Clean Water Affects All of Us

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Every day, people from all around the globe nourish their bodies with water. Water is an essential part of life. It is vital to examine the quality of the water one consumes as it can significantly impact individual health, the environment, and even the economy. The effects of contaminated water are affecting individuals on a routine basis, with nearly ⅕ of all Americans being exposed to contaminated water within the last ten years.

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The sanitation issue can cause various health-related problems for individuals with the most common infections, including polio, diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid. These infectious diseases are spread from contaminated water sources, which can be prevented by using proper water sanitation tools such as water filters.

Water Sanitation

Water sanitation is not just essential as a matter of health. This critical practice can impact multiple areas of one's life, one of which is finances. Each year nearly $260 billion are lost due to a lack of water sanitation. This expense also increases when one factor is the added cost of paying for medical services associated with waterborne diseases. The cost of treating waterborne illness medical bills can get as high as $3.3 billion, accounting for 7.15 million cases of illness and a tragic 6,630 deaths annually.

The quality of water impacts so many levels of the ecosystem, including various endangered species such as the Coho Salmon, Salt Creek Tiger Beatle, Whooping Crane, Grizzly Bears, San Joaquin Kit Fox, and the Arroyo Toad. These animals' lives can be saved by proper watershed management as this practice has the power to protect plants, animals, and the planet in general.

When looking at water's effects on the planet, there are enormous implications for sustainability and climate change. Freshwater resources are being compromised due to salt deposits, resulting in rising sea levels. Higher ocean temperatures have also allowed bacteria to grow more rapidly, impacting the quality of water for all populations. The adverse effects of climate change can even be seen in the recent natural disasters across the planet, in which 74% of all-natural disasters have to do with water.

Water is an essential element for life. Water maintains our lives, nourishes our planet, and connects us all to the world around us, and it is vital to think about how it impacts us. Water sanitation and proper watershed management are simple steps that can be taken to combat many of the adverse effects of contaminated water and embrace a future of prosperity, health, and safety for all.

Clean Water

Infographic source: Berkey Filters