Sixty percent of your body weight is water, according to MayoClinic.com. Your body requires continual replenishment of its water supply to stay healthy and to survive. Consuming 64 oz. of water per day generally is sufficient, but the water you drink must be clean and sanitary, or health problems can result. For example, pathogens in water can cause digestive problems and death, and chemical contaminants can build up in your system over time and poison you.
Pathogens and Parasites
Pathogens are germs that cause infections. In developed countries, most governments enforce safety regulations that require frequent testing and treatment of water supplies to prevent contamination, but underdeveloped countries might not have the resources to keep their water supplies clean. Water also can contain parasites, such as Giardia intestinalis, which can infect people who swim in or swallow water contaminated by human or animal fecal matter. Consequently, the populations of some underdeveloped countries suffer from widespread sickness and death due to poor water quality.
Chemicals
Chemical contaminants can seep into ground-water supplies, tainting the water on which entire regions rely. The contamination might come from improper disposal of chemicals, such as industrial waste, or from runoff, which happens whenever rain washes surface chemicals away. For example, agricultural pesticides might wash off fields; oil and gasoline might wash off roads, parking lots and driveways. The effects these chemicals have on human health depend on the type and amount of contaminant, as well as the duration of the exposure.
Treatment
Water-treatment facilities use filtration and chemicals to produce high-quality water for human consumption. But the most effective way to improve water quality is to prevent it from becoming contaminated in the first place. For example, pharmaceuticals can enter the water supply if you don't dispose of them correctly, as can the chemicals in oil, paint, fuel and household cleaners. Contact your local sanitation authority to learn what disposal methods your local government recommends or requires for various products.
Significance
The World Health Organization estimates that 1.4 million children in underdeveloped countries die every year from diarrhea due to poor water quality. The causes of poor water quality vary, so there is no simple solution. The WHO advocates a large-scale, coordinated effort to help suffering communities improve sanitation and hygiene practices. For example, one of the WHO's recommendations is the establishment of community latrines to prevent water contamination due to human waste.
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