Water Quality By: Beth Dowdy

Life Giver and Life Taker The difference of its existence...it is a life giver and also a life taker. It is for this reason that humans have been working on methods of obtaining pure water since the beginning of human existence. Archeological evidence shows that people have been attempting to purify water and give it a pleasurable taste since prehistoric times. Excerpt from

Early Humans Early humans believed that the purity of water was determined by taste; if the water had a pleasing taste, then it was pure. As a result, the method of purifying water in ancient times was to add herbs or flowers to the water, but this was obviously not a true method of purification, nor was it enough to stop the search for one. Excerpt from

2000 B.C. In 2000 B.C., Sanskrit,documents about medical concerns, were created called the Sus’ruta Samhita. The Sus’ruta Samhita declares that “impure water should be purified by being boiled over a fire, or being heated in the sun or by dipping a heated iron into it, or it may be purified by filtration through sand and coarse gravel and then allowed to cool.” Excerpt from

Egypt Inscriptions have been discovered on the walls of the tomb of Amenophis II in Thebes. The inscription depicts the Egyptian method of purifying water in which they siphoned the water through a series of wick siphons. The inscription has been dated 1450 B.C. Excerpt from

Biblical Times The Bible even has evidence of possible methods of water purification. In Exodus 15:22-27, Moses and the Israelites came upon Marah and found that the waters there were bitter. Moses was guided towards a tree and told to place the tree into the waters of Marah. Moses did as he was instructed and the waters of Marah were sweetened thereafter. While it is unclear what type of tree this was, or if any type of filtration process was used, the evidence points to at least a concern about water quality. Excerpt from

“Hippocrates’ Sleeve” Another early method of filtering water was developed by the famous Greek physician (Physics), Hippocrates, in the 3rd century B.C. Recognizing that boiling water did not remove suspended solids, Hippocrates used a cloth bag to strain the water after boiling it. This method was later called “Hippocrates’ Sleeve.” Excerpt from

Sand Filteration In the late 1600s, Lucas Antonius Portius, an Italian physician, wrote about the multiple sand filtration method. The method had 3 pairs of sand filters consisting of downward and upward flow. Following these discoveries, sand filters and rainwater cisterns were developed. La Hire, a French scientist, proposed in 1703 that all households should have a rainwater cistern along with a sand filter. 100 years later, the first municipal water treatment plant was installed in Paisley, Scotland. Excerpt from

20 th and 21 st Century In the 20th and 21st centuries, water quality has become even more important and numerous methods of water purification and filtration have been developed. Excerpt from

Constants and Changes Constants We have always searched for a new way to purify water even if it worked. Poor water makes you sick. Boiling water makes water clean. Changes We have learned new ways to purify water. New chemicals to purify water have been discovered. We have learned about and gotten rid of parasites