Have you given a thought as to why it is so important to drink plenty of water daily? As youngsters, we were taught by parents, adults and health care professionals to drink at least three litres of water a day. So, it became second nature for people to accept it, move on with their lives and drink water.

But do you truly know why drinking water is so important? Well, first of all, every cell in your body needs water to function properly. For example, you need to drink water to get rid of waste and digest your food. Naturally, as human beings, we tend to sweat, which water is the primary ingredient in perspiration.

What happens if you do not drink enough water? It can cause dehydration, of course, which will lead to unclear thinking and hallucinations; it can cause your body to overheat, change your mood and ultimately lead to kidney stones and constipation, which nobody wants.

Drinking water daily provides all of your cells with essential nutrients, primarily regulating your body temperature, protecting your organs and body tissue, delivering oxygen and nutrients to your cells etc.

Most people mistake coffee, tea, drinks, alcohol etc., as sources of hydration which is the complete opposite. While such fluids do count towards your fluid intake, it does not serve as a source for hydration.

The only liquids that do assist with hydration are H2O (Water) and milk. But, again, milk is not the ultimate alternative to not having to drink water. Your body still needs the nutrients that are available in the water.

While water provides essential nutrients and oxygen that our bodies desperately need to maintain good health, there are some negatives to water that you need to pay close attention to.

What are the negatives?

Here are three examples of harmful bacteria found in untreated water:

Legionella Pneumophila

While the name does not sound bad, this nasty bacteria can cause significant bacterial infections in your lungs, health problems, and Legionella can be potentially fatal for any infected person. 

Therefore, it is critical to ensure that all business owners, landlords, company directors, healthcare organisations, and hospitals follow proper legionella risk assessment procedures.

Any business that falls under The Health & Safety Act 1974 is legally required to have legionella risk assessment procedures performed at least once a year or if any changes were made to the businesses water systems, changes to key staff etc.

Legionella Pneumophila flourishes in warm water found in cooling tanks, hot water tanks, hot tubs, and large plumbing systems. People can get infected by inhaling droplets from something as simple as an air conditioning system.

Much like ordinary flu, the symptoms of Legionella disease:

• Muscle pains
• Headaches
• High temperature
• Fever
• Diarrhoea
• Mental confusion

Cryptosporidiosis

Cryptosporidiosis, also known as Crypto, is a diarrheal disease caused by a protozoan parasite. Cryptosporidiosis is passed in a stool from an infected animal or human and can live outside of the body due to the parasite being protected by an outer shell.

People can be infected with Crypto by drinking contaminated water or swallowing contaminated water whilst swimming, eating foods that are contaminated with Crypto or coming into contact with people or animals that are sick because of Cryptosporidiosis.

Symptoms of Cryptosporidiosis include:

• Vomiting
• Weight loss
• Watery diarrhoea
• Stomach cramps
• Fever
• Loss of appetite

The symptoms typically begin one week after exposure to the parasite.

Giardiasis

Giardiasis is also a diarrheal illness that is caused by Giardia intestinalis, also known as Giardia lamblia. This parasite can survive for long periods outside the body. It is also caused by a stool passed from an infected human or animal.

Giardia can be found in water, soil and surfaces that have been contaminated with infected animals and human faeces. Giardia can be transmitted by drinking or accidentally swallowing contaminated water, eating foods that have been infected with the parasite and faecal exposure during sexual activity etc.

Common symptoms of Giardiasis:

• Diarrhoea
• Bloating and gas
• Floating stools
• Slight fever
• Stomach cramps
• Loss of appetite 

Generally, symptoms of infection begin one to three weeks after exposure.

How you can determine if your water is contaminated and how to prevent contamination:

Get The Test

To determine if the water at your business, tanks or pipes are contaminated, be sure to have proper legionella risk assessment procedures done today. It is legally required from you as an owner to ensure that the health and safety of your staff are taken care of.

Drink filtered water

When you are swimming or visiting another country, make sure that there is a proper filtering system in place and ask the people you are visiting if the water in the area is safe to drink. If not, buy filtered or bottled water.