Water is mainly composed of the body, which is why it is necessary for everyday life. It is one of the most powerful natural sources because it gives power and energy to the body's systems, enabling them to perform their daily activities.
Other experts say eating fruits can also help improve the body's system. Yes, it is true. But what exactly do you do after eating? Drinking water because this fluid intake pushes down the food we digest.
People nowadays are very practical. Some, especially children, are afraid of going to the doctor when they become ill because they are scared of medicines and medical procedures.
At the same time, some are wary of going to a doctor because they don't want to spend a lot of money. But truth be told, illnesses can be prevented by drinking clean and safe water.
Dehydration occurs when a person perspires too much and doesn't replenish the fluids the body needs. This is especially true during the summer when heat can be stingy to the skin and dehydrate people.
Once you experience this situation, you buy bottled water, and sometimes, you even refill your water bottle or container in a place where water is available, like a water fountain.
If you're an explorer, you usually drink in clean rivers or streams if you run out of water in your bag packs. But how sure are you that the water you sipped into your mouth is clean and safe?
What If?
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What if the water you just slipped through your mouth contains impurities that will cause harm to your body?
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What if you get admitted to the hospital without even knowing the reason?
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What if there is news that someone just died, and the reason is drinking water because it was contaminated, and he didn't even know it?
How to Know if Your Drinking Water is Contaminated
Clean water is not only characterized by a clear state; even if it is crystal clear, it may still contain harmful sediments that are not visible to the naked eye.
To know whether your water is clear, you must note its taste, smell, and look.
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Taste
Have you had that awful experience of gulping down your glass of water only to discover its weird taste? Metallic taste signifies the presence of corrosion from iron, and it may also indicate that your water is contaminated with copper, lead, manganese, sodium, and sulfates.
If you have that abrasive and gritty feel on your tongue while drinking, it simply means that your water has fine sand and grit sediments. Your tap water's sharp chemical tastes mean that semi-volatile compounds, pesticides, and other chemical byproducts are in your water.
Unfortunately, relying on taste can lead to contamination. Even people who believe they have clean water may discover it is contaminated when they taste it. In some scenarios, these taste factors are not determined in specific amounts.
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Odor
Unlike taste determinants, the odor factor is more determinable, but what do these scents mean? Bleach-like or chlorinated odors imply the presence of chloramines; detergent smells signify foaming agents, and musty odor implies the existence of organic matter.
However, there are more visible odors, like the smell of gasoline, a rotten egg, which means the presence of hydrogen sulfide, and volatile organic compounds, represented by a sweet, pungent smell.
Odor determinants would save you even before you get those liquids into your body. The downside of this, however; some of those smell determinants would need you a good trusty nose.
Unlike the smell of gasoline and rotten egg odors, there are those that some might consider a "natural" water scent and would disregard the fact that it is contaminated.
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Visual Determinants
The visual determinants, or those visibly seen by our naked eyes, are the easiest to spot. Cloudiness of the water implies sand, clay, dirt, and organic material on your water.
Milkfish in tone signifies the presence of any gassy particles like methane; reddish-brown town implies tannins from organic soil bring about iron and yellow water.
Other visual clues include water, piping, and sinks. The blackening and pitting of water fixtures indicate manganese and hydrogen sulfide in the water, and the blueish tone of the sinks implies corrosion from brass and copper.
These determinants shouldn't be taken for granted, and these will save you and your family from harmful diseases.
Examine your water's quality using these three determinants. Always remember that crystal clear water doesn't guarantee that it is clean and suitable for consumption.
If unsure about your assessment, you could take a water sample and send it to a water laboratory for testing.
After Testing It, What Should You Do?
The BERKEY LIGHT Water Filter is the best option for a filtering system you can carry on camping trips.
It is portable, not too heavy, and has few parts to assemble. Black Berkey® Elements dramatically reduce trihalomethanes, inorganic minerals, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, VOCs, petroleum products, perfluorinated chemicals, rust, silt, sediment, radiological, and more.
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