Waterborne diseases are diseases or illnesses caused by ingesting contaminated water. The water itself can be directly or indirectly contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms usually found in animal and human feces. Waterborne diseases are dangerous because they can contaminate water sources that large amounts of people use, like bottled water and city tap water. However, despite the dangers that waterborne diseases present, there are many ways for you to prevent them and keep your water clean.
Instructions
1. Maintain proper hygiene. Poor hygiene is a major cause of the problem that waterborne diseases represents, and is the main culprit in the transfer of parasites like giardia and hookworms. Always thoroughly wash your hands with warm soap and water after using the bathroom, and try to refrain from drinking from containers that belong to other people.
2. Keep fecal matter away from drinking water. Farm animals like cows and pigs often defecate near water that runs off or floods into villages and small towns. This contaminated water can contain highly dangerous parasites that can cause diarrhea and hepatitis in humans. A good way to cut down on the fecal transfer between drinking water and animal fecal matter is to keep animals far away from water that could possibly be used by humans.
3. Disinfect the water to keep it safe for public use. Water used by humans for drinking, cooking, and bathing is often treated by the city's water department with products like fluoride. However, disinfecting water with chemicals like chlorine is another good preventative measure to use and can kill pathogenic microorganisms as well as other harmful germs in the water. Untreated water increases the chance that you'll be infected with a waterborne disease; therefore, disinfection practices should be kept in place to help prevent these diseases from infecting more people.
Tags: away from, city water, contaminated water, drinking water, fecal matter, from drinking
