Introduction:
Tap water is also municipal water from large wells, lakes, reservoirs, or rivers. Such water usually passes through a water treatment plant before being piped into homes and businesses. However, drinking water contamination may still occur. Certain regions can get highly exposed to toxins, like industrial pollutants or bacteria from agricultural processes. Some germs may make a person sick if they are in tap water. There are various germs that most usually infect tap water and cause disease.
Various measures are being taken to avoid the entry of bacteria into tap water and to remove or control them. The Safe Drinking Water Act describes the term ‘contaminant’ as any biological, physical, chemical, or radiological substance or matter in water. So, the law defines ‘contaminant’ extensively as anything other than water molecules. Tap water used as drinking water may be expected to contain at least low amounts of some contaminants. Some drinking water contaminants can be harmful if consumed at specific levels in drinking water, while others may not be harmful.
What Are the Common Tap Water Infections?
Tap Water infections can also be categorized as waterborne infections, some of which are given below:
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Typhoid Fever (Enteric Fever) - It is a bacterial infection caused by contaminated food and water.
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Cholera - A bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhea along with dehydration due to contaminated water.
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Giardia - It is a diarrheal disease that causes intestinal infection due to contaminated water and food.
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Dysentery - Intestinal inflammation and infection leading to bloody diarrhea. The condition is more commonly seen in children.
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Escherichia Coli - A group of bacteria causing severe infection in the urinary tract, gut, and other body parts.
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Hepatitis A - It is a highly contagious infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus due to contaminated water or food.
Some infections are curable and not fatal if diagnosed in time, while others cannot be cured and are deadly. For example, typhoid fever spreads through contaminated food, infected water, and poor sanitation, and it is highly contagious. It can be treated with antibiotics, and vaccines are available for people traveling where typhoid fever is prevalent. Cholera is spread by consuming contaminated water, resulting in severe dehydration and diarrhea. Cholera may be fatal within days or even hours of exposure to the bacteria, but only a few people may develop life-threatening symptoms.
Dysentery is another infection that bacteria, viruses, or parasites can cause present in some infected food and water and by people coming in contact with fecal matter or the water infected by the fecal matter. If someone with dysentery does not replace fluids at regular intervals, depending on the condition of the individual, the person's life could be in danger. Symptoms of dangerous strains of E. coli are identical to those of dysentery and other water-borne diseases.
What Are the Different Categories of Tap Water Contaminants?
The following are general categories of drinking water contaminants, and examples of each are given below:
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Physical Contaminants: The contaminants mainly impacting the physical appearance or other physical properties of water are known as the physical contaminants of water. One of the examples of physical contaminants can be sediment or organic material suspended in the water or lakes, rivers, and streams from soil erosion.
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Chemical Contaminants: The contaminants that are elements or compounds are known as chemical contaminants. Such contaminants can be naturally seen or can also be man-made. Some examples of chemical contaminants constitute salts, nitrogen, bleach, metal, pesticides, toxins produced by bacteria, and human or animal drugs.
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Biological Contaminants: Such contaminants are the organisms present in water. They are also called microbes or microbiological contaminants. Biological or microbial contaminants include viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and parasites.
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Radiological Contaminants: The contaminants are the chemical elements with an imbalanced number of protons and neutrons, giving rise to unstable atoms emitting ionizing radiation. Some examples of radiological contaminants include cesium, plutonium, and uranium.
How Does Tap Water Get Contaminated?
Some germs and chemicals enter the drinking water from the water's source or through the distribution system even after the water has been treated. Harmful germs and chemicals can infect the water from many sources, some of which include the following:
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Pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals used or discarded on land near the water resource.
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Large concentrated feeding operations of animals.
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Manufacturing units.
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Overflowing sewer.
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Soil and rocks naturally emit chemicals and minerals like radon or uranium.
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Water pipe cracks or any other problems related to distribution systems.
What Are Some of the Bacteria That Contaminates Tap Water?
There are a few types of germs that have the potential to contaminate the tap water and spread the infection in human bodies. Some of them are given below:
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Cryptosporidium.
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Campylobacter.
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Escherichia Coli (E. Coli.).
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Enterovirus.
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Giardia.
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Hepatitis A virus.
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Legionella.
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Norovirus.
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Rotavirus.
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Salmonella.
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Shigella.
The most common source of these bacteria is the feces of humans or animals, which may get mixed with any water resources or may get transmitted into tap water through cracked pipes or any other technical problem. As mentioned above, the most common tap water-borne infections due to the bacteria are diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, vomiting, runny nose, muscle cramps, sneezing, cough, mouth blisters, skin rashes, and dehydration.
What Are Some of the Chemicals That Contaminate Tap Water?
Some chemicals may make humans fall sick if they are present in the tap water at levels that are not safe. Chemicals mentioned below usually are some of the tap water contaminants and cause infectious diseases:
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Radon.
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Arsenic.
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Copper.
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Lead.
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Nitrate.
Some of the symptoms of diseases or the infection may include decreased production of red and white blood cells, nausea and vomiting, abnormal heart rhythm, damage to blood vessels, a sensation of ‘pins and needles’ in hands and feet, decreased blood pressure, increased heart rate, headaches, stomach cramps, and vomiting. Also, chemicals like radon are the second most common cause of lung cancer, preceded by cigarette smoking.
Conclusion:
By using good environmental management, water-borne infections can be avoided or prevented. As mentioned in the article, various agents may infect tap water. Water should be treated appropriately before being supplied to homes, offices, and schools. Water pipelines should be checked occasionally to avoid any cracks or structural defects. Untreated water from lakes, rivers, springs, ponds, streams, or shallow wells should be avoided for drinking purposes. Everyone should practice good personal hygiene to prevent contagious diseases. Washing hands is important. Being cautious and vigilant regarding tap water infections and their spread can help prevent them from disrupting human life.
