Health Watch - Safe Drinking Water

 

How easily do you drink water from the tap believing it's potable water? Many people who live in metropolitan areas believe that it's safe to drink water without giving thought to boiling it. The town water board makes residents believe that tap water is safe and has been treated. Unfortunately, tap water can also be contaminated and it takes some time before the contaminants are detected.

Many women in rural areas rely on rain water for their water supply. Some of the villagers have been able to find means to store water. Unfortunately, rain water doesn't last throughout the year. Hence, some households depend on ponds, streams and river for household water supply. The water from these untreated sources are used in cooking, drinking, raising livestock, washing and bathing and other chores. It's not surprising that many water borne diseases are found mostly in rural areas, in the country, with limited safe water supply. Township dwellers are not altogether immune to water trouble.

In Nigeria, the advent of the sachet water phenomenon, popularly called pure water, has led to an increase in industrial handling of drinking water. Many entrepreneurs are into the water packaging business and have raised the question of whether these outlets are properly managed and regularized. Thanks to NAFDAC, one can pretend that there is some sore of control for public water handling and packaging.

The watchword is to boil your drinking water at home and make it safe for you and others. Drink bottled water rather than sachet water, when and where possible.