Water is one of the basic human needs; we all need to consume at least 20 to 50 liters of clean and safe water for drinking, cleaning, and cooking. A water experiment by Dr. Masaru Emoto demonstrates that human vibrational energy, words, thoughts, music, and ideas have effects on the molecular structure of water. The same water that makes up over 80 percent of a mature human body as well as occupy the same amount of the planet earth.
No doubt, contaminated water is not only dirty; it is hazardous to our overall health. According to the records, over 1.8 million individuals die annually from water-borne diseases like cholera and diarrhea. There are still tens of millions who fall victim to water-related health issues, which can be prevented.
For this write-up, we are going to focus on the importance of having access to clean water, including the meaning of water purification and why it is important.
Water and health
The cause of ailments such as dysentery, diarrhea, cholera, and the like can be laid at the doorsteps of poor sanitation and the ingestion of contaminated water. Failure to properly manage sanitation and water services exposes us to preventable health issues. This is evident in health care facilities in low-income areas where both the staff and patients are placed at an additional risk of disease and infection with inadequate hygiene, sanitation, and water services. Globally, we have about 15 percent of patients developing one form of infection or the other during their hospital stay.
Poor management of industrial, urban, as well as agricultural wastewater means that the drinking water of millions of people are exposed to dangerous chemicals and contaminants.
An estimate of over 829, 000 people die annually from diarrhea, thanks to poor sanitation, unsafe drinking water, and poor hand hygiene. Yet, diarrhea is a preventable disease, which, if properly addressed, can lead to the prevention of the deaths of over 297, 000 children under the age of five annually. Because of the absence of water, people might just decide to downplay the importance of hand washing, thus, increasing the risk of diarrhea and related diseases.
Among all the diseases linked with contaminated water and food, diarrhea is the most popular; however, we have some other dangerous diseases of similar ilk. Going by 2017 statistics, more than 220 million individuals required preventative treatment for the health condition called schistosomiasis – a chronic and acute disease resulting from parasitic worms usually contracted via exposure to contaminated or infested water.
In certain parts of the world, we have seen insects that live in the water acting as vectors (transmitters) for diseases like dengue fever. In addition to dirty water, some of these transmitting insects also breed in clean water and may convert your drinking water container to their habitat. To mitigate against this, you have to keep all water containers constantly covered, not only to reduce the incidence of vector breeding but also to reduce fecal contamination of your household water.
How to find out what is in your water
Though we have so many municipal utilities that test the content of water, the EWG can test for several contaminants that those private utilities cannot test for. This makes their report more excellent and accurate. Another way of knowing the content of your water is by keeping tabs on the annual water quality reports that are published by your water utility. This resource is very important but often overlooked by consumers. They call it a “Consumer Confidence Report,” “Drinking Water Quality,” or Water Quality Report.”
The law requires the utility to provide the customers with this report by mid-year. Everyone gets it in their mail; however, you are entitled to a second copy if you accidentally got rid of yours. Alternatively, you can always go to the utility’s website to get a digital copy.
It makes things easier, acquiring a reliable water test kit or a good water filtration unit in your home will save you time and money. This way, you can easily keep track of all the contaminants in your water supply whilst also ensuring clean consumption.
Why water filtration is vital
To put it simply, water filtration refers to those methods used in filtering water to make it safe for consumption. The major aim of filtration is to eliminate various levels of contaminants from our tap water to make it safe for ingestion. However, there are millions of people that drink their water without proper filtration; this is the reason why we should all understand the dangers of consuming polluted water and try to avoid them.
Furthermore, filtering your water is important for the following reasons.
- Water filtration provides us with better smelling and better-tasting water. This can be achieved through the removal of chemicals, chlorine, heavy metals, pesticides, and bacteria pollutants.
- With point-of-use water filters, you will be able to eliminate lead from your tap water before ingestion. By doing so, you can prevent this damaging substance from gaining access to your body.
- Equip your house with a countertop filter and enjoy clean, safe, and healthy water. The cost of achieving this is even less than what you would spend buying bottled water all the time, and you will be able to reduce toxic waste in your immediate environment.
- With water filters, the risk of developing certain kinds of cancers will be greatly reduced. Your water filtration system eliminates both chlorine and its by-products as well as THMs (Trihalomethanes), which can lead to colon cancer, rectal cancer, and cancer of the bladder.
- Carbon water filters can be selective in their function of eliminating only the hazardous contaminants from water, while retaining just the healthy mineral deposits, thereby balancing the PH of your drinking water.
- A good water filtration system maintains our overall health, engendering more vitality.
- When your drinking water is properly filtered, the risk of developing gastrointestinal disease will be reduced by over 80%. This can be achieved by eliminating e-coli, cryptosporidium, as well as giardia from your tap water.
- A water filtration system is essential in a household with children, as the kids will have access to healthy water to develop and boost their immune system.
- Water purifiers present us with the best line of defence against more than 2100 identified toxins that are likely to be present in our tap water.
Major reasons why clean water is a necessity
Provides Nourishment
When the talk is about nutrition, water takes pride of place as the number one source of vitality. A very clear indication of the importance of water in our day-to-day life is that the human body consists of 71 percent water. For our physiological system to be functioning well, we need proper hydration.
In addition, the health of the organs in the body is maintained by hydration. Water is also responsible for maintaining the required consistency the blood needs to flow freely, transporting both nutrients and oxygen to all the various parts of the body.
Diseases prevention
People who don’t have access to clean drinking water tend to suffer from all kinds of diseases. Lethal health issues like typhoid, cholera, and hepatitis A are all known to come from the ingestion of contaminated water. Just imagine a situation where people are only exposed to polluted water from sewages and industries – the risk will be unimaginable. The need for clean water cannot be overemphasized, while you drink water to remain safe from water-borne diseases; it also helps you in maintaining good health.
Moreover, when we ingest clean water, it will aid us in maintaining the balance of vital bodily fluids. This will, in turn, help food digestion, absorption as well as body temperature maintenance, keeping you in tip-top condition.
Pollutant-free water energizes our muscles; whenever your body is dehydrated; your muscles will begin to break down and will eventually lead to suffering and pain.
We cannot neglect to mention the kidney, which needs adequate water to function. Dehydration exposes one to a higher risk of developing kidney stones and all kinds of infections. This is more true for people who live in warmer climates. The benefits of drinking clean water are just too numerous, even your skin, hair and nails will benefit as they will remain healthy all through.
Elimination of toxins
You will be able to eliminate all kinds of toxins from your body simply by drinking clean, safe water. It doesn’t matter whether the toxins are acquired from outside sources, created within the body due to reactions, or came from the ingestion of polluted water.
For agricultural purposes and food production.
Clean water is also a vital ingredient when it comes to agriculture. Crops that are produced with contaminated water will harbor all forms of diseases and bacteria. These will, in turn, spread to the consumers who consume this farm produce fresh. This emphasizes the need to use water from clean and safe sources for agricultural purposes.
For sanitation purposes
Safe water isn’t just for drinking; it is needed for sanitation purposes like taking baths and washing clothes. People who take their bath with contaminated water stand a greater risk of contracting diseases. Same can be said for cooking, cleaning, as well as so many other aspects of our life that calls for the use of water. Clean water is essential for you to maintain good health.