There are many forms of water pollution that we can’t seem to escape, which shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Water is a natural substance that comes from our mountains, skies and lakes. Animals drink it, bathe in it, and live in it. It passes through minerals and a plethora of substances out of our initial control.
Good thing we have a mandated government control of water treatment. But what happens when some of this bacteria and other water pollution gets into our drinking water, and how do you look out for it?
There are a plenty of types of water-borne diseases. Although you can’t spot most of them without a microscope, there are more than enough ways to stay alert. Knowing these bacterias and their symptoms is a good place to begin:
- Legionella, which is an environmental bacteria usually found to grow best in warmer water, like hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks, large plumbing systems, or parts of air conditioning systems of larger buildings. Legionella bacteria is a big health risk if aerosolized, like an air conditioning system or a shower, and then inhaled. Inhalation can result in a type of pneumonia known as Legionnaires Disease.
- Coliforms, such as E-Coli, which is a fecal coliform, contaminated by human or animal waste. They cause short term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea and headaches, however they may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with weak immune systems.
- Salmonella, strep, and aeromonas are a few bacteria's that are less common, all of which have symptoms that consist of fevers, cramps, intestinal issues, and diarrhea.
So what do you do in the case that your city/state alerts that the water has been contaminated? Before any crisis even arises, start by keeping a few jugs of water in storage, always. This will be needed for showering, drinking, and restroom purposes. Next, aside of keeping emergency jugs of water, start by paying attention to warning signs. If someone drank contaminated drinking water, watch them, and if they get sick, go to the hospital immediately.
Well what should be done if you run out of the water you had in case of emergency? At this point, and before, it would be good to keep a water filter on hand. Keeping a water filter will allow for you to have portable water, being able to drink or pump from anywhere. This will also make sure to get rid of bacterias by allowing you to do your own water treatment.
As stated before, we have a mandated government control on our water treatment, but there is sometimes they still allow some to pass. Unless you do reverse osmosis, it is pretty difficult to get rid of all contaminants, so to be safe you should keep that water filter close by. Water filters keep your water fresh, clean and tasting spectacular. Our personal preference is the Oasis. The Oasis is the first ever customizable filtration system. It is far more than just a water filter, it is a filtration and enhancement system that can be adapted to meet your needs. To learn more about this new technology click here.