How concerned should you be really be about a drinkable water disaster? You can ask the residents of Likely, B.C, Canada. Recently there was a breach in waste from Mount Polley mining, which contaminated Quesnel Lake, the drinking source of the people. Even after the ban has been lifted people are still skeptical to use the water.
Looking closer at home recently in January Elk River was contaminated by the chemical spill from an industry in Charleston, US. This had a direct impact on hundreds and thousands of people in 9 different counties. In the past 5 years these incidents in Kanawha River valley occurred three times. Then it was Lake Erie’s turn to get its share of contamination from toxins, with sludge flowing in from farm fertilizers, cattle feedlots, and generous helpings from septic leaks, all of which resulted in half million residents in Toledo, Ohio to lose their drinking water. This has put the lives of around 11 million residents of lakeside in jeopardy.
The danger of contamination is lurking over lakes in Minnesota, Nebraska, and California, as poisonous algae and harmful components were detected there. Experts believe similar threats are susceptive all across US. The threat from industrial waste polluting our drinking water sources is a clear and present danger to human lives. The above incidences assert the fact.
If water from a source somehow manages to dodge the polluting factors on its way, you are still vulnerable to other dangers from it close at home. This time the villain is lead which is present in from your pipes, faucets, and fixtures. Your brass and chrome plated fixtures discharge lead in water which you ultimately gulp down. This continued consumption of lead could lead to serious health including high blood pressure and kidney malfunctioning.
A study conducted in many cities of US concluded that the water works at the delivery points and treatment of water is about the same it was 60 years ago. It is the battle between ancient technology and modern day chemical waste from innovational industries, and prize winning pesticides. Cities like Atlanta, Albuquerque, San Francisco, and Fresno have been pointed out for inadequate management and poor facilities in water treatment.
To make matter worse the groundwater is depleting around the world including the US. Almost half the population of America uses groundwater for drinking purpose, and approx 50 billion gallons is used each day for agricultural purpose. The vigorous pumping of groundwater to meet the growing demands is consuming the resources at an accelerated rate. If appropriate measures are not undertaken a vast majority of the population is looking forward to thirsty days.
If we are unable to detect and ensure purity of drinking water, our body can get battered with microorganism, viruses, and bacteria, or by inorganic harmful metals, salts, pesticides, herbicides, organic chemicals, or even by radioactive materials. Our body can play host to number of diseases including, diarrhea, typhoid, hepatitis, measles, and malaria, which are more reasons of concern than the Ebola outbreak.