Lifestyle Choices

Rain and snow are the original sources of all our drinking water. Raindrops are formed from the heavy vapor that arises from the sea. As the clouds pass over the land, they condense into drops of rain or flakes of snow. We are all familiar with the fact that a rainstorm clears the air, washing it clean and free from dust and smoke.

Raindrops are usually free from germs, although they may contain a little dust and perhaps a few harmless microbes. Trouble starts when the raindrops strike the surface of the earth. The rain that collects on cultivated fields, farmyards, and city streets may contain many different kinds of germs, some of which are harmful to man. Many of these germs found on the ground have come from the digestive organs of animals and human beings. These are the bacteria that often cause serious intestinal diseases.

But the trouble is not always with water that falls onto the ground. People who use tanks and cisterns must also be careful. Roof water may be almost as badly contaminated with germs that have found their way there by dust blowing up from the street. There is also the problem of germs from the droppings of birds. Tank or cistern water should always be boiled or sterilized.

The water from ponds and lakes is always contaminated. Much of this water may have washed over from streets and highways. Or it may have been contaminated by people living in the vicinity. Even though this water may appear sparkling and clear, it may contain many harmful germs, such as intestinal parasites, liver flukes, hookworms, amoeba, typhoid, dysentery, and many more.

Thus there is a vast difference between the relatively pure raindrops as they fall and the condition of the water once it has reached the ground. The most polluted water of all may be the rivulet rushing down a hillside just after a heavy shower of rain. This is particularly true following a long spell of dry weather.

When rain strikes the ground, it divides and travels in two different routes toward the sea. Part of the water remains on the surface and flows into small streams, then into larger rivers, and finally reaches the sea. This surface water, which is always badly contaminated at first, does tend to purify itself by various means after some time elapses.

The other part of the rainfall penetrates the surface soil. It supplies the needs of the plant world. Part of this water flows underground toward some stream or pond and by this means finally reaches the sea. Sandy soil allows the water to penetrate freely. Clay and rock may prevent further penetration, so that the water remains at a certain level, or strata. If the side of a hill cuts across one of these barriers, the water may gush out in the form of a spring. Whenever we sink a well, we tap these same underground sources of water.

Most spring water is pure and free from germs. In passing through the different layers of earth, the germs either die or are largely filtered out.

Well water is also pure, provided there is no surface contamination near the vicinity of the well itself. People living in the country need to, take great care to keep their own water supplies free from contamination. Farmyards and barns are a constant menace because of the animal wastes on the surface of the ground. To guard against this, the mouth of the well should be set at a higher level, preferably some distance away from the barnyard. This will help to prevent pollution from animal droppings or human carelessness.

 

How Water Streams Purify Themselves

Large bodies of water on the surface of the ground also tend to purify themselves if given enough time. There may be many germs present in the water, but they usually die out fairly rapidly because they are no longer living in the warm fluids of the human body. Again, there are certain viruses that prey on germs, quickly destroying them. Sunlight also helps to eliminate germs in the water, just as it does on the land.

In sparsely settled countries all villages and towns are naturally located close to streams and rivers. As the communities grow, so does the need for more water. The larger the city, the greater its demand for water. This was well recognized in ancient times. Two thousand years ago the city of Rome was supplied by nine great aqueducts. One of these aqueducts was sixty-two miles in length and flowed forty-eight miles underground. All over Western and Southern Europe, as well as in North Africa and the Middle East, the traces of these fine aqueducts remain to this day. Their graceful arches of stone can still be seen, crossing the plains and bridging the valleys, bringing water to supply the cities. Some of them are still in use today.

With the breakup of the ancient world under the impact of the barbarian hordes, many of these cities were destroyed, and their fine water systems were abandoned. For centuries people lived in ignorance, and disease was rampant. Finally the day dawned when, with the growth of more orderly ways of living, the need for better sources of water once more became apparent. There were many pitfalls and failures as engineers and scientists struggled painfully to restore and rebuild what had been lost.

Today our modern systems of water conservation are far more efficient than the best of those in the ancient world. Great pumping plants and filtration systems are making it possible for people to live in places that once were nothing but arid deserts. It is so easy for us to forget the importance of water in our lives. When we turn on the water in our homes, it is well to consider the enormous amount of planning and construction that has gone into making all this possible.

 

Purifying Your Own Drinking Water

If there is any question about the purity of your own drinking water, you should boil it. Water is so easily contaminated. It soon becomes unfit for human use. Do not be deceived. Water that may look pure may be full of germs that you cannot see. If you have your own well, you should have the water tested by an expert from the public health department in your area.

City water supplies are usually safe, but not always, especially during the drier times of the year. Boiling the water for one minute will destroy any harmful germs that may be present. That is why hot drinks are safer to use when you are away from home. But wherever you are, you must remember that the purest water can easily be polluted unless it is kept in clean vessels.

There are a number of chemicals that may be used to purify your water. One of the best is the chemical known as calcium hypochlorite. This is now supplied in ampules, one half a gram ampule being sufficient to purify thirty-six gallons of water. This is the process referred to as chlorination. Any good household bleaching solution will serve for this purpose. They all contain sodium hypochlorite. Just add ten drops of the bleaching solution to each gallon of water. This will destroy all the bacteria within half an hour. One quart of the bleaching solution will purify 1,500 gallons of water. These bleaching solutions are simple and inexpensive. They are also quite safe.

 

Water the Liquid of Life

Water is truly the liquid of life. Nothing else can ever take its place. A safe water supply is essential to every home. Water enters into every reaction within the human body. More than two thirds of your body is composed of water in some form. Every day your kidneys filter between fifteen and twenty gallons of water for you. Most of this fluid is taken back into the blood stream again. Only a small fraction passes out as urine. This excreted water carries away the waste chemicals your body no longer needs.

The person who does not take enough water may soon have trouble with his internal organs. He may suffer from constipation and other digestive complaints. Stones may form in his kidneys and bladder, and severe infections may result. The lack of sufficient water may place an extra burden on his heart. Everyone who desires to remain strong and healthy should have an abundant supply of pure water each day, for water is truly the liquid of life.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
Safeguarding our Drinking Water, Purify Liquid Water

• Water, water, water VS Alcoholic Beverages
• Hunger Can be Thirst
• Dieting? You can have Zero-Fat Miracle Yogurt Spread
• The Good Health Kitchen
• Guarding Your Family’s Health, Great Care, far away from Infection, Bacteria and Contamination
• Soy Oil, the Food Products From Soybeans
• The Pleasure and Nutrition Principle
• Skin Tonics
• Nothing requires more Skill in the Home than Cooking: Principles of Good Cooking
• Harmonious Home Scent Vibrations