Bacterial pathogens of water origin have potential public threats thus suggesting the need of developing efficient and sustainable water disinfection strategies from waterborne pathogens. We set out to synthesize different controlled morphologies of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) polymer, evaluate their comparative effects on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and investigate potential applications in water purification systems. The antimicrobial and ROS-generating effects of 2D g-C3N4 depended on the type and surface area of the synthesized 2D g-C3N4 material. Considering its availability and excellent disinfection activity, 2D g-C3N4 obtained from simple and convenient facile synthesis is a promising solar-driven photo-catalyst for clearing microbial contamination from water.