Increasing Water Contamination in a Thirsty World

Water contamination – big subject – where do we start? Water pollution, water diseases, and other forms of contamination effecting oceans, lakes, rivers, dams, creeks, and including contaminated ground water, is a major problem despite water quality management.

It’s estimated 14,000 people die each day due to drinking from a contaminated water supply. In countries across Asia and Africa an estimated 2 million die each year from water related disease, and that around 1 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean water or basic water purification systems.

While we associate water contamination with third world countries, where the lack of water purifiers and access to clean water is without doubt a critically acute problem, the Western world also face growing challenges.

Estimated effects of water pollution indicate 45% of the streams in the U.S.A., 47% of lake surface and 32% of coastal bays and estuaries suffer from water borne diseases and pollution, however, pollution in water is not always man-made. Causes of water pollution include climatic fluctuations leading to algae blooms, flooding, storms and earthquakes.

Contamination is assessed by the ability of the body of water to support marine or aquatic life, or as a drinking water system, particularly for human life. Contaminated groundwater or surface water may be caused by a range of contaminants such as pathogenic microbes including, viruses, parasitic protozoa, and bacteria, pesticides and herbicides, oil and petrol, salts and radioactive substances.

Contaminated water from industry, agriculture, storm water and untreated sewage significantly impacts on the purity of our water systems. While water quality can be critical for all sorts of activities such as farming, it is in the area of providing individual drinking water filters for human use that AquaSafeStraw really excels.

Surprising Water Contamination in Bottled Water

Important point to note when you are travelling – particularly with babies or young infants – bottled water is often just tap water, and is not sterile.

Bacteria in non-threatening numbers are naturally present in bottled water, however, within 30-days, and depending on the temperatures reached, these bacteria can grow substantially, prompting the World Health Organization to issue warnings directed to the elderly, pregnant women, and young children with a ‘heads up’ to all adults.

Cleanse Contaminated Drinking Water with AquaSafeCorp Filtration Devices

All AquaSafeCorp products are approved by a National Association of Testing Authorities laboratory to cleanse bacterial water contamination, and purify water of dangerous Cryptosporidium, and Giardia.

These chemical-free devices cleanse up to 500 liters (AquaSafeStraw) or 1000 litres (AquaSafeStraw+ and AquaSafeBottle+) and are an ecologically friendly, compact and economical.  AquaSafeCorp products are ideal for overseas trekking, airline or shipboard travel, hiking and camping – and is totally safe for all the family.