Water is crucial to human life, but it can also be a killer. Water contaminated with micro-organisms or chemicals, which is then used for drinking or cooking, is a leading cause of disease and death across the world. Poor facilities for the disposal of sewage and other waste water can quickly lead to the spread of dangerous diseases.

In the UK, clean, drinkable tap water is taken for granted; however, in other parts of the world supplies of water are often unsafe to drink unless properly treated. Filtering water is a huge enterprise and often big business. Water can be filtered to improve the quality and taste in safe tap water areas or as a necessity for those travelling and living in other countries.

Many advertisers make claims about what their product can achieve some of which may be incorrect. Other claims may not be but, due to lack of knowledge on the part of the consumer, may not fulfill their need. In the case of drinking water this could be potentially dangerous. These resources look at what is required to provide safe, clean drinking water and explore the claims of those selling filtration equipment.

 

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Spreading Disease

This teamwork-based activity provides a quick introduction to a teacher-led discussion focusing on the spread of disease and the importance of water treatment in preventing epidemics. Students use post-it notes to sort diseases into those that are water-borne and those...

Tap Supply

This activity challenges students to work in small teams to design a water supply system for a small town of 5,000 inhabitants. They have to work within a budget, including giving themselves a profit margin.

The...

Water Treatment Systems

In this practical activity, students investigate the salinity of three different water samples using a multimeter. Students first calibrate their salination probe and test the salinity of their solutions. Students can be asked to suggest how errors might have appeared...

Safe Drinking Water

This video looks at the availability of clean water around the world and solutions to the problem of water borne diseases. A water and waste engineer talks about her work in water treatment technology. She explains the steps involved in treating water for microbial contamination – filtration and disinfection....

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