Drinking Dirty Water – Dispelling a few myths about water contamination

Drinking Dirty Water – Dispelling a few myths about water contamination

by | May 21, 2021 | Health, Water | 0 comments

Dispelling a few myths about water contamination

‘Oh well,’ you say. ‘I should’ve brought a water purifier, but I didn’t, so I guess I’ll just have to drink from this creek. It has run off the rocks anyway, which might’ve filtered it a little. I’ll be fine, right?’ Ah, famous last words.  Drinking dirty water takes many disguises, many of them you will not recognize.

Drinking dirty water is much more serious than one might think.  The invisible parts of water can give you cholera, dysentery, amoebas, e.coli or giardia, just to name a few. You could contract various cancers. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, disguised safe drinking water can even give you hepatitis A and E. As lax as you may be about drinking contaminated water, it really isn’t any fun at all.

However, despite the severe implications of water contamination, there are several common misconceptions and myths about drinking dirty water. Let’s dispel a few:

“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”

Benjamin Franklin, (1706-1790).

TRICK: You can clean up water marks from glass vases. Or fill the vase with water and drop in 2 Alka Seltzer tablets. 

Drinking Dirty Water

MYTH ONE: If water is dirty, you can tell.

Wrong. Water contamination is sneaky. Water contamination won’t necessarily look brown, murky, or chunky. Tiny microorganisms that aren’t visible to the human eye can live inside dirty water and cause great harm.

MYTH TWO: Dirty water is only a problem in third-world countries.

Wrong. Any water system can become contaminated by run-off from agricultural, household, industrial waste, rusty pipelines, and sewage. Most water systems contain a certain level of water contamination.

MYTH THREE: We will have a water crisis, but not for another 100 years or so.

Wrong. Due to a rising global population, water contamination, and resistance to recycled wastewater, the world is already in a water crisis. A child dies every eight seconds as the direct result of drinking dirty water.

MYTH FOUR: If you end up drinking dirty water, it’s the government’s fault.

Wrong. Water contamination is often the result of lead pipes in the plumbing in your home. Most countries don’t have specific laws to protect you entirely from water contamination. Your health is your responsibility. If you end up drinking dirty water, it’s your own fault, really.

MYTH FIVE: Wastewater is sent to treatment plants and cannot infect us.

Wrong. According to the World Health Organisation, 90% of the world’s wastewater is channeled off into lakes, rivers, and oceans. You could be inadvertently drinking dirty water while you’re swimming.

MYTH SIX: Freshwater is one of the Earth’s most abundant natural resources.

Really very, very, wrong. Only 3% of the water on Earth is fresh. Of this measly 3%, 2% is found in glaciers, and only 0.5% is accessible.

Unfortunately, water contamination is a permanent bi-product of our highly industrialized lifestyles. In order to live a modern life and avoid drinking dirty water, you need to take your health into your own hands. Invest in a water purification system that doesn’t put more chemicals into your body, and water should be pure. Try a Sure Aqua system today.

Did you know nearly 20% of your body mass is Carbon!

10 Tips to Avoid Falling Victim to Contaminated Water while Traveling

10 Tips to Avoid Falling Victim to Contaminated Water while Traveling

by | May 5, 2021 | Travel, Water | 0 comments

Access to Safe Water While Traveling to Avoid Contaminated Water

If you don’t ensure you have access to safe water while you’re traveling, it can have much more serious consequences than a case of diarrhea by contaminated water.

“Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink” – Barney Scott

It could cost you your life.  Serious travelers’ viruses like typhoid, polio, hepatitis A and cholera can all be caught by drinking contaminated water or food. It is as easy as vegetables being washed with contaminated water. Viruses like Schistosomiasis and Leptospirosis are transmitted by swimming or bathing in contaminated water.

Travel Tips to avoid getting ill

However, these diseases are rare and can be easily avoided with a little caution. If you’re unsure about an area’s access to safe water, make sure you do the following travel tips:

  1. Be aware of what you eat: It’s more important to worry about what you’re eating, not where. Many travelers will assume restaurants won’t use contaminated water, and street sellers will. Unfortunately, it is never that simple.
  2. Street food is often the best food around. It’s cheap, delicious, and authentic. Street sellers and restaurants alike will have access to the same water system. Instead of avoiding particular places to eat, be careful to avoid any food with uncooked vegetables that could have been washed in contaminated water.
  3. Do your research: Find out what waterborne diseases are present in the area you are planning to travel to, and look up particular ways to avoid those diseases. Once you arrive, ask a local about waterborne diseases as well.
  4. Bring your own drugs. Legal, of course: Bring some medication with you for common diseases or illnesses in the area you’re traveling to.
  5. Unfortunately, diarrhea is inevitable in some countries. Diarrhea drugs can be either electrolyte, bulking agents, absorbents or anti-inflammatories. Do your research to know which will be more appropriate for the area you’re traveling to.
  6. Don’t make friends with salad: Avoid salads or unpeeled fruits. They may have been washed with contaminated water. If you really must, rinse your food yourself with safe, purified water.
  7. Keep your hands clean: Wash your hands thoroughly with hot water and soap before and after eating, going to the toilet or changing nappies. Keep a little bottle of hand sanitizer with you for those times when you don’t have access to hot water and soap.
  8. Don’t swim before you ask a local: No matter how good that water looks, always ask a local if the water is safe before swimming or bathing in rivers, creeks, lagoons, or lakes.
  9. Get insured: Make sure your travel insurance includes basic hospital cover, as a minimum.
  10. Invest in a good water purification system. Bottled water is never the best option. A device like the Sure Aqua Bottle

When you are traveling in a country without access to safe water, in danger to your health. You can help you to re-appreciate how lucky you are to have access to safe water in your own country.

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