Let’s face it, the availability of clean drinking water that we have today has spoiled it so much that we are taking it for granted. While our bodies can definitely survive for weeks on end without any food, you only stay alive for a few days without the hydrating properties of water.
Subsequently, the privilege to enjoy fresh and safe water at home is something that’s essential for our state of well-being. Think about it for a second, how many times have you thought to yourself “Oh, I’ve been staying in the shower for a good 15 minutes already, so I better get out of the bath because I’m wasting too much water…”?
That’s why in today’s post we’re focusing on some facts about the importance of pure drinking water and how deadly impure or contaminated water can truly be.
Why Is It Important To Have Clean Drinking Water?
Because clean water provides our bodies with essential minerals and it’s the primary source of hydration for human beings. Pure water and life go hand in hand.
And apart from that, drinking fresh water brings a plethora of health benefits, including:
- Deals with dehydration-related conditions (muscle cramps, headaches tec.)
- Improves the immune system function
- Helps maintain a healthy skin
- May help with losing weight
- Eliminates toxins
As a direct result of staying hydrated by sipping clean water, you’ll look and feel better – you’ll feel alive. In a nutshell, that’s how important having access to pure drinking water is.
Clean Drinking Water Facts That You’re Probably Unaware Of
According to the ‘facts and statistics’ page of the water charity program called WaterAid, on a global scale, one out of ten people don’t access to fresh water in close proximity to their homes, while one in three don’t have proper toilets.
They also cite other intriguing data, including the fact that 844 million people around the globe don’t have the luxury of pure drinking water, while 31% of the schools in the whole world are lacking decent water. And on top of that, the basic sanitary needs of more than two billion (2.3 to be precise) people around the world cannot be met.
However, the good news is that over the last almost two decades, the number of people who have access to decent water has increased by nearly 20%, which is quite impressive. Similar results have been achieved when it comes to sanitation needs, as pointed out on the WASHwatch homepage.
And even if more and more people can enjoy fresh water, the issue with water pollution and the associated consequences remain, and that’s what we’re going to take a closer look at in the coming paragraphs.
The Number Of Deaths Due To Contaminated Water Is Distressing
A quick look at the factsheets of the World Health Organization reveals that when the quality of the water is poor in a given community, certain communicable diseases become more prominent, such as:
- Diarrhea
- Dysentery
- Cholera
- Hepatitis (A)
While the WHO does highlight the fact that such conditions are preventable, the frightening mortality rate connected to diarrhea specifically is 842,000, due to contaminated water, poor sanitation and inadequate hand hygiene.
There’s no denying that diarrhea is perhaps the number one illness associated with water pollution. But according to the same data, parasitic worms cause a horrible disease known as “schistosomiasis” that affects roughly 240 million men, women and children. The reason? Dirty water.
Still, the WHO acknowledges the fact that kids are more exposed to such unpleasant conditions and that improving the quality of the drinking water (and water in general) can have a positive impact on:
- Overall health
- School attendance
Maybe that’s why the World Health Organization have created a special guideline for drinking-water quality, which is essentially a quite lengthy protocol or even an instruction manual on assessing the quality of water.
Conclusive Thoughts
Having access to pure, clean and fresh drinking water is essential for every human being, without a shadow of a doubt. We’re basically made almost entirely of water, therefore meeting our water needs is crucial if we’re to have normal lives.
It’s rather unfortunate and sad that so many people are still affected by poor water quality and sanitation, but with the help of specific charity programs and of course the WHO, the conditions are slowly improving for the vast majority of people.
So, leave a comment below and tell us what you think about the importance of clean drinking water – do you think humanity is doing enough to help those that don’t have access to drinkable water?