Drinking water, also known as potable water, is water that is safe for ingestion either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, depending on factors such as age, gender, activity level, and climate. Drinking water quality is important for public health, and parameters for drinking water quality typically fall within three categories: physical, chemical, and microbiological.
Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to the transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and others. Inadequate management of urban, industrial, and agricultural wastewater means the drinking water of hundreds of millions of people is dangerously contaminated or chemically polluted. Natural presence of chemicals, particularly in groundwater, can also be of health significance, including arsenic and fluoride, while other chemicals, such as lead, may be elevated in drinking water as a result of leaching from water supply components in contact with drinking water.
Drinking water comes from a variety of sources, including public water systems, private wells, or bottled water. Ensuring safe and healthy drinking water may be as simple as turning on the tap from an EPA-regulated public water system. Other water sources may need a water filter, a check on water fluoridation, or an inspection to ensure a septic tank is not too close to a private well.
The amount of water a person should drink in a day to stay healthy varies depending on factors such as age, gender, activity level, and climate. Water keeps every system in the body functioning properly, and it has many important jobs, such as carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells, flushing bacteria from your bladder, and aiding digestion. If a person doesnt drink enough water each day, they risk becoming dehydrated, which can cause symptoms such as dark yellow urine, weakness, low blood pressure, dizziness, or confusion. All beverages containing water contribute toward daily hydration needs, but water is still the better choice.
