Water

Place a clean bowl in the open when it rains. Keep it there for some time. When you have collected a good amount of water, not that it is very clean. Hi is pure water. You can also drink it.

When the rain water flows on the ground, much substance dissolves in it. Some substances are insoluble. They either float or sink. These dissolved and UN dissolved substances make water impure. Such water is polluted. Polluted water is unfit for drinking.

• Stagnant water becomes polluted day by day. It gives out a foul smell.

*Mosquitoes breed there in large numbers. Malaria spreads in the locality. We must fill up the ponds of stagnant water with sand or clay. We can spray kerosene oil on the surface of the water to kill mosquitoes.

• Pond water may become polluted due to bathing and washing clothes. We should not was our clothes at the ponds.
• Water of uncovered wells also becomes polluted, because dust, dirt and other impurities fall into it regularly.
• In the industrial cities, the industrial wastes and also the sewage are directed into the rivers. We know that the water of the Periyar River has become polluted by regular mixing of such substances. These wastes are harmful for living organisms. The effect the life of the aquatic animals.

Protection of well water

The sources of drinking water should be properly protected. The well water can be protected as under:

• Use a clean bucket to draw from the well.
• Clean utensils at a place away from the well.
• Wash clothes at a place away from the well
• Bathe away from the well.
• Never defecated or urinate near the well.
• Allow the waste water to flow into a soakage pit.
• A strong platform should be built around the well.

Drinking water should be free from germs

The water from ponds and rivers is not safe for drinking. It may contain harmful germs. Water many contain dissolved salts.

The water which contains germs and harmful salts is called contaminated water. It can spread disease like diarrhea, cholera, jaundice and typhoid.

Water should be treated with chemicals like bleaching power of potassium permanganate to make it safe for drinking purposes. The water which is free from germs and impurities is called safe water.

In cities, tap water is supplied in homes. It is already treated with chemicals and filtered. In rainy seasons, we should take boiled water.

The water should be stored properly

The water should be handled and stored in a safe manner. Water should be stored in clean vessels.

We must clean our hands before drinking out water from the vessel. A clean container with a handle should be used to draw out the water. do not dip your hand inside the vessel.

Water should not be wasted