Your Drinking Water - an Overview

Water, if it is to be considered Drinking Water, must be consumable by humans with causing illness or disease. Drinking Water must be potable, that is, it must be clean, or drinkable. All life forms on earth require Drinking Water. Humans, in particular, require at least 64 fluid ounces, or 8 cups, of Drinking Water each day for optimal health.

Water can develop many pathogens (bacteria or viruses that cause disease). This is especially true if water lies in warm, muggy areas, becoming stagnant. Drinking Water can be produced from such only by treating it with chlorine or iodine.

Drinking Water comes in a variety of forms in the United States and some other countries. In many countries, however, clean Drinking Water is difficult to obtain, and presents serious problems.

Drinking Water in the U.S.

United States citizens enjoy generally good quality Drinking Water, even if they rely on that coming out of home faucets. Some areas may have a contaminate from time to time, but for the most part, clean Drinking Water is available in abundance. There is little concern about the water-borne diseases that plague some other countries. The greatest concern is simply that old pipes or improper treatment will leave behind traces of contaminates. Unwilling to risk even the slightest contaminate, many people in the U.S. purchase bottled Drinking Water. Others rely on some type of filtration system to purify Drinking Water.

Polluted Drinking Water

Many countries, including parts of the U.S., have polluted Drinking Water. This pollution may come from one or more of the following:

* Large companies that permit pollution to enter water
* Human litter and trash
* Fossil fuels
* Human or animal excretion

The leading cause of Drinking Water contamination in many countries is outright, avoidable contamination. Contaminates such as lead, arsenic, and mercury are pollutants that, even at small levels, are very dangerous. The leading causes of Drinking Water illnesses, however, are pathogens and microscopic organisms in the water. These may result in something as simple as “stomach flu” or in disease that is difficult to overcome.

Drinking Water and Your Health

Drinking Water, as you probably know, is essential for your health. You probably also know that you should have at least 8 glasses of clean Drinking Water every day. What you may not know is the reason your body needs so much Drinking Water every day.

Your body consists of more than 70% water. Your body uses Drinking Water for every function of life. Drinking Water is a part of your blood. Drinking Water is found in the tears that moisten your eyes. Your saliva contains Drinking Water, as does your skin, organs, and every other body part. Your body uses water to digest food, to cry, to sweat, to urinate, to breathe, and more. Humans depend on Drinking Water for health and life.

Drinking Water and Your Responsibility

You and I have a responsibility to protect sources of fresh, clean water that plants and animals need. We have a responsibility to clean up “Drinking Water“ where it has become contaminated. Humans are the only ones of all created life forms that can fulfill this responsibility. We are the only life form that can practice stewardship of Drinking Water.

You and I have responsibility to avoid or correct situations where pollution takes place. We may not be the ones who “broke” the Drinking Water situation, but we can be the ones who repair it.