Water Pollution and Drinking Water Safety Research Paper

Water Pollution and Drinking Water Safety - Research Paper Example The earth surface is 72% water most of it in liquid form. Drinking is a major use of water and, this draws the boundary between clean and polluted water. Water pollution is the introduction of foreign substance or contaminant on natural water sources such as rivers and lakes. Water pollution is a life-threatening problem and it has been attributed to civilization and increased human activities. Water that is available for drinking is continuously replaced by polluted water. This essay will investigate the implication of water pollution on drinking water. Different forms of water pollution can broadly be classified as natural and artificial pollution. Natural pollution is the introduction of foreign substance on water bodies through natural processes. This includes water pollution through soil erosion and other biological process such as decay. On the other hand, artificial pollution is the introduction of pollutant into water bodies through human activities. This includes intentional and unintentional dumping of material in water bodies. Industrial wastes, raw sewerage, agricultural chemicals, and domestic refuse are the main artificial water pollutant. Water pollution can be either point source or non point source. Point source water pollution refers to the entry of pollution through a single or a major point (Postel 97). This is a major characteristic for pollution caused by industrial waste. Non point source pollution refers to the introduction of pollutant through a multiple points. This is a major source of pollution for water bodies such as rivers passing through urban centers. The high rate of pollution of surface water has increased the importance of underground water as a source of drinking water. Unlike surface water, ground water is free from artificial pollution. However, ground water is prone to natural pollutant that makes it unsafe for drinking. Chemical substance such as sodium, iron, and manganese are the main pollutant of ground water. The lev el of concentration these substance determines the level of water pollution (Postel 91). In most cases, chemical pollution of ground water reaches severe levels making it unsafe for human consumption. This indicates that pollution is a major problem and a problem that threatens humanity. Pollution of ground water contributes to the scarcity of drinking water since ground water is the only alternative for safe drinking water that people have. Impacts of water pollution Pollution depletes water that is available for human consumption or for drinking. This is a problem of particular interest to developed countries. Despite being developed, people in these countries do not have access to drinking water due to pollution. India and China leads other countries in terms of water pollution and scarcity of safe drinking water. This is a contradiction since countries like China have abundant fresh water sources. Similarly, India has massive water resources despite its rivers being among the mo st polluted. Lack of safe drinking water in these countries is well indicated by the number of deaths that results from water poisoning (Cloete 104). It is estimated that in India 14, 000 people die annually due to water poisoning. The children are the most affected by lack of safe drinking water. Currently the country’s medical facilities handle over 1000 cases resulting from water related problems. Most of these cases are fatal and they cause most infant deaths. A survey carried by Habitat for Humanity on water bodies in US indicated that 47% of lakes in the country are at a severe state of pollution. In addition, 32% of bays and estuarine are polluted. This statistics shows that the countries suffer from acute water pollution a