Water Quality and Public Health

Water Quality and Public Health

Water is a valuable resource that is a necessity for living creatures This fact holds most true for mankind . It is necessary for humans to have access to clean and sufficient water in to survive Unfortunately , in some parts of the world , water resources are not only scarce but also contaminated . Both the scarcity and contamination of water prove to be detrimental to human health . This research aims to discuss the link between water quality and public health , the water concerns in the United States and other

parts of the world , as well as the difference between water quantity and water quality

The link between water quality and public health is established by the condition that if the water available to the public is insufficient and unsafe , their health would be in danger . Water is essential to the life of mankind . It is a resource used for almost all human activities theless , the most significant use of water is for nourishment Clean and safe drinking water is a very important resource (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] , n .d . This is the reason why the authorities must ensure that people have access to good quality and quantity water sources . Unfortunately , in some countries , water supply is inadequate , and unsafe for human consumption due to contamination As a result , many people get sick and eventually die from their drinking water (CDC , n .d

Throughout the world , many people are experiencing health problems due to water issues . The United States is one of the countries wherein drinking water resources are considered as most safe for human consumption (CDC , n .d . Despite this , many Americans still become ill because of their drinking water . A significant number of Americans rely on drinking water supplies which utilize ground water . In 2001 and 2002 , there were disease outbreaks which were determined to have been caused by drinking water . These outbreaks resulted in thousands of people getting sick , some of which even died . The cause of the outbreak was said to be the incorrect , if not the complete lack of , treatment of ground water (CDC , n .d

Safety of drinking water is also the concern of the developing countries . Many of the diseases , which have claimed thousands of lives have been attributed to the water supply . According to the World Health Organization (2008 , diarrhoea claims the lives of many children below the age of five in developing countries . Young children are also the most affected in the malaria outbreaks prevalent in Africa (World Health Organization [WHO] , 2008 . Other diseases which cause sickness and fatalities in developing nations include schistosomiasis , trachoma and intestinal helminths , all of which are caused by the water supply Aside from water safety , water inadequacy is also a problem in developing countries (Environmental Literary Council [ELC] , 2008 . The lack of water supply forces the people to utilize the only available water sources , even if these are unclean and unsafe . The cycle repeats itself , as it again...