Water is a basic necessity for sustaining life. Our bodies consist of nearly 60 percent water, and clean drinking water is vital for our bodies to function correctly. Water flows through every organ and cell in our bodies, and our water needs to be clean and free of contaminants. Contaminated or unfiltered water can cause a variety of diseases and even death.
Factors that Impact Water Quality
While we often take fresh drinking water for granted, water quality is affected by many factors. About one-third of Americans access drinking water from streams, rivers, and waterways vulnerable to pollution. Recognizing the need to protect our waterways, in 2015, the United States enacted the Clean Water Rule, protecting about 60 percent of the nation’s waterways and millions of acres of fragile wetlands.
The health of our freshwater supply is largely dependent on the ability of wetlands to filter out contaminants before they reach our rivers, lakes, streams, and coastal waters. In addition, wetlands are vital for trapping floodwaters, resupplying groundwater sources, filtering pollution, and providing natural habitats for fish, birds, and wildlife. In addition to the role of wetlands, various other factors play a role in the quality of our drinking water. Some of these factors include:
- Climate change
- Precipitation
- Geology, including soil type
- Vegetation and pesticides
- Flow conditions and sedimentation
- Human activities
- Infrastructure
- Poor sanitation
These factors all contribute to pollution and are associated with various diseases. Communities and people that do not have access to adequately managed water and sanitation services are at a greater risk of being exposed to preventable health risks from their drinking water.
Importance of Water Quality
Whether used for drinking, food production, or recreation, water quality is a significant factor that impacts public health and quality of life. The quality, safety, and availability of clean drinking water are vital to public health and integral to the economic growth of towns and communities. Clean drinking water can reduce health risks, stimulate economic growth, and significantly reduce illness and poverty in our communities.
Water quality is not only critical for drinking, but also for proper sanitation and basic hygiene needs. For example, we use water for bathing, cooking, cleaning our clothes, and maintaining surfaces throughout our households, such as floors, tables, and utensils, all of which are necessary to prevent illnesses and the spread of diseases.
Actions to Ensure Water Quality
While several steps have been taken at the federal level to ensure access to safe, clean drinking water, a range of actions can be taken individually and at local levels to help protect our precious water.
One of the most basic ways to protect our water and ensure that our communities have access to clean drinking water is by practicing water conservation methods. It is critical to save water, use it efficiently, and reduce unnecessary water consumption because freshwater is a limited resource.
In addition to using freshwater wisely, it’s also vital to be aware of what you introduce into the environment through your wastewater. Be mindful of what you dump down the drain or flush down your toilet. It’s critical to dispose of old paint, oil, and other waste products properly to protect your source of water. You can also make an impact by choosing environmentally friendly household products, including detergents, cleaning supplies, and toiletries, and eliminating the use of pesticides or fertilizers on your lawn and garden.
Ideal Solution
Many American consumers are aware of the issues with the water supply and have turned to bottled water or filtration systems to provide safe drinking water. But, unfortunately, these solutions have drawbacks.
Single-use plastic water bottles are part of a growing environmental issue. Plastic bottles generate a considerable amount of unnecessary waste that adds to landfills and fouls the environment. And while ordinary water filters remove dirt and sediment, they do not remove chemical contaminants and dissolved solids.
Reverse osmosis filtration systems use a polymer membrane that filters down to the molecular level, removing 95-99 percent of the total dissolved solids in drinking water. A reverse osmosis water filtration system is a sustainable solution which removes dissolved chemicals and salts that a regular filter can’t. A reverse osmosis water filtration system is one of the simplest and most effective solutions to ensuring that you and your family have quality drinking water
