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. Granted, 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 period 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.
This
week, in honor of National Groundwater Awareness Week and World
Water Day, take a moment to consider drinking water sources:
1
Are you one of the 52% of Americans who depend upon 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 or lake)?
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. See the EPA
Consumer Confidence 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
cheaply and with tools and materials they already have around them.
- Visit
the CDC Safe Water System
Web site 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. Visit the http://www.ngwa.org
site. The Consumer
Corner is full of information about ground water, well safety,
and maintenance. Plus you can participate in awareness week activities.
March
22, 2003 is World
Water Day, and this year the day's activities focus
on Water for the Future. They highlight projects that inspire political
and community action and encourage greater global understanding
of the need for more responsible water use and conservation.
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.
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