Clean
drinking water is one of the world's most precious resources. In
the United States, clean drinking water is something that we don't
think about enough. Usually, it's free of contaminants and isn't
a source of illness. However, drinking water-related outbreaks do
occur. In fact, their numbers are increasing, as CDC data for the
latest reporting periods of 1999-2000 show*. In parts of the developing
world, clean water has never been easy to come by. As a result,
millions of people become ill every year and millions more die from
parasites, bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants found in drinking
water.
Take
a moment to consider the following questions about drinking
water:
1
Are you one of the 52% of Americans who depend on ground water
for your drinking water, either from a public source or private
well?
If
you receive your drinking water from a private well, we suggest
that every year you schedule a well checkup. Why is this important?
Over half of the disease outbreaks linked to drinking water reported
to CDC in 1999-2000 were ground water-related. Most occurred
because the wells were either improperly built or maintained.
For
more information on wells and healthy drinking water, see
2
Does your water come from a public source such as ground water
(a well) or surface water (a river)?
If so, contact your water utility. Ask for a copy of their Consumer
Confidence Report (CCR), sometimes also called a Water Quality
Report. Water providers now must produce this report every year.
It tells you what substances have been found in the water and whether
or not it's safe to drink. Your cities Water
Quality Report may be posted on the Environmental Protection
Agency's website. See the EPA
Consumer Confidents Reports page for details.
 3
Did you know that people are processing safe, clean water with inexpensive,
easy-to-get materials, in areas of the world where clean water is
hard to find?
The Safe Water System (SWS) is one way this is
done. A collaborative project of CDC and public and private organizations,
the SWS helps people learn how to make their own drinking water
with inexpensive tools and materials they already have around them.
- Visit the CDC
Safe Water System website to learn how and why it was
developed, how it works, and how to start one.
4
Learn more about healthy drinking water through
National Ground Water Awareness Week and World Water Day
It's National Ground Water Awareness Week . Go
to the National
Ground Water Awareness Association website for information
about ground water, well safety, and maintenance. Plus, you can
participate in awareness week activities.
March 22 is World Water Day and
this year the theme is “Water and Disasters.” This theme focuses
on the impact that natural and man-made disasters have on water
resources. Go to the World
Water Day 2004 website for information on events around the
world.
Note:
CDC is not responsible for the content of Web pages found at these
links. Links to nonfederal organizations are provided solely as
a service to our users. These links do not indicate an endorsement
of these organizations by CDC or the federal government.
|
