systems. Wastewater regulation remains highly inconsistent worldwide. Of 105 coral reef countries and territories assessed, only 56% had wastewater discharge policies, and just 18% provided information on the data used to develop those standards. Globally, only 55 countries have complete data on wastewater production, treatment, and reuse, while 57 countries have no publicly available wastewater data at all. Effective regulation depends on reliable monitoring, transparent reporting, and standards that evolve with emerging pollutants and new scientific knowledge. See the Citations page for supporting reports and publications.
3. Unlock Innovative Financing
Develop and scale sustainable funding mechanisms to support planning, infrastructure, and long-term system maintenance, prioritizing underserved regions where investment remains limited or inaccessible. The economic costs of sewage pollution exceed $4 trillion annually, yet many countries still lack access to the financing needed to build and maintain wastewater infrastructure. Wastewater treatment rates remain lowest in regions facing the greatest development and debt challenges, including Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Innovative financing mechanisms, including debt-for-nature and debt-for-climate swaps, could unlock billions of dollars for environmental investments while reducing financial burdens on vulnerable countries. Emerging approaches may also create new revenue streams by linking wastewater treatment improvements with carbon sequestration and climate finance opportunities. See the Citations page for supporting reports and publications.
4. Set International Reduction Targets
Countries commit to measurable targets that reduce or eliminate sewage pollution through adequate treatment and safe reuse, with progress tracked over time. Without shared targets, progress on sewage pollution remains uneven and difficult to measure. Global wastewater volumes are projected to increase by 24–38% by 2030, while collection and treatment rates vary dramatically between regions. Western Europe collects and treats most wastewater, while treatment rates remain as low as 16% in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. International targets can help countries track progress, identify gaps, and accelerate action toward universal wastewater treatment and safe reuse. See the Citations page for supporting reports and publications.
5. Strengthen Governance and Enforcement
Strengthen enforcement mechanisms and improve coordination across sectors, including collaboration between wastewater authorities and agencies impacted by pollution, such as environmental and marine protection entities. Build partnerships among governments, development banks, NGOs, the private sector, and UN agencies to deliver solutions at scale. Current approaches to water management have not kept pace with growing wastewater challenges. Nearly half of the world's wastewater remains untreated, and many countries lack reliable data, common standards, and effective monitoring systems. Strong governance requires coordinated enforcement, transparent reporting, and collaboration across sectors to ensure commitments are measurable, accountable, and translated into action at the scale the challenge requires. See the Citations page for supporting reports and publications.
6. Promote Nature-Based Solutions
Invest in green infrastructure and protect natural systems such as wetlands and mangroves to improve water quality, manage runoff, and support biodiversity by working with natural cycles. Nature-based solutions can improve water quality while delivering benefits for biodiversity, climate resilience, and local communities. Constructed wetlands have been used around the world to treat domestic sewage, agricultural runoff, industrial wastewater, stormwater, and other polluted waters, often at lower cost and with fewer operational requirements than conventional treatment systems. Protecting and restoring natural ecosystems such as mangroves can further improve water quality, reduce coastal pollution, support fisheries, and strengthen resilience to climate change. See the Citations page for supporting reports and publications.
A treaty this ambitious will not happen without global demand.
That's where you come in.
Every day, untreated sewage flows into the environment that sustains all of us, yet there is still no global agreement to stop it. That only changes when world leaders are forced to act.
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The Global Sewage Treaty initiative is building support for a binding United Nations agreement to end sewage pollution. This pledge will be used to demonstrate global demand to policymakers, multilateral institutions and negotiators shaping the next generation of environmental agreements.
Your signature matters to:
Create pressure where it counts.
​Signatures will be shared with decision-makers to push sewage pollution onto the global policy agenda.
Demand that this crisis cannot be ignored.
Sewage pollution is one of the largest unaddressed threats to ocean and human health. Your name helps make it visible and actionable.
Stand for health, equity, and ocean protection.
This is about the human rights to water, sanitation, and a healthy environment, and protecting the ecosystems that sustain us.
As this coalition grows, we will present the Action Pledge at key global forums and policy discussions, engage with UN agencies, and publish endorsements to demonstrate cross-sector support. By adding your name or organization, you help create the urgent global momentum needed to build a new reality.
