Water is life, currently, nobody can underestimate the efficacy and relevance of good and quality water system. It is needed by plant and animals for survival, healthy growth of hormone, most significantly during reproduction. Good and clean water is odorless, tasteless, sparkling and above all colorless. When water is contaminated, it may cause diseases that are referred to as water-borne diseases.

Water-borne diseases are diseases that are mainly caused by drinking or using contaminated water.  The causative organisms (organisms that cause it, known as pathogens), are present in such water.  Getting clean and safe water for use in many parts of our country is a major problem, especially in the rural areas during the dry season.  In rural areas the commonest water sources includes springs, wells, rivers, streams and rain water.  Most of these sources may contain microbes that are responsible for one disease or the other.   Examples of water-borne diseases are Cholera, diarrhea, typhoid fever, dysentery and guinea worm.

Cholera

The causative organism of cholera is vibro cholera, a bacterium, which was discovered by the German bacteriologist; Robert Koch.  The only means by which a person can be infected by Cholera is from contaminated food or water

 The symptoms of Cholera can include the following ;

1.      Frequents stooling that is sometimes called ‘rice-water stool’. 

2.      Vomiting                             

3.      Loss of water and salts in the stool (dehydration)

4.      Fever

5.      Weakness and stomach upset

 If the victim is not treated promptly cholera could lead to death.   

Treatment of Cholera

 Cholera can be treated orally or by intravenous replacement of fluids and salt.  

Antibiotics, which are prescribed by a medical doctor, can also be used.

 

Prevention of Cholera

Cholera can be prevented by

1.     Boiling water before drinking and covering of food.

2.     Maintaining a high level of sanitation.

3.     Immunization of children and adults.

Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea is a disease that causes abdominal pains nausea, vomiting, watery stool, and low fever.  In severe cases, exhaustion and dehydration may occur.

In most cases, diarrhea may occur when the alimentary canal gets rid of anything irritating or dangerous to it, as a result of contamination with poisoning food or beverages.

Thyhoid fever

Typhoid fever is a disease that affects the intestinal tract, and occasionally, the bloodstream.  The disease strikes when the bacteria responsible are passed out in the stool of an infected person, and the germs contaminate food or drinking water.

The symptoms of typhoid fever include:

1.     Chills followed by a high fever.

2.     Headache

3.     Abdominal pain

4.     Vomiting and diarrhea

Note:   if the disease is not treated in time.  It may progress to sepsis that is an infection which produces pus, intestinal hemorrhage, and eventually death.

Treatment

The disease can be treated when the physician places the victim on certain drugs.  

Prevention

Typhoid fever may be prevented by

1.     Compulsory inspection of water supplies.

2.      Boiling of water before drinking

3.     Washing of hands after using the toilet

4.      Immunization against typhoid fever

5.      Improvement of Sewage facilities.  

Possible Sources of clean water

Water is a liquid substance at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.  Water is essential because we use it every day.  It is needed for life on earth by plants and animals.

There are many sources of water.   Examples are rain, wells, streams, rivers, seas and springs.  Not all these sources are clean.

Sources of clean water include the following:

1.     Pipe-borne water

2.     Spring water

3.     Rain water

4.     Certified, treated bottled water

5.     Certified, treated sachet water

Pipe-borne water could be referred to as a source of clean water, because it is a source of treated water from the water works.   Sometimes, pipe-borne water may be dirty, and that is when it is passed through rusty pipes.

 Certified bottled water and sachet water may also be taken as sources of clean water, because it is treated water authorized by a government by a government agency.

 Rain water, if collected directly from the sky, may also be considered as a source of clean water because it is formed by condensation of water vapor.

 Springs are a source of cleans water because they are formed when rain water seeps through the soil and reaches a layer of rock, which it cannot pass through.  It then accumulates and later reappears as spring when it finds an outlet.

Water treatment process

Water is essential for life, everybody knows,  Water has to be purified or treated to make it safe for drinking, domestic and industrial purposes.

Impurities in water collected from unclean sources such as rivers, streams, lakes and wells, can be grouped into two:

1.     Visible impurities, e.g. debris, leaves, stories and sand.

2.      Invisible impurities e.g. Microorganism.

Depending on the quality of water to be treated and the source, there are different ways by which water can be treated or purified.

In rural areas, water can be treated by filtering and boiling it before use, to remove visible and invisible impurities.

The steps to be taken are as follows:

1.      Collect water from a source

2.      Add little alum for dirt to flocculate (settle) and gently pour out the water.

3.      Boil the water for about thirty (30) minutes

4.      Allow the water to cool

5.     Tie a clean sheet of cloth around the mouth of a pot

6.      Pour the water gently into the cloth and allow to seep into the pot, so as to have filtered water.

In cities, water is usually treated and distributed to different homes and industries at water works (stations and where purification of water is carried out).  The following steps are taken in water treatment at water works.

1.    Collection of water from sources such as rain, rivers, and lakes, and storing in large settling tanks.

2.      Coagulation/flocculation:  Chemicals like potash are added to water to cause the clumping together of suspended particles like sand (coagulation). The dirt now settles down rapidly at the base of the tank.

3.    Filtering water through a filter bed:  The water is passed through a filter bed to remove the remaining fine particles of dirt and make it colourless and odourless.

4.     Distribution:  a calculated amount of Chlorine is added to the water to kill germs.   Addition of chlorine may make the water slightly acidic. To remove this effect, and improve its taste, time is added.

5.     Sedimentation: The water is now passed into a sedimentation tank where the lime is allowed to settle.

6.      Addition of food supplements:  Clean water is led into high tanks (reservation) where chemicals like sodium; fluoride and iodine are added in the right amounts to prevent tooth decay and goiter respectively.

The clean water is now stoned and ready to be distributed through   pipes to different homes and industries respectively.

Most pipe-borne water supplies are quite safe because   the water has been treated and tested.  However, sometimes before it gets to your home.  It may pick up particles, especially if the pipes are rusty. So it is advisable to check and boil water before drinking.

Water can be purified in the laboratory either by filtration or distillation.

Advantages of Using Pipe-borne water

Pipe-borne water has the following advantages:

1.     It is safe to domestic use, because it has been treated to remove disease causing microorganisms.

2.     It contains food supplements such as sodium fluoride and iodine, which prevent tooth decay and          goiter respectively.

3.     It is more convenient and readily available for use at home.

4.     It reduces the risk of water getting contaminated, because water is confined within the pipe.