As you know, a person is 70% water. For this reason, it is impossible to rid oneself of the constant need for fluid. The only thing left is to drink water. To transport drinking water to homes today, water pipelines are used that are not as clean as many people think.
Running water: definition and types
Running or tap water - water that flows from the taps of private houses and apartments. The issues of providing houses are dealt with by the water utility. This practice has been applied in all cities of the world since the last quarter of the 19th century. Similar water is extracted, as a rule, from water intake facilities.
The temperature of running water can be different (from 0 to 60-75 degrees). Already, perhaps, everyone managed to notice that both hot and cold liquid can flow from the tap.
Modern water supply systems are able to provide premises with water of the following types:
- Drinking water".
- "Non-drinking", intended for agricultural needs and watering gardens.
- "Cleaned up." Suitable for cooking.
It is worth noting that today in Japan, the use of already used drinking water in flush tanks is actively practiced.
Disinfection Methods
Today it is almost impossible to meet a reservoir with perfectly clean water. This is due to the fact that almost all the rivers and lakes from which the resource is extracted are already polluted, not by nature, but by man.
In order for water to enter pipelines in purified form, a number of procedures are used:
- Chlorination.
- Ozonation
- Coagulation.
- Filtration.
At the end of the purification process, the water is re-chlorinated, after which it is sent to homes around the world.
During periods when floods or snowmelt begin, the liquid is subjected to several additional processes: the addition of activated carbon and potassium parchment, as well as repeated (third) chlorination.
What harm can cause health?
Running water can be harmful to human health if:
- It contains chlorine (almost always).
- There is contamination in the pipeline.
Thanks to the use of chlorine, people were able to prevent the development of infectious diseases. However, it was recently revealed that after chlorination, the liquid begins to accumulate various carcinogens in itself. Scientists also found that after the interaction of water and chlorine trichloromethane begins to form. And this compound can cause the development of cancer.
In the situation with pipes, we can say that the most purified water will be in those houses that are located closer to the treatment facilities. To get to more distant places, liquids often have to go 10 kilometers or more.
If the main pipes are replaced every few years, then rarely does anyone pay attention to the intra-house pipeline. For this reason, it is recommended to lower a few liters of stagnant liquid in the morning, which contains rust, mucus and other harmful elements.
Even if it seems to a person that the water in his faucet is supplied in its pure form, it is better to conduct a chemical analysis or rapid test. Drinking contaminated fluids can lead not only to infectious diseases. There will also be a risk of getting diseases of the cardiovascular system, oncology, kidney problems, etc.
Sediment of tap water
Thanks to sedimentation, everyone can clean the running water with their own hands. To implement the process, you only need to perform the following steps:
- Cover the water tank with a lid and leave to settle.
- After about 5 hours, a precipitate will form at the bottom of the tank in the form of chemicals in the liquid.
- Remove 2/3 of the water, which can be used for cooking or drinking. The rest should be poured, because it still contains substances that have not had time to settle.
It is strongly discouraged to uphold water for more than 5 hours, since after this period a pathogenic flora containing bacteria harmful to humans will begin to actively develop in it.
It is also worth noting the disadvantages of this cleaning method:
- Too long process.
- Only part of the liquid is suitable for use.
- There is no guarantee that all sources of danger are neutralized.
The undoubted advantage of upholding is that any person can produce it - it is enough to have a container and a lid.