Title: Review of Mining and Sanitation Waste Water Management and Their Contribution to Water Contamination in Zambia
Author/Institution: Richard Mutika, Swe Zin Tun, Florence Mutale Tembo – College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University Publication
Year: 2025
A Converging Crisis
The review highlights how mining effluents and weak sanitation systems have combined to create a serious contamination problem in Zambia’s water bodies. Rivers that once sustained farming, fishing, and household needs now carry toxic loads of metals,
chemicals, and pathogens. This dual source of pollution makes the issue not only an environmental concern but also a pressing public health and development challenge.
Evidence from the Copperbelt
Case studies from the Copperbelt and Kafue River basin illustrate how acid mine drainage and untreated urban wastewater have degraded water quality. Communities downstream report declining fish stocks, farmland erosion, and a rise in waterborne illnesses. The review points to weak enforcement of environmental regulations and the lack of effective wastewater treatment facilities as critical gaps that perpetuate the problem.
Charting a Way Forward
The authors call for integrated water management that brings together mining firms, regulators, and local communities. They argue that without investment in modern treatment technology and stronger regulatory capacity, Zambia risks undermining both its mining competitiveness and its social stability. The report frames clean water management as central to maintaining community trust and avoiding future conflicts in a sector that is vital to the country’s economy.