Bacteria, protozoa’s, and parasites have been found in your drinking water since the 1920’s. Many times you don’t even realize you have an issue until you notice a recurrent problem with your family’s health. Perhaps they have been having gastrointestinal problems with no cause in sight. In fact water borne illnesses are responsible for 1.8 million deaths each year and this is why it is so important to take the necessary steps to ensure safe and clean drinking water for your family.

Bacteria

Did you know that your drinking water might contain coliform or other bacteria, which could cause your family to contract E Coli, Giardiasis or several other conditions? The bacteria that show up in drinking water include Bolulism, Campylobacteriosis, Cholera, E Coli, Marium Infection, Dysentary, Legionellosis, Leptospirosis, Swimmers Ear, Salmonellosis, Typhoid Fever and Vibrio Illness. Symptoms of E Coli include diarrhea and cramps. Babies and young children as well as the elderly may experience severe complications from E Coli. Symptoms of other bacterial infections from drinking water include dry mouth, muscle weakness, fever, cramps, nausea, rapid pulse, rash, diarrhea, irritated ear canal, liver damage and meningitis.

Protozoa

Many different protozoa’s that can cause illness have been found in your drinking water supply. These contaminants are responsible for Amoebiasis, Cryptosporidiosis, Cyclosporidiosis, and Microsporidiosis. Cryptosporidiosis causes symptoms that range from headache, nausea, vomiting and sometimes even fever. It presents itself two days to one week after drinking the affected water and symptoms of Giardiasis include pale or greasy stools, abdominal cramping, bloating and fatigue. Symptoms are normally present one to three weeks after drinking the contaminated water. Amoebiasis and Microsporidiosis cause diarrhea, cramps, weight loss, and bloating. It can begin a few days or even a few weeks after consuming the infected water. Amoebiasis alone causes on average 70,000 deaths each year. Cyclosporidiosis causes muscle aches, diarrhea, and cramping on average about one week after drinking the water.

Parasites

Parasites are present in many public water supplies and private wells. They can cause many different symptoms including a rash, itchy skin, nausea, vomiting, neurologic conditions, enlargement of liver, cough and hyperactivity. Illnesses in this category include Immersion, Guinea Worm Disease, Taeniasis, Fasciolopsiasis, Dwarf Tapewom Infection, Hydatid Disease, Coenurosis, Ascariasis and Enterobiasis.

What can I do to keep my family safe?

If your public water supply or well is contaminated, you must take action to prevent any illnesses. Actions you can include using a filter to clean your water or purchasing bottled water. The only way to find out if your family is in danger is to test your water.

The problem with purchasing bottled water is the fact that most of it comes from another public water supply. Even when it is true “spring water” there is the worry of contamination from the ground such as fecal material from any nearby farms. The National Resource Defense Council estimates that over 40% of bottled water are in fact from another public water supply not a spring. True spring water is also at risk from ground water run off especially if there is a farm nearby.

Good Practice - Testing Water Quality

If you are not sure about the quality of the water in your household, you can always have it tested. It is worth doing this for the safety of the people who use it. Especially since this is not an exorbitantly expensive nor time-consuming process.

The testing of water determines several indicators, and then compares them with the requirements set by the state institutions dealing with these issues. If any of these indicators are exceeded, the water must be filtered (e.g. with a Berkey water filter) or - if this cannot be done at home or is too expensive - another water supply must be found, although this is usually a last resort.

Filtering Your Water

Water filters such as the Black Berkeys have the ability to remove 99.9999% of bacteria, parasites and protozoa, in addition to over 95% of heavy metals as well as all pesticides.

Filtering your water is convenient especially when using a filter like the Black Berkey because unlike disposable filters, it can be washed out and can be used for 6,000 gallons of water.

Conclusion

The simple act of turning on a facet and drinking a nice tall glass of water can make you sick if the water is contaminated. We all know that we need appropriately 64 ounces of water each day to keep our body hydrated. Keeping your family safe while consuming water can be accomplished by using a berkey water filter.

We all know you want to keep your family safe. While purchased drinking water sounds like a solution, it can also be contaminated as many times it comes from another public water source.

The best way to keep your family safe is with a water filter. Filters remove contaminants and keep you safe.