What Is Potable Water?
Potable water is another term for drinking water that’s safe for consumption. The lack of potable water is a common factor in developing countries—the need for drinkable water is a severe issue that affects many families for properly cleaning themselves and cooking. But when we think of undrinkable, dirty water we typically associate it with developing countries, right? The media shows us the effects of unclean water in rural regions of other nations and emphasize how it important it is to bring clean water by installing water taps to contain chemicals from drinking water safely. However, what most of us fail to realize is potable water isn’t available in lower-income areas in the U.S, either. Flint, Michigan is a sad reminder of what occurs when industrial tank liners failed to undergo water treatment for tank linings—citizens are still significantly suffering from the profound effects of negligence in Flint’s government.
Why Is Potable Water Important?
Water is a necessity of life—there shouldn’t be a reason someone is without it with the abundant amount of technological resources we have. Heartbreaking situations similar to developing nations and Flint shouldn’t be a common issue, there are many resources to provide people with potable water in all areas without the population being exposed to harsh elements or pipe corrosion that leads to severe health issues and defects in healthy individuals. Although 100% of water tanks contain potable water and require a tank liner and other protective coatings, there is not such a high rate of maintenance on water tank liners which leads to many areas to simply be without water. Without a sustainable water resource, there is not a means of humans to survive, in many regions were water in inaccessible people have succumbed to drinking unsafe water and dying from diseases. Even in cities with historically clean water resources, unclean water is beginning to become an issue most Americans are exposed to because of custom tank liners—in 2015 a study was conducted at the University of California-Irvine that reported nearly 21 million people relied on water systems that violated health quality standards. Recently, water treatment systems have taken the initiative to implement clean water programs and funding to support areas without adequate drinking water to bridge the gap between unsafe levels of toxicity to safe levels.
Facts About Toxic Water
1.Higher levels of lead in water are directly correlated to lower IQs in children.
2.Arsenic may be in water drawn from wells—it destroys the nervous system, heart, blood vessels, and skin.
3.Trihalomethanes are byproducts of chlorination in municipal water supplies that are associated with many forms of cancer.
4.Similarly, fluoridated water is added to many municipal water systems and products. High levels of fluoride are associated with potential health hazards (i.e., Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, central nervous system, and lower immune system)
5.Coliform may be present in unclean water that indicates potentially harmful bacteria like E. Coli
6.Cryptosporidium thrives in unclean water. It is a parasite that can be life-threatening and cause dysentery. It is one of the most common causes of waterborne diseases in the U.S.
Benefits of Potable Water
Without water, we experience certain signs of dehydration. However, prolonged lack of water causes these symptoms to become far more pronounced and can lead to eventual death (i.e., excessive thirst, fatigue, dry mouth, muscle weakness, and little or no urination) Polluted water is deadly—it’s a breeding ground for bacteria and harmful diseases that have taken the lives of nearly 1.8 million people. These deaths are extremely saddening, not to mention completely avoidable with the abundance of resources we have to provide clean water on a mass scale. Providing potable water to individuals is not only a necessity, but a human right many are being robbed of everyday.