It turns out that bacteria can do a lot more than contaminate water--some species break down toxic chemicals and remove heavy metals. Active sites already clean water in states like Kansas, Utah, Texas, and California; for example, one Californian groundwater treatment plant can clean 2,000 gallons of perchlorate-contaminated water per minute. Though some logistical and technical hurdles remain, these bacterial allies in the fight against water pollution are very promising.

The Royal Diary farm in Washington uses a vermifiltration system to filter wastewater to cut down on nitrate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The system runs the water through a bed of earthworms that feast on the waste removing the harmful chemicals and nutrients.

Ocean Farms Supply makes and sells oyster harvest bags out of biodegradable materials, rather than plastic, to help cut down pollution. The company sells the bags locally but has also distributed them to other regions like Mexico, California, and Florida, so far replacing the use of 14 linear miles of the previously used polypropylene mesh.

An environmental initiative in Cairo is enlisting fishermen on the Nile River to collect recyclable plastic bottles. The program pays double the rates paid elsewhere in the country, compensating the fishermen for the loss of income caused by the polluted river.

A nonprofit with a barge and a 10-person crew picks up trash and plastics across seven rivers in the U.S. Midwest. In one year, Living Lands and Waters collected over half a million pounds of trash. Over the years, they’ve attracted hundreds of thousands of volunteers to help their operation. “No matter who you are, where you’re from, how old, young or what political party you belong to – it doesn’t matter, because no one likes seeing garbage in the river,” said the cofounder.

Once known for being dirty, the Delaware River is being cleaned up by nonprofits and government entities to the point where they’re encouraging people to swim in it again. The Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority diverted the flow of sewage at 52 municipal plants to a new treatment plant, which has kept 15 million gallons of sewage out of the river each day. While overflows have not been completely eliminated, a national advocacy group even named the Delaware its River of the Year because of its improvements in water quality.

Minnesota farmers are closely following the debate over how best to manage nitrates. Many farmers—no one knows the number exactly–are already taking action to lower their use of nitrates, which can contaminate water.