Water index
What does a water pollution index tell us?
Learn how multiple measurements can be combined—and why an index never tells the whole story.
Understand the method →The world’s water, in contextUnderstand water.
Understand water.
Protect life.
Explore water pollution signals, treatment innovations and scientific research from around the world—translated into clear, useful knowledge.
● Public information · Research-led · Global perspective
Water intelligence, made accessible
Our focusWater healthPollution · Treatment · Science
CITY WATER SNAPSHOT—Data verification in progress
Illustrative interface · No live score shown
Illustrative interface · No live score shown
GlobalWater stories across regions
EvidenceSources before conclusions
ScienceResearch made understandable
OpenPublic-interest knowledge
Explore water health
One planet. Many water stories.
Water quality varies by location, season and pollutant. JsRiver brings together public data and context so readers can ask better questions.
Treatment
From wastewater to a resource
Discover technologies and systems that help communities reuse water and reduce pollution.
Explore treatment stories →Research
Science behind emerging contaminants
Follow research on microplastics, PFAS, nutrients, pathogens and other water-quality challenges.
Read research briefs →Why JsRiver
Clarity is the first step toward cleaner water.
Water pollution information is spread across monitoring agencies, scientific papers, local reports and public notices. We help readers connect the dots without hiding uncertainty.
Browse knowledge hub ↗01
Collect public evidence
Bring together credible monitoring datasets, scientific literature and official environmental reporting.
02
Explain the context
Describe pollutants, likely sources, exposure pathways and treatment options in plain English.
03
Make limitations visible
Show dates, locations, methods and missing data so readers can interpret comparisons responsibly.
Responsible interpretation
Numbers need context.
A single global score cannot fully describe every water body. Local standards, sampling methods, pollutant selection and collection dates all matter.
Read our explainers ↗Our approach
How a useful index should work
A
Transparent inputs
Identify the monitoring source, measured parameters, sampling date and geographic coverage.
B
Comparable methods
Use a documented calculation model and avoid direct comparisons when methods differ.
C
Clear confidence labels
Distinguish measured results from estimates, incomplete records and editorial interpretation.
Prototype note: live city-level pollution scores and automated calculations are not connected in this static HTML version.