homework

Drinking-Water

Drinking-water is considered a local issue that has arisen in Virginia. This issue arisen despite the average number of the entire population in America taking one to two liters of drinking water daily. All the drinking water that is consumed in all states of America comes from the fresh surface waters and also from the groundwater aquifers. These surface and aquifers can be contaminated by different chemicals that are not good for the human body. While in the past people could drink water from these water bodies without fear; it is now no longer safe to drink any water that is not yet treated from any surface in Virginia. The days when piped water could be harvested directly from the river to people’s homes are now over.

Virginia waters are by no means considered as being pristine, although they are commonly holding their own or even bettering a bit in water eminence, despite an influx of 1.6 million individuals for the past last 20 years (American Water Works Association & Edzwald, 2017). By drinking water that is already Polluted water, greatly contributes to the transmission of ailments that are affecting the state of Virginia and its citizens. Also, inappropriate managed water and sanitation services discloses people to preventable health risks and bringing about water unavailability. Due to this mismanagement, patients and staff have ended up being placed at additional risk of infection and syndromes when the inadequacy of water and hygiene amenities are missing. Thus far, 15% of patients in Virginia have been recorded to have developed infections during their stay in hospitals. This number is expected to increase due to the lack of proper quality drinking water which is a directly related to the rise of diarrhea related sicknesses (United States National Water Commission, 2016). 

Yet, diarrhea is a water contamination illness that can be prevented and the deaths of children who are aged below five years could be evaded. The state of Virginia is working to set up measures that will assist in building up many water reservoirs to treat water that will be healthy for drinking. Through this process, cases of diarrhea are likely to decline greatly. Still with so much to evaluate in numerous water bodies large and small in Virginia, conditions are complex. In Virginia, waterways are taken as polluter’s paradise at the moment. More than 18 million pounds of poisonous substances are being dumped into lakes and other water grounds every year (Wolff, 2003). 

Lack of enough clean drinking water cases are being reported daily, which is a result of the citizens and the state government of Virginia’s negligence. Due to the massive cases that are related to the quality of drinking water, Virginia's upper Roanoke watershed is ranked as being the second-worst in the USA. It is recorded as having the highest amounts of toxic discharges that are released into the water bodies. Additionally, Virginia is a state where drinking water is not assured to be certified for human consumption.

References

American Water Works Association, & Edzwald, J. (2017). Quality drinking water & treatment: A handbook on drinking water. McGraw-Hill.

The United States National Water Commission and Water Pollution Panel. (2016). Water pollution control in the United States: A panel report.

Wolff, G. H. (2019). Drinking water: Nonpoint-source pollution.