Despite huge steps forward in society, there are still approximately 790 million people in the world without access to an improved water supply. Yet, water is acknowledged as being essential for life as we know it. The average human can only survive three days without water.

But, it’s not enough just to have access to water. Even water that appears to be clear can have a variety of contaminants in it, potentially causing ill-health and even, in extreme cases, death.

The sad thing is that even when your water has been processed by a water treatment plant it cannot be guaranteed that the water quality is right when it comes out of your faucet. There are simply too many variables between the plant and your home.

That’s why so many people are choosing to invest in the best water filters currently available.

Worth Fighting For

World Bank Vice President Ismail Serageldin had warned us about it in 1995, saying “The wars of the next century will be fought over water”. When we are facing water shortage, it is not the lack of water that will kill us. We will more likely die from fighting for water.

Such kind of war had happened back in Mesopotamia around 4 millenniums ago, and more of it before, leading to millions of people to be dead. And signs of it to happen again in the future has appeared nowadays.

The water related conflicts have already happened in Sudan, bloody conflict of Darfur that began in 2003 took over 400,000 people’s lives for water supply. People in Darfur are fighting over an access to the diminishing clean water supply in their area.

It started as a local conflict between two sides, but as time went by the conflict has become regional. This kind of conflict potentially can also spread as world war someday if clean water is rare for the whole world and nations are fighting for the possession of clean water sources.

The Risks Associated With Water

The importance of safe water is best reflected in the risks connected to dirty water.  The following risks should all be noted:

Disease

Perhaps the biggest issue is the risk of disease. Dirty water is known to carry bacteria. Potentially diseases include polio, typhoid, cholera, and even diarrhea. Bacteria in the water can make you very sick and they are impossible to see.

It’s the reason the treatment center adds chlorine but a good home filter will help to ensure there is no trace of these bacteria.

Heavy Metals

Heavy metals, such as lead, can enter your body through the water you drink. They won’t have an immediate effect. However, this type of metal is incapable of leaving the body by itself. Over time, levels of the metals can build up and cause serious health issues.

For example, lead accumulation causes damage to brain cells.

Chemicals

Water is treated with chlorine to kill bacteria, despite the fact that this has been linked with respiratory issues. Fluoride is also added to strengthen teeth and bones, although recent research suggests this will increase your risk of cancer.

Dead Body

This one might sound a little bit extreme, but such kind of case exists in our real life. The most comprehensible example is in Ganga river, India. For religious belief, cremated ashes are poured over onto the river.

The number of people’s ashes poured into the river is so high that if we drink water from the river we basically drink dead bodies. Most of us don’t want that.

Why Safe Water Is So Important

Having access to safe water can be a huge time-saver for many people who have to travel to find water. But, it’s more than just saving time. Water is essential to human life and safe water should be a basic human right.

Knowing that you have access to safe water makes you more confident and psychologically happier. That means you’ll have more opportunities to challenge yourself and create solutions to issues. Ensuring that everyone in the world has access to safe water will save lives. It may also provide a method for people to move forward technologically and create the society of the future.

Clean water is needed by your body daily, it is in every cell of your body. Water helps to bring nutrients into those cells and takes waste products away. Without safe water, your body simply wouldn’t be able to function properly.

Don’t forget, clean water is also useful for sanitation, that’s washing your body and your clothes. It’s better to do this in clean and safe water. The earth has the most efficient way to keep its water, every drop of water that’s from earth will get back to earth eventually.

The problem is again, the fresh water for our consumption. So, as long as you get enough water to live, be grateful and help the earth to preserve it.