Effects on Human Health

If drinking water contains unsafe levels of contaminants, it can cause health effects,
such as gastrointestinal illnesses, nervous system or reproductive effects, and chronic
diseases such as cancer.

How dangerous is tap water?

EWG said that 87% of the cancer risk present in tap water comes from arsenic and
byproducts of common disinfectants. Long-term exposure to arsenic, per the World
Health Organization, can cause skin cancer, as well as cancer of the bladder and the
lungs.

Can bad tap water make you sick?

Drinking tap water that's contaminated with microorganisms can lead to

gastrointestinal illness. Common symptoms include: diarrhea, vomiting, etc.

Drinking-water

14 June 2019
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Key facts

In 2017, 71% of the global population (5.3 billion people) used a safely managed
drinking-water service – that is, one located on premises, available when needed, and
free from contamination.
90% of the global population (6.8 billion people) used at least a basic service. A basic
service is an improved drinking-water source within a round trip of 30 minutes to
collect water.

785 million people lack even a basic drinking-water service, including 144 million
people who are dependent on surface water.

Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces.

Contaminated water can transmit diseases such diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid,
and polio. Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause 485 000 diarrhoeal deaths
each year.

By 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas.

In least developed countries, 22% of health care facilities have no water service, 21% no
sanitation service, and 22% no waste management service.

Introduction

Safe and readily available water is important for public health, whether it is used for
drinking, domestic use, food production or recreational purposes. Improved water
supply and sanitation, and better management of water resources, can boost countries’
economic growth and can contribute greatly to poverty reduction.

In 2010, the UN General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and
sanitation. Everyone has the right to sufficient, continuous, safe, acceptable, physically
accessible, and affordable water for personal and domestic use.

Drinking water services

Sustainable Development Goal target 6.1 calls for universal and equitable access to safe
and affordable drinking water. The target is tracked with the indicator of “safely
managed drinking water services” – drinking water from an improved water source
that is located on premises, available when needed, and free from faecal and priority
chemical contamination.
In 2017, 5.3 billion people used safely managed drinking-water services – that is, they
used improved water sources located on premises, available when needed, and free
from contamination. The remaining 2.2 billion people without safely managed services
in 2017 included:

1.4 billion people with basic services, meaning an improved water source located within
a round trip of 30 minutes

206 million people with limited services, or an improved water source requiring more
than 30 minutes to collect water

435 million people taking water from unprotected wells and springs

144 million people collecting untreated surface water from lakes, ponds, rivers and
streams.

Sharp geographic, sociocultural and economic inequalities persist, not only between
rural and urban areas but also in towns and cities where people living in low-income,
informal, or illegal settlements usually have less access to improved sources of
drinking-water than other residents.

Water and health

Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to transmission of diseases such as
cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio. Absent, inadequate, or
inappropriately managed water and sanitation services expose individuals to
preventable health risks. This is particularly the case in health care facilities where both
patients and staff are placed at additional risk of infection and disease when water,
sanitation, and hygiene services are lacking. Globally, 15% of patients develop an
infection during a hospital stay, with the proportion much greater in low-income
countries.

Inadequate management of urban, industrial, and agricultural wastewater means the

drinking-water of hundreds of millions of people is dangerously contaminated or
chemically polluted.
Some 829 000 people are estimated to die each year from diarrhoea as a result of unsafe
drinking-water, sanitation, and hand hygiene. Yet diarrhoea is largely preventable, and
the deaths of 297 000 children aged under 5 years could be avoided each year if these
risk factors were addressed. Where water is not readily available, people may decide
handwashing is not a priority, thereby adding to the likelihood of diarrhoea and other
diseases.

Diarrhoea is the most widely known disease linked to contaminated food and water but
there are other hazards. In 2017, over 220 million people required preventative
treatment for schistosomiasis – an acute and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms
contracted through exposure to infested water.

In many parts of the world, insects that live or breed in water carry and transmit
diseases such as dengue fever. Some of these insects, known as vectors, breed in clean,
rather than dirty water, and household drinking water containers can serve as breeding
grounds. The simple intervention of covering water storage containers can reduce
vector breeding and may also reduce faecal contamination of water at the household
level.

