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Life on Earth would not be possible without water... a fact recognized by all early cultures and religions.
Having enough water for drinking and personal hygiene is essential, but quantity by itself is not sufficient. The quality of water is also a crucial health issue.
| Under the "water data" section you will find exhaustive data about the number of people who have access to improved water supply. The data are presented in tables, graphs and maps at global, regional and national levels. |
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| Water on Earth |
| Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface, but 97% of it is salt water. Of the 3% that is fresh water, three-quarters of it is "trapped" as ice, mainly at the North and South poles. |
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| Arsenic in Bangladesh wells |
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In Bangladesh, the groundwater used for drinking by tens of millions of people is contaminated with arsenic concentrations above acceptable levels.
The arsenic pollution comes from natural causes in this case – the arsenic is released to the groundwater mainly by microbial degradation of buried peat deposits.
For further info about this topic, click here
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The quality of water depends on the presence or absence of chemical elements...
To keep things simple, one can consider that the main sources of water pollution are bacteriological, but as the example of Bangladesh shows, it can also sometimes be chemical.
By the way, did you know that sunlight is an excellent natural water "purifier"? The ultraviolet rays in sunlight destroy bacteria, if exposed long enough.
| Guidelines for drinking-water quality |
| For further info about this topic, click here |
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