Water quality is a crucial aspect of life both in our personal lives, our homes, and the world around us. Poor water quality can damage ecosystems and even negatively affect the health of the families who depend on the water that comes out of their faucets to be clean and safe. These are some of the most important reasons that water quality should be a constant consideration.

The Importance of Clean Water and COVID-19

In the modern world, there is little that most people can do to escape a constant barrage of information about the pandemic of COVID-19. It’s common knowledge now that everyone needs to do everything in their power to help stop the spread of the virus both for their own sake and for the sake of those around them. 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the virus isn’t likely to spread through the contamination of drinking water. However, that doesn’t mean that water quality if completely out of the equation. 

One of the most basic measures that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends is frequently washing your hands to reduce cross-contamination. This is a practice that requires access to soap as well as a clean reliable water source. This is far more effective than hand sanitizer alone and an important hygienic practice, especially now more than ever.

Use of Clean Water Within Households

An issue that remains important at all times is the need for clean water for human consumption. Hydration is a key ingredient to survival and good health. Without access to clean water, human life is put in direct danger. 

It isn’t just water directly for drinking that poses a concern too. We use water to make our drinks, cook our food, and even keep our homes clean and livable. Without access to clean, high-quality water, these tasks would be impossible or at the very least much less safe – a struggle that millions have to deal with daily. 

Again, access to clean water is also a part of hygienic practices such as washing your hands, showering, and brushing your teeth. In this way, an inability to access water of high quality can affect long-term health conditions for both children and adults. For instance, an inability to brush your teeth with clean water can cause a whole slew of dental problems down the road. 

The good news is that there are products frequently coming out to help you improve the water quality in your own home. From filtered pitchers ensuring that you have clean drinking water whenever you need to water softeners that will help filter out ‘hardness minerals’ like magnesium and calcium. These even come with instructions that will help you understand exactly what they do and how you can use them to get the most out of them.

Water Quality and Wildlife

Water quality doesn’t just affect humans either. The ecosystems around us are constantly dependant on the availability of high-quality water. Additional nutrients in the water, sediments such as road salt or chemical runoff in the water have an immediate effect on the wildlife in the area. 

Generally, the populations most affected by the presence of low-quality water in an ecosystem include fish, bugs, and plants. Aquatic wildlife often bears the most immediate effects but semi-aquatic and terrestrial animals that live outside of bodies of water will follow. After all, even if these organisms don’t live directly in the water, they rely on the water to survive, much like humans do. 

Continuously low-quality water in an ecosystem can further disrupt elements such as the food chain in the area and the survival rates of indigenous species. These are effects that are wide-reaching and can quickly damage if not completely decimate the ecosystem affected by the dip in water quality. This imbalance of nature is something that can quickly affect communities in the surrounding area.

Final Thoughts

The sentiment that we need to work harder now than ever to make sure that communities have access to the fresh, clean, high-quality water that they need to survive. Once again, according to the CDC, there are approximately 780 million people who don’t have access to clean, high-quality water. This causes rampant health issues ranging from dehydration to an inability to practice sanitation and hygiene practices that most people with access to clean water would consider basic. This problem in sanitation affects over 35% of the global population which measures out to approximately 2.5 billion people around the world with limited access to a safe water supply. 

Even in your own homes, where you may have access to a reliable and safe water source, don’t take it for granted. You can further filter contaminants and unwanted minerals in the supply with the use of water softeners and filters.