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Drinking Water
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Environmental Quality:

Drinking Water Quality Facts

(Student Study Guide)

  • Less than one percent of the earth's total water supply is suitable for drinking. Most of the earth's water is in the oceans or polar ice caps.
  • Most of the rain water that falls to earth returns to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration, when the cycle is repeated.
  • In a typical U. S. home, the largest use of water is in the bathroom, which includes the toilet, bath and shower.
  • Federal laws designed to protect water quality in the United States include the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act.
  • The leading cause of water-borne illnesses in the United States is associated with Giardia, a small parasite found in the intestine of many mammals.
  • Rain water is not "new water." In fact, water is a finite entity and the same water we drank this morning was probably used by someone else thousands of years ago.
  • Contrary to a belief by many, bottled water is not necessarily safer or less safe to drink than water from a public supply.
  • The most effective way to disinfect water for drinking from an unproven source (a stream, for example) is to boil it at least a minute. Other methods, such as chlorine or antiseptic, may not kill all harmful organisms in the water.
  • Water freezes at the top of a lake (rather than the bottom) because water molecules are less dense near the freezing point and rise to the surface, where they freeze. If lakes and rivers froze at the bottom, life as we know it probably would not exist.
  • The term "groundwater" refers to water that is trapped in underground formations, often sand. Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water in Mississippi.
  • In Mississippi, drinking water is commonly pumped from underground wells, tested and treated for contaminants, and distributed underground to homes and businesses.
  • While most people in Mississippi get drinking water from a public supply (such as a city or community water system), from 15 to 20 percent of the population still gets drinking water from a private well.
  • The most frequently reported complaint among private well users in Mississippi is problems associated with iron. Although not a health threat, iron in water stains clothes, clogs water heaters and causes other problems.
  • The largest use of water in Mississippi is agriculture, which includes water uses for irrigation, aquaculture and other uses.
  • In general, Mississippi has good drinking water quality with few reported serious illnesses or conditions compared to some parts of the United

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