diff --git a/wayang-api/wayang-api-sql/src/main/java/org/apache/wayang/api/sql/sources/fs/JavaCSVTableSource.java b/wayang-api/wayang-api-sql/src/main/java/org/apache/wayang/api/sql/sources/fs/JavaCSVTableSource.java
index 8d42db250..e37b236e8 100755
--- a/wayang-api/wayang-api-sql/src/main/java/org/apache/wayang/api/sql/sources/fs/JavaCSVTableSource.java
+++ b/wayang-api/wayang-api-sql/src/main/java/org/apache/wayang/api/sql/sources/fs/JavaCSVTableSource.java
@@ -126,7 +126,10 @@ private Record parseLine(final String s) {
             final String[] tokens = CsvRowConverter.parseLine(s, this.separator);
             if (tokens.length != fieldTypes.size())
                 throw new IllegalStateException(
-                        String.format("Error while parsing CSV file %s at line %s, using separator %s", sourcePath, s, separator));
+                    String.format(
+                        "CSV file '%s': data row has %d columns but expected %d "
+                        + "(separator '%s'). Line: '%s'.",
+                        sourcePath, tokens.length, fieldTypes.size(), separator, s));
             // now tokens.length == fieldtypes.size
 
             final Object[] objects = new Object[tokens.length];
@@ -168,12 +171,51 @@ private static Stream<String> streamLines(final String path) {
                 () -> new IllegalStateException(String.format("No file system found for %s", path)));
         try {
             final Iterator<String> lineIterator = createLineIterator(fileSystem, path);
-            lineIterator.next(); // skip header row
+            if (!lineIterator.hasNext()) {
+                throw new IllegalStateException(String.format("CSV file '%s' is empty. Expected a header row (e.g., 'id:int,name:string').",path));
+            }
+            String headerLine = lineIterator.next(); // read and skip header line
+            validateHeaderLine(path, headerLine);
             return StreamSupport.stream(Spliterators.spliteratorUnknownSize(lineIterator, 0), false);
         } catch (final IOException e) {
             throw new WayangException(String.format("%s failed to read %s.", FileUtils.class, path), e);
         }
+    }
 
+    /**
+     * Validates the CSV header for Calcite compatibility.
+     * Checks that each column follows the 'name:type' format
+     * (e.g., 'id:int,name:string,email:string') and that commas
+     * are used as the header separator.
+     *
+     * @param path       the filesystem path to the CSV file
+     * @param headerLine the first line of the CSV file
+     */
+    private static void validateHeaderLine(final String path, final String headerLine) {
+        final String[] headerColumns = headerLine.split(","); // split header row into columns
+
+        int colonCount = 0;
+        for (int i = 0; i < headerLine.length(); i++) {
+            if (headerLine.charAt(i) == ':') {
+                colonCount++;
+            }
+        }
+
+        for (final String column : headerColumns) {
+            if (!column.trim().contains(":")) {
+                throw new IllegalStateException(String.format(
+                        "CSV file '%s': header column '%s' missing required type. "
+                        + "Expected 'name:type' format (e.g., 'id:int'). Header: '%s'.",
+                        path, column.trim(), headerLine));
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (headerColumns.length != colonCount) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException(String.format(
+                    "CSV file '%s': column count mismatch. Expected %d comma-separated 'name:type' columns "
+                    + "but found %d. Header: '%s'.",
+                    path, colonCount, headerColumns.length, headerLine));
+        }
     }
 
     /**