Have you ever thought about where your drinking water comes from? Most of us never give this question a thought. Yet, the sources of our water tell us a lot about its quality.
The Importance of Water Sources
Very early in the development of civilizations, people recognized the importance of finding reliable water sources. A clean, constant supply of safe drinking water is essential for every community. Consequently, the earliest civilizations developed near sources of clean water.
As time passed, people began to migrate and settle in areas many miles from a reliable water source. So they developed delivery systems that drew water from those distant sources. The Roman aqueducts are an excellent example of such a delivery system.
Today, people in large cities frequently depend on surface water sources, such as lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, for their drinking water. Sometimes these sources are close to the community. At other times, water suppliers get their water from sources many miles away.
In either case, when you think about the source of your drinking water, it's important to consider the entire watershed in which the source is located. The watershed is the land area over which water flows into the river, lake, or reservoir.
In rural areas, people are more likely to drink ground water pumped from a well. These wells tap into aquifers or natural reservoirs under the earth's surface. These aquifers may be only a few miles wide, or may span the borders of many states. As with surface water, remember that activities many miles away from you may affect the quality of ground water.
Both public and private water supplies can be drawn from a variety of sources. Different sources of raw water demand different treatment methods to render it fit for human consumption.
Deep Groundwater Sources
The water emerging from some deep groundwater sources may have fallen as rain many decades or even hundreds of years ago. Soil and rock layers will naturally filter the groundwater to a high degree of clarity. Deep groundwater may emerge as springs. In places where the water does not emerge as springs, water suppliers will often bore wells to extract it.
Usually, groundwater has a very high bacteriological quality. Because the water passed through layers of soil and rock, it may also be rich in dissolved solids including carbonates and Sulfates of Calcium and Magnesium.
Depending on the strata through which the water has flowed, other ions may also be present. These could include chloride and bicarbonates. Often, water from deep sources requires special treatment to remove its iron or manganese content to make it pleasant for drinking, cooking, and laundry.
Seepage of surface water recharges these deep groundwater sources. This seepage introduces industrial, chemical, animal and human contaminants into these underground aquifers. As these contaminants merge with natural elements in the water, health threats are introduced and disinfection is required.
Shallow Groundwater Sources
While deep groundwater lays far below ground level, shallow groundwater travels in streams within a few hundred feet of ground level. Access to shallow groundwater is usually through wells or boreholes.
The bacteriological quality of these shallow sources can vary depending on the nature of the underground reservoir. A variety of soluble materials may be present including potentially toxic metals such as copper or zinc. In some places, shallow ground water sources contain unacceptably high levels of Arsenic contamination.
Upland Lakes and Reservoirs
Typically, municipalities place upland reservoirs in the headwaters of river systems, above any human habitation. They often surround them by some form of protection zone to restrict the opportunities for contamination.
Bacterial and pathogen levels are usually low, but some bacteria, protozoa and algae will be present. Where uplands are forested or are peaty, humic acids can give the water a brown color. Many upland sources have low pH which requires adjustment before the water enters the supply.
Rivers, Canals and Low-Land Reservoirs
Lowland surface waters primarily come from rain runoff. As rainwater washes the streets of our cities and filters through landfills and farmlands, it picks up a significant bacterial load. It may also contain algae, suspended solids and a variety of dissolved elements.
Conclusions
All water sources contribute to water contamination. The source of your water determines the kind of contaminants it carries.
While water treatment facilities neutralize most of the contaminants, some escape and end up in your drinking water. Many of these contaminants are harmless and, at most, give the water a bad taste or odor. Other pose potential health threats.
To protect yourself and your family from these potential threats, we recommend the use of a home water filtration system to assure that your drinking water is clean.
Earl Calvert is a freelance writer. His writings include Bible study curriculum materials and articles for national business magazines. As an advocate for clean drinking water, Earl designed his website on drinking water to educate the public water quality issues.
efficient cleaning crew Highland Park ..My name is Mildred Shears. I'm retired and I live... Read More
Do you allow pleasure from food? Are your senses throughly... Read More
Dieters who dejectedly complain they are figuratively "stuck" with their... Read More
The Mediterranean Diet is now recognized as one of the... Read More
Fruit calories are very healthy as compared to calories in... Read More
When it comes to food, we can't ignore the facts... Read More
It is often taken as a given fact that soy... Read More
For decades science has been looking for the answers to... Read More
Have you seen those "fat free" foods in supermarkets? Have... Read More
Headlines:Nearly a quarter of American adults just got diagnosed with... Read More
Creating Your Target is easy.What I use to help create... Read More
For a natural and tasty way to improve your health... Read More
Eating healthy is fast becoming a way of life. American's... Read More
Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the... Read More
Nutrition has everything to do with health. This isn't news,... Read More
Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A.... Read More
What if I told you tap water and homogenized milk... Read More
Did you know that the food you eat could be... Read More
Dr. Arthur Agatston, the cardiologist who developed South Beach Diet... Read More
In the brain, a typical protein can live for approximately... Read More
Our diet is an essential factor for the formation of... Read More
The sugar industry and the food manufacturers are capitalizing BIG... Read More
Liquid vitamin mineralThe liquid vitamin mineral dietary supplement is a... Read More
Ionized minerals, colloidal minerals, chelated minerals . . . What... Read More
There are a lot of very good reasons to eat... Read More
scheduled maid service Park Ridge ..I know you've heard this many times - "Drink more... Read More
Salt is vital for our health. Right now, you have... Read More
Recently, trans fats have risen to the forefront of the... Read More
With so many people concerned about natural and organic foods... Read More
Can You Lose Weight Through Eating?You get fat when you... Read More
It is amazing to be able to say I am... Read More
One of the most common questions I am asked is... Read More
The acai (ah-sigh-ee) berry has been around for thousands of... Read More
Diets concern especially Americans as they do have a "national... Read More
Since Dr Basant Puri, a consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer... Read More
Having spent most of my life living off of junk... Read More
For any kid who grew up eating doughy, thick Wonder... Read More
Apart from eating many of the wonderful vegetables and fruits... Read More
Zingiber officinale has been held in the highest regard by... Read More
For those of us that understand nutrition and it's importance... Read More
The makers of Bumble Bee Tuna generated some buzz today... Read More
If you're looking for a power-packed entr?e or soup to... Read More
Acid Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a common disease which... Read More
Before the thirties, people knew the importance of mineral. Their... Read More
If you want to build muscle, lose body fat or... Read More
Please feel free to comment, so that the article may... Read More
How is it that we can't seem to think that... Read More
Nutrition is extremely important for any young person, especially an... Read More
There seems to be fairly poor tracking by any formal... Read More
Coconut oil is less known compare to olive oil, corn... Read More
Nutrition |