Safe Drinking Water is Essential for Good Health

Safe drinking water is necessary for the health of the public. It doesn't matter how healthy the food is, if the water is not safe to drink, infectious diseases spread rapidly. Whenever there is a natural disaster, the first concern is to ensure that the drinking water is safe. Stagnant water is the perfect environment for bacteria to flourish and cause illness among the general population.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in the United States is an example of the types of laws that countries are enacting to ensure that every person is protected and has access to drinking water that is free of harmful contaminants. This law focuses on all water that could potentially be used for drinking whether it comes from underground or above ground sources. The SDWA authorized the EPA to establish health protection standards that owners of public water systems have to comply with.

In addition to ensuring that all sources of drinking water are filtered to clean out impurities, manufacturers of water pipes and other equipment also have to comply with certain requirements. For example, lead was once the common element used in water pipes. Because of lead contamination leading to illness and other health issues, this material is no longer permitted for the manufacture of pipes through which drinking water may flow.

Public water systems have to constantly monitor the filtration systems to ensure that sewage does not leak into the water. This is the leading cause of ecoli - a deadly disease that was responsible for many deaths in the Ontario town of Walkerton. The disease was contracted through the public water system because the filtering system stopped functioning and those in charge didn't realize it until it was too late.