Herein an extensive review of the use of nanomaterials and dendrimers for water treatment is presented. The review included the use of nanomaterials in tackling various challenges, including achieving dye removal, antibacterial effects, photocatalysis, heavy metal removal, nanomaterial recycling, and nanowaste removal. The review highlights existing literature bottlenecks and suggests potential remedies, with a focus on the availability of low-cost, recyclable, and bimetallic nanomaterials. Moreover, the review highlights the significance of taking into account practical sample collection and analysis, such as the use of industrial effluents as samples for analysis. The review provides valuable insights into advances in the development of nanomaterial-based water treatment technologies by critically examining existing research.