Water, as a vital element, occupies a pivotal role in sustaining life, essential for the survival of all organisms. The challenges concerning the safety and accessibility of drinking water present urgent global concerns. This article examines the increasing impact of machine learning and the IoT on managing water quality. We explore IoT technologies that are used to collect water quality data in real time, as well as machine learning methods that facilitate effective data analysis. We emphasize the importance of these technologies for environmental preservation and public health by highlighting their useful applications in managing and monitoring water quality. These developments are expected to improve water management systems’ responsiveness, reduce contamination concerns, and encourage the sustainable use of water resources. Future water shortages and pollution will be major concerns, thus it will be critical to use IoT and machine learning to their full capacity in order to protect this priceless resource for future generations.