Millions of people around the world don’t have access to safe drinking water. A good proportion of these individuals live in the developed world. To protect your health, it is essential to always drink safe water. This guide will look at some ways of ensuring the safety of your water.
- Test Your Water for Toxins
It is important to test your water for lead, especially if you have old lead pipes. This element also gets into the water through lead-containing solder used in plumbing. If you drink water that contains lead, you will be risking various health conditions. These include damage to the brain, kidney, and nervous system. It can also cause developmental and behavioural problems, including decreased IQ, lowered cognitive function, and learning difficulties in young children. It is especially important to test for lead if you have young children since their brains and nervous systems are still developing. Pregnant women are also at risk since the element can harm the developing fetus. You should note that lead poisoning can occur without any obvious symptoms. If you think you have been exposed to lead, you should seek advice from your doctor.
- Boil Water
Boiling water is essential as it gets rid of harmful bacteria and other microorganisms. If ingested, these microorganisms can cause various digestive problems, and you can experience symptoms like cramping and diarrhoea. You should aim at boiling the water to a temperature of 212 F as most organisms can’t survive at this temperature. Remember that contaminants like lead aren’t easily filtered out of the water just by boiling, so you should still make a point of testing for these contaminants.
- Use a Water Purifier
You can also use a water purifier to keep your water safe. The benefit of water purifiers is that they retain essential minerals, even as they eliminate contaminants. Some contaminants that can be removed with this equipment include bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms. They also eliminate inorganic compounds like lead, arsenic, and mercury, and these can be quite dangerous. Organic compounds like herbicides, pesticides, and industrial chemicals can also be eliminated with water purifiers. There are many types of water purifiers, and these include reverse osmosis systems, UV systems, distillation systems, and activated carbon filters.
- Use Water Disinfectants
Water disinfectants are chemical or physical agents that kill harmful microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and parasites. This method is cost-effective and can prevent several health conditions. They are also easy to use and can be incorporated into the existing water infrastructure. It is also worth noting that disinfectants offer long-term protection against microorganisms, meaning the water will be safe to drink for an extended period.
Conclusion
Everyone needs access to safe drinking water. To ensure that your water is safe to drink, you have to test it for various contaminants, including lead. You should also boil water for a few minutes to kill microorganisms. Using water purifiers and water disinfectants can also help protect you against waterborne diseases.