Economic and social effects

When water comes from improved and more accessible sources, people spend less time
and effort physically collecting it, meaning they can be productive in other ways. This
can also result in greater personal safety by reducing the need to make long or risky
journeys to collect water. Better water sources also mean less expenditure on health, as
people are less likely to fall ill and incur medical costs, and are better able to remain
economically productive.

With children particularly at risk from water-related diseases, access to improved

sources of water can result in better health, and therefore better school attendance, with
positive longer-term consequences for their lives.
Challenges

Climate change, increasing water scarcity, population growth, demographic changes

and urbanization already pose challenges for water supply systems. By 2025, half of the
world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas. Re-use of wastewater, to
recover water, nutrients, or energy, is becoming an important strategy. Increasingly
countries are using wastewater for irrigation – in developing countries this represents
7% of irrigated land. While this practice if done inappropriately poses health risks, safe
management of wastewater can yield multiple benefits, including increased food
production.

Options for water sources used for drinking water and irrigation will continue to
evolve, with an increasing reliance on groundwater and alternative sources, including
wastewater. Climate change will lead to greater fluctuations in harvested rainwater.
Management of all water resources will need to be improved to ensure provision and
quality.

WHO's response

As the international authority on public health and water quality, WHO leads global
efforts to prevent transmission of waterborne disease, advising governments on the
development of health-based targets and regulations.

WHO produces a series of water quality guidelines, including on drinking-water, safe

use of wastewater, and safe recreational water environments. The water quality
guidelines are based on managing risks, and since 2004 the Guidelines for drinking-
water quality promote the Framework for Safe Drinking-water. The Framework
recommends establishment of health-based targets, the development and
implementation of Water Safety Plans by water suppliers to most effectively identify
and manage risks from catchment to consumer, and independent surveillance to ensure
that Water Safety Plans are effective and health-based targets are being met.

WHO also supports countries to implement the drinking-water quality guidelines

through the development of practical guidance materials and provision of direct
country support. This includes the development of locally relevant drinking-water
quality regulations aligned to the principles in the Guidelines, the development,
implementation and auditing of Water Safety Plans and strengthening of surveillance
practices.

Guidelines for drinking-water quality

Water Safety Plan resources

Developing drinking-water quality regulations and standards

Since 2014, WHO has been testing household water treatment products against WHO
health-based performance criteria through the WHO International ‘Scheme’ to Evaluate
Household Water Treatment Technologies? The aim of the scheme is to ensure that
products protect users from the pathogens that cause diarrhoeal disease and to
strengthen policy, regulatory, and monitoring mechanisms at the national level to
support appropriate targeting and consistent and correct use of such products.

WHO works closely with UNICEF in a number of areas concerning water and health,
including on water, sanitation, and hygiene in health care facilities. In 2015 the two
agencies jointly developed WASH FIT (Water and Sanitation for Health Facility
Improvement Tool), an adaptation of the water safety plan approach. WASH FIT aims
to guide small, primary health care facilities in low- and middle-income settings
through a continuous cycle of improvement through assessments, prioritization of risk,
and definition of specific, targeted actions. A 2019 report describes practical steps that
countries can take to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene in health care facilities.

Most of us don’t think about the water we drink. We turn on a tap, fill a glass, and
drink. But how much water do you really need to drink every day? Is the water you're
drinking safe or would bottled water be safer? What can you do if your tap water
suddenly became contaminated? Read on to find out how much you know about the
drinking water in your own home.

How Much Water Do You Need?

Your body weight is more than 50% water. Without water, you couldn’t maintain a
normal body temperature, lubricate your joints, or get rid of waste through urination,
sweat, and bowel movements.

Not getting enough water can lead to dehydration, which can cause muscle weakness
and cramping, a lack of coordination, and an increased risk of heat exhaustion and heat
stroke. In fact, water is so important that a person couldn’t last more than five days
without it.

So how much water do you need? Enough to replace what you lose daily through
urination, sweating, even exhaling. And your need for water increases:

In warm or hot weather

With vigorous physical activity, such as exercise or working in the yard

During bouts of illness, especially if you have a fever, are vomiting, having diarrhea or
coughing

You often hear that you need to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. The
Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board recommend that women drink more
than 11 8-ounce glasses (91 ounces) of water daily, and men drink more than 15 glasses
of water (125 ounces) per day.

