The body is mainly composed of water. That is why water is a necessity for everyday living. Water is one of the most powerful natural sources because it gives power and energy to the body systems to achieve the activities for the whole day.
Other experts say that eating fruits can also help improve the body 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 somehow 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. Especially during the summer season, where heat is stingy to the skin and will make you dehydrated.
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 much available, like water fountains, or if you’re an explorer, you usually drink in clean rivers or streams if you run out water in your bag packs. But how sure are you that the water you just sipped to your mouth is clean and safe?
What If?
- What if the water you just slipped through your mouth contains impurities that will cause harm to your body?
- What if you get admitted to the hospital without even knowing the reason?
- 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 characterized only by a clear state, and despite being crystal clear, it may still have harmful sediments not visible to the naked eye. To know whether your water is clear or not, you need to take note of; its taste, smell and look.
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Taste: Have you had that awful experience where you gulp into your glass of water only to discover its weird taste? Metallic taste signifies the presence of corrosion from iron, and it may also pertain that your water is contaminated with copper, lead, manganese, sodium, and sulfates. If you have that abrasive and gritty feel into your tongue while drinking, it simply means that your water has fine sand and grit sediments. Those sharp chemical tastes that your tap water has meant that there are semi-volatile compounds, pesticides, and other chemical byproducts on your water.
The unfortunate thing about basing it on taste is that you would believe in having clean water only to know that it is contaminated when you taste it. There are even scenarios when these taste factors are not that determinable on certain amounts. -
Odor: Unlike taste determinants, the odor factor is more determinable; but what do these scents mean. Bleach-like odors or chlorinated odor implies the presence of chloramines, detergent smells signifies foaming agents, and the musty odor implies the existence of organic matters. There are, however, more visible odors like the smell of gasoline, a rotten egg that means the presence of hydrogen sulfide, and volatile organic compounds represented by a sweet, pungent smell.
Odor determinants would most likely 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 which some might consider a “natural” water scent and would disregard the fact that it is contaminated. -
Visual Determinants: The easiest to spot are the visual determinants or those visibly seen by our naked eyes. 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 iron, and yellow water is brought about by tannins from organic soil.
Other visual clues are seen on water and piping and sinks; blackening and pitting of water fixtures means that manganese and hydrogen sulfide are present on your water, the blue-ish green tone on your 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. To know your water’s quality, you should try examining it using these three determinants; always remember that water might be crystal clear, but it doesn’t warrant that it is clean and suitable for consumption. If you are not sure about your assessment, you could take a sample of your water and send them to water laboratories and get it tested.
After Testing It, What Should You Do?
If you are looking for a filtering system you could carry on camping and travel, the BERKEY LIGHT Water Filter is the best option for you.
It is very portable, not too heavy, does not have too many parts to assemble. It effectively clears your water 99.9% free of contaminants ranging from bacteria to chemical byproducts.
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