It’s recommended that we drink two and a half litres of clean water every day to keep our bodies running smoothly.
Our bodies are composed from 60% water, so it’s no surprise that water is so important . It’s essential to plan ahead when going camping, travelling abroad or heading anywhere that you are unsure about the availability or sanitation of water.
Here are just four waterborne diseases to show why purification is so important.
Cryptosporidium
This parasite can also cause gastrointestinal problems for those affected. For people with weaker immune systems it can even be life threatening. Cryptosporidium can be found all over the world and was even identified in Galway in 2007, with residents being recommended to boil the water from their taps.
Hepatitis A
A viral liver infection, this is best avoided as there is no cure and can last 2-6 months. Symptoms tend to start as aches and sickness along with a fever. As it is a liver infection you can also become jaundiced.
Typhoid Fever
This highly contagious bacterial infection is found in areas with poor sanitation and a lack of clean water. Stomach pains and headaches are accompanied by a bad fever and in some cases can become fatal.
Salmonella
This bacterial infection can be transmitted through untreated water and food. Sickness and fever are the usual symptoms.
All of this doesn’t make for particularly cheerful reading, but there is good news.
These nasty waterborne diseases can be prevented by taking the right action!
How to purify water
Boiling
Put the kettle on! This method is the best known and some would say simplest. It’s important to make sure that the water has been boiled for a good 5 minutes to ensure it is safe. Then of course you need to wait until it has cooled to drink.
Chemicals
A great method is to use water purification tablets.
Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2) is one of the most effective water disinfectants available. TMB water purification tablets can be used to treat water sourced from rivers, wells and taps. Effective against a wide range of water borne diseases including Cryptospoidium and Giardia.
Each pack contains 30 convenient, individually foil wrapped tablets – each tablet will treat 1 litre of water.
Filter System
The Lifestraw product incorporates mechanical filtration. When you suck on your LifeStraw, water is forced through hollow fibres. Almost all dirt, bacteria or parasites are trapped in the fibres, while the clean water passes through. When you’re done drinking, you simply blow air out the straw to clear the filter.