It is a good idea to track how much water you drink for a few days just to get a feel for
the amount needed. You can get enough water each day by drinking water and
consuming fluids like soup and drinks, along with lots of fruits and vegetables, which
contain water. Keep in mind that if you’re going to do something strenuous, like
playing sports or running, you'll need extra water before, during, and after.

Water Quality: Is Tap Water Safe?

You need to stay hydrated -- that’s clear -- but is the tap water in your home safe? It is
considered generally safe if it comes from a public water system in the United States,
such as one run and maintained by a municipality. The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has the authority to monitor all public water systems and sets
enforceable health standards regarding the contaminants in drinking water.

When drinking water leaves a treatment plant on its way to your house, it must meet
strict safety standards. That doesn’t mean that your water is free of all contaminants,
but that the levels of any contaminants shouldn’t pose any serious health risk.

Of course, accidents can happen. If the water supply becomes contaminated by

something that can cause immediate illness, the supplier must promptly inform you.
Suppliers also need to offer alternative suggestions for safe drinking water. In addition,
they have 24 hours to inform customers of any violation of standards that could have a
major impact on health following a short-term exposure.

Water Quality: What Contaminants Are in Water?

Water can be contaminated in several ways. It can contain microorganisms like bacteria
and parasites that get in the water from human or animal fecal matter. It can contain
chemicals from industrial waste or from spraying crops. Nitrates used in fertilizers can
enter the water with runoff from the land. Various minerals such as lead or mercury can
enter the water supply, sometimes from natural deposits underground, or more often
from improper disposal of pollutants. Lead can leach into drinking water through old
lead pipes.

The EPA has set minimum testing schedules for specific pollutants to make sure that
levels remain safe. Still, some people may be more vulnerable than others to potential
harm caused by water contaminants, including:

People undergoing chemotherapy

People with HIV/AIDS

Transplant patients

Children and infants

Pregnant women and their fetuses

By July 1 of each year, public water suppliers are required to mail their customers a
drinking water quality report, sometimes called a consumer confidence report or CCR.
The report tells where your water comes from and what’s in it. If you don’t get one, or
have misplaced it, you can ask for a copy from your local water supplier. Many reports
can be found online. If you have any questions after reading your report, you can call
your water supplier to get more information.

You can also call the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 to get
information and ask questions about the quality and safety of drinking water.

SUGGESTED

Well Water: Safety and Quality

For almost one out of every seven Americans, a private well is the primary source of
drinking water. Private wells are not regulated by the EPA. Well water safety can be
affected by many factors, including:

How the well was built

Where it’s located

How it’s maintained

The quality of the aquifer supplying the well

Human activities in your area

The EPA recommends that you talk with local experts, have your well water tested
regularly, and not let problems go untended.
Bottled Water: Safety and Quality

According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, Americans drank 13.8 billion gallons
of bottled water in 2018, a 5% increase over the previous year.

One argument advanced for the use of bottled water is its safety, yet there isn't the same
guarantee of safety with bottled water as there is for the water in your tap.

The FDA regulates bottled water as a food. That means it requires identification of the
source (spring, mineral), regulates allowable levels of chemical, physical, microbial and
radiological contaminants, requires Good Manufacturing Practice standards for boiling
and bottling, and regulates labelling.

However, the FDA doesn't have the ability to oversee a mandatory testing program like
the EPA does with public water suppliers. So, although it can order a bottled water
recall once a problem has been found, there is no guarantee that the bottle of water you
bought is safe.

Water Quality: Contaminants in the Pipes

Occasionally, your tap water can become contaminated as a result of breaks in the water
line, although one of the biggest problems is lead getting into the water from pipes.
Even ''lead-free'' pipes can contain as much as 8% lead.

The best way to avoid consuming lead from tap water is to only use water from the cold
tap for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula and to let the water run for a
minute before using it.

Health Effects of Drinking Contaminated Water

How contaminated water effects your health depends on the type of contaminants. For
example:

Cryptosporidium is a pathogen that sometimes gets into water supplies. It can cause a
gastrointestinal disease that could be fatal.

Nitrates can contaminate water and pose an immediate threat to infants. In the
intestines, nitrates are converted to nitrites, which prevent blood from transporting
oxygen. An enzyme present in the system of older children restores the blood's ability
to carry oxygen.

Lead can cause both physical and mental developmental problems in infants and
children. Adults who have been drinking lead-tainted water for a number of years can
experience kidney problems and high blood pressure.

