The world faces challenges with a fast-growing population, diminishing water sources, and climate-related issues such as prolonged droughts and floods. This has led to drinking water becoming a contested resource in various regions. To address this, there is a demand in the water industry for the creation of affordable and reliable materials and techniques to ensure an ample supply of fresh water. Conventional methods for water and wastewater treatment struggle to deliver sufficient safe water, hindered by a rising demand for water, stringent health standards, and the emergence of new contaminants. In the last few decades, there has been a global interest on nanomaterials due to their extraordinary nanoscale properties. Their characteristics, including enhanced catalysis, adsorption properties, and heightened reactivity, have been actively explored. Multiple studies confirm that nanomaterials exhibit effective pollutant removal in water, leading to successful applications in water and wastewater treatment. Nanotechnology presents a superior option for eliminating contaminants like heavy metals, suppressing oily water, and exhibiting antimicrobial activity, aiming to enhance water quality. Nanomembrane-based filtration technology is versatile and provides effective removal of pollutants. The choice of nanomaterial depends on the characteristics of the pollutants present in the water and specific requirements of the filtration process. Tailoring the surface properties, pore size, and functional groups of the nanomaterial allows for the development of filters with high selectivity and efficiency in removing different types of pollutants. Nanotechnology offers promising solutions for water filtration by utilizing nanomaterials with unique properties. Nanoscale filters can effectively remove particles and colloids, enhancing water purification processes. These filters exploit features such as high surface area and size-specific interactions, improving overall efficiency in removing contaminants from water.