Safe drinking water

Drinking water can be contaminated with a wide variety of contaminants, both chemical and microbial, that are associated with illness and disease. Contamination can occur in drinking water derived from surface waters (lakes or rivers) or underground aquifers, and in water obtained from public water utilities or private wells. Even bottled water can contain various impurities.

Drinking water contaminants include microbes from human and animal waste, chemical pollutants such as pesticides, heavy metals like arsenic and lead, and even chemical by-products created by drinking water disinfection processes. This wide range of contaminants can lead to an equally broad spectrum of adverse health effects, ranging from simple gastrointestinal illness to serious long-term effects such as cancers and developmental problems.