Link Between Water Quality and Disease Outbreaks
- Published:
- Updated: January 6, 2025
Summary
Access to clean water is essential for human health, yet millions struggle to obtain it. Poor water quality can lead to disease outbreaks, caused by contaminants like microorganisms and chemicals. Common waterborne diseases include cholera, typhoid fever, and dysentery, often resulting from contaminated sources. Preventive measures include improving sanitation, monitoring water quality, and investing in infrastructure.
It’s the human right to drinking safe and clean water and millions around the world still don’t have it. We need to do something about bad water quality, it causes outbreaks of disease and has serious consequences on public health.
Contaminated Water
Drinking contaminated water can carry microbes, chemicals, and other chemicals that can get you sick if consumed or exposed to the skin. Bacteria, viruses and parasites can cause waterborne diseases in well water sources that are poorly maintained and properly hygienic.
The waterborne disease can be very asymptomatic — from mild stomach problems to life-threatening cholera, typhoid and dysentery. The signs of these diseases can be days later, so it’s hard to know where the contamination came from. Note that even a minor symptom of water-borne illness can be severe enough to result in chronic health issues, if undiagnosed.
Common Waterborne Diseases and Their Symptoms
The most prevalent are cholera, typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis A, giardiasis and shigellosis. A serious cholera is a disease of the gut that is caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae, which can be passed on via polluted waterways. If not immediately slowed, it can rapidly dehydrate and kill.
It’s caused by Salmonella typhi and transmitted by infected water and food. It is feverish, sluggish, and abdominal in nature, and when untreated, can result in major complications. Dysentery is an intestinal infection caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites and transmitted by polluted water and food. It will leave you diarrhoeal and thirsty.
Hepatitis A is a viral liver infection transmitted by infected water and food. It can have mild to severe symptoms such as abdominal cramping, tiredness and jaundice. Giardiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the parasite Giardia lamblia that’s transmitted via water and food. It’s a cause of diarrhoea, gas and abdominal cramps. Shigellosis is a bacteria infection caused by the Shigella bacteria and transmitted through contaminated water and food. It can be very diarrhoeal, clenching, and painful in the stomach.
Sources of Water Contamination
The sources of water pollution are endless: agricultural runoff, industrial discharge, sewerage and wastewater, minerals and organic materials, poor water treatment and distribution systems. From agriculture runoff, pesticides, fertilisers and other chemicals may clog waterways. Metals, toxic chemicals and other contaminants can leach into water from industrial effluent. It can be human excrement in sewage and sewerage which is a great source of bacteria and other pathogens.
There are natural water contamination sources such as minerals and organic compounds that can infiltrate waterways like rivers and lakes. Even bad water treatment and distribution can become contaminated, as water can be polluted in the treatment process or through old infrastructure. Water can be polluted even after treatment due to bad distribution systems or outdated infrastructure.
Climate Change and Water Quality
Water quality and epidemics can be directly affected by climate change. Rainfall variations and water resources could mean more water adequacy, or risk more water contamination. Waterborne disease can also increase with rising temperatures because warming can create ideal conditions for germs to thrive and replicate. So too can climate change raise sea levels, contaminating the waterways of coastal communities and causing them to be vulnerable to water-borne illnesses.
Changes in weather patterns resulting from climate change can cause hurricanes, floods and droughts to become more frequent and more severe. These events can have devastating effects on water quality because of their ability to contaminate water in mass and damage water treatment and distribution systems. A breakdown in sanitation and hygiene, after natural disasters can also contribute to outbreaks of disease.
Preventing Water Contamination and Disease Outbreaks
There are many things that can be done to ensure that water doesn’t pollute and ward off diseases like better water treatment and distribution, infrastructure investments, sanitation and hygiene, and regularly checking the water quality. Governments and public health agencies are also involved in the delivery of safe drinking water and prevention of outbreaks of disease, by developing and implementing water quality regulations and education to the public.
The best water treatment and distribution methods can obviate water contamination and disease outbreaks. That can be new technologies and infrastructure investment or keeping water treatment and distribution lines in good condition. Squander and hygiene can also save the water from sewage and disease outbreaks. These can include informing the public about washing hands, disposing of human faeces, and not drinking water that has been polluted.
Also regular water quality testing is essential to prevent water contamination and outbreaks of diseases. Regular water quality monitoring can detect contamination early so we can act quickly before disease begins to breed. Water quality testing and monitoring can be done at a key level by governments and public health agencies who can contribute funding and resources.
Poor Sanitation and Water Contamination
Even water pollution and epidemics can be brought about by poor sanitation. Human excrement not correctly disposed of and latrines placed in a poor quality are sources of polluted water and risk of waterborne illness. A better sanitation regime (access to clean and safe latrines, waste collection) is likely to reduce the risk of water contamination and outbreaks.
The Importance of Access to Clean Water
You must have clean and safe water to stay healthy and not be a vector for disease. Clear water can also curb the flow of waterborne illness and offer clean water to the people. There are many places where pure water is not available all the time, so people are left to scavenge on unclean water that threatens their health.
Also economically and negatively affects the standard of life can be the absence of access to clean water. In the waters that cause these diseases, people will not be able to go to work or school because of illness, and the health costs can be high for individuals and communities. The absence of clean water can affect farming, too — crops and livestock are subject to a contaminated source of water.
Access to safe and clean water is an essential component of both public health and economic growth. Governments and public health agencies can be the ones who must finance and support water treatment and distribution networks, encourage sanitation and hygiene and continuously assess water quality.
The Role of Education in Preventing Water Contamination
The key to stopping water pollution and epidemics is education. If we can inform the population on sanitation and hygiene – as well as the risks associated with polluted water sources – we will deter waterborne disease and promote public health.
Public authorities and public health organisations can provide the public with education and resources, such as how to get access to clean water and prevent water pollution. Community education can also be used to help spread sanitation and hygiene habits, information about water quality and risks of contaminated water.
Awareness can also be created about the effects of climate change on water quality and outbreaks. We can prevent water contamination and disease outbreaks in the future by educating the public about how to safeguard water supplies and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
The Economic Benefits of Clean Water
Clean water and water treatment systems can be highly economic, both health-wise and in terms of development. The more often we control the spread of waterborne diseases, the healthier our society will be, and the cheaper our healthcare. This can translate into higher productivity and economic development.
When we invest in water treatment and distribution, it can generate jobs and drive economic development too, since new technologies and infrastructure are needed. If you can provide access to healthy water, then a new business or industry can be brought to the community and contributes to its economy.
Purchasing clean water and water treatment infrastructure can be effective for public health, economic growth, and wellbeing. Governments and public health agencies, in turn, can work to make water clean and sanitary so that everyone has it and a healthy future.
Chemicals in Water and Human Health
Chemicals in water can also cause illness among people and cause epidemics. Such chemicals can be heavy metals, toxic chemicals and other pollutants that could be dangerous to your health if ingested or touched on your skin. For human health, water quality needs to be closely monitored and water quality regulations should be in place to restrict chemical levels in water. This is where governments and public health institutions can help, by establishing and enforce water quality standards and teaching and training the public.
Water quality as a contributor to disease epidemics is a huge concern for millions of individuals all over the planet. If we know how water is polluted and can help eliminate it, then everyone can have access to clean, safe water. Governments and public health agencies are the frontlines in this endeavour and they should keep on prioritising water quality and public health. There are a lot of things we can do to reduce water pollution and disease outbreaks: better water treatment and distribution, sanitation and hygiene, regular monitoring of water quality.
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