Drinking Water Testing Is Becoming Increasing Important

By Minnie Whitley


The quality of water sources has continuously decreased over the last few years due to urbanization and industrialization. As a result drinking water testing should never be ignored. There are a lot of factors that affect the quality of H2O as it is transported from the sources. Some of them are ageing systems of supply, direct contamination at the source and nature of plumbing in our homes.

We can never rely on observation to determine if H2O is safe for drinking. Factors that one should check to determine the quality are not always visible. Again some of the effects of taking contaminated H2O are obvious while others are not. Due to this factor a source may not be conducive but people continue using it because the consequences are not instant. Professionals in water quality need to be careful on public supplies to avoid pandemics triggered by taking contaminated H2O.

Some people argue that they can tell if H2O in their houses is safe for drinking or not. The truth is that it is not easy. Such efforts only rely on your senses to alert you. Senses can only alert someone on a few things such as when it is unappetizing due to a contaminant like sulfur or too much chlorine which lead to a rotten smell.

Taking contaminated H2O can lead to adverse health effects. The effects can range from mild to severe ones like stomach ache, typhoid, cramps and diarrhea. The intensity of the impact on health is determined by amount of impurity present in the H2O, the period of time it has been present and amount of the contaminated water one takes.

Testing the quality of drinking H2O should be taken with the weight it deserves especially among people using private sources such as springs, wells and cisterns. Private sources should be tested regularly by the users. There are several reasons why testing has been emphasized more on private supplies. Some of the main reasons include the fact that there are no government programs and agencies charged with the responsibility of monitoring the quality of private H2O supplies. Due to this factor owners should realize it is their duty to determine if the source is safe and maintain the quality.

It is sad to note that most private supply systems are never analyzed at all. Latest survey has indicated that more than half of the private supplies are not tested. People should be enlightened on the importance of testing and their impacts of taking contaminated H2O. In many countries the testing is economical and convenient. The governments of various countries have made the test services more convenient by establishing a variety of analysis laboratories throughout the country.

Mere observation is not enough; carrying out a test is the only way to be certain about the safety of drinking water. This is because some of the pollutants are not visible and some of the health effects caused by contaminated H2O may not be instant. Some these effects are only noticeable after a long period of time.

Public awareness should be encouraged so that people understand for importance of testing water before they can use it for drinking. It is advisable that whenever people notice a change in the color, taste or smell of a H2O supply they keep of the site unless proved otherwise through a test.




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