Pure Water: The Global Problem
One of the leading causes of death in the world is the lack of pure water. Impure water filled with bacteria, disease, and parasites can cause a myriad of health problems. One of the main health problems that result from impure water is dysentery, which kills around 1.5 million children under the age of five every single year. Unfortunately, it is believed that these deaths could be avoided if there was adequate sanitation and, most importantly, pure drinking water available. The lack of water purification is a major problem for most third world countries and even many places in more prosperous countries as well.
Water purification is a process which removes contaminants from water including chemical and biological materials. Most prosperous countries have a complex water system treatment that includes a series of steps. The first step is the pre-treatment process which rids the water of initial contaminates. A pH adjustment adjusts the pH for the water’s specified use. Next, flocculation is a process that clarifies the water and rids it of any discoloration. Afterwards the water is sent through sedimentation and filtration systems. But despite the complex water treatment systems available, the World Health Organization estimates that 1.1 billion people lack access to a cheap and convenient source of water purification. Because of this, many organizations have been formed to give areas access to water purification. Whether the goal is remote Africa water purification or Los Angeles water purification, the benefits can help millions of people avoid death and disease.