Does boiling contaminated water make it safe to drink? It depends on the contaminant.
Boiling water can kill germs, but things like lead, nitrates, and pesticides aren't affected.
And since boiling reduces the volume of water, it increases the concentration of those
contaminants.

SUGGESTED

Water Quality and Water Filters

In an effort to make their drinking water safer, some people use water filters at home.
There are four main kinds:

Activated carbon filters can remove certain organic contaminants that affect taste and
odor. Some systems are also designed to remove chlorination byproducts, solvents, and
pesticides, or certain metals such as copper or lead.

Ion exchange units with activated alumina can remove minerals such as calcium and
magnesium, which make water hard. This is often used in combination with another
filtration method, such as carbon absorption or reverse osmosis.
Reverse osmosis units with carbon can remove nitrates and sodium as well as
pesticides, fluoride, chloride, and petrochemicals.

Distillation units boil water and condense the steam, creating distilled water.

No one system will remove all water contaminants. If you do decide you want to install
a system, you should have your water tested by a certified laboratory first to find out
what's in your water.

No matter which water filtering system you choose, you need to maintain it; otherwise,
contaminants build up in the filter and make the water quality worse than it would be
without the filter.

It's important to know that a home water filter won’t protect you from water that has
been declared unsafe. If that happens in your area, follow the advice of your local water
authorities until the water is declared safe to drink once more.

The Effects of Drinking Contaminated Water and/or Dirty Water (Updated 3/19/2018)

July 7th, 2016, By BEdwards

Drinking contaminated water sources and/or dirty water can cause numerous health
concerns.

Read more to increase your awareness.

Water contamination can occur to city water supplies, well water supplies, and fresh
water sources, such as lakes, streams, and rivers. Consuming contaminated water can
cause numerous effects.

Are you concerned about contaminants in your home’s water? Do you know if you can
safely drink the water in your home? The first step is to conduct a water test from a
trusted provider to further understand your water quality.

Learn-More-Button-1
Signs/Symptoms of Drinking Contaminated Water

First, it’s important to know the health effects people experience may or may not
present themselves immediately. Further, factors such as the overall health, age, and
physical condition of the person determine the extent of the actual effects experienced.
Some of the more commonly reported problems experienced from drinking impure
water include, but are not limited to, the following waterborne illnesses:

Gastrointestinal Problems

Diarrhea

Nausea

Intestinal or Stomach Cramping

Intestinal or Stomach Aches and Pains

Dehydration

Death

Keep in mind, just because no signs or symptoms are experienced, it does not mean
there are no potential long term effects.

Water-Treatment-MD-1

For example, if water sources are contaminated with radium or radon gas, you might
not notice an immediate health effects. However, long term exposure has been linked to
cancer and heart disease. Other possible contaminates found in tainted water sources
are:

E. coli Bacteria

Coliform Bacteria

Nitrates

Lead

Fluoride
Arsenic

Radium

Radon

Pharmaceuticals

Herbicides

Pesticides

Chemicals

Fecal Matter

Microbial Pathogens

Parasites

Viruses

Petrochemicals

Contaminants can enter water supplies through various means. For instance, the
ground absorbs contaminants. The absorbed materials contaminate ground water
sources, broken pipes, and excess water run-off during heavy rain periods.

Does Dirty/Contaminated Water Smell?

In some cases the water could smell or taste different. However, many contaminants
have no taste or odor. This leaves no indication of contamination.

Will Boiling Water Help Make It Safe?

Boiling does kill most types of parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Additionally, it increases
concentrations of other contaminants due to evaporation of water.

Quality-Water-Solutions-1

How Can I Tell if My Water Is Actually Safe?

One of the easiest ways to find out if your tap water is safe and contaminant free is a
water test. An experienced water purification company in your area is able to perform
water tests. Furthermore, you can perform water tests on city and well water used for
residential, commercial, and retail purposes. The test results will let you know exactly
what is in your water. Second, the test will determine what steps you can take to
improve it. One important step is getting quality water softeners and water filters
installed in your home or business, such as the HagueWaterMax®, in your home or
business

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It’s really the nature of Cagayan De Oro that this is the water quality that we have.
Without seeing a problem drinking from the faucet… People resort to because they
don’t want the taste. Although people already get used to and embrace this fact that the
water they have is typically like that of what they know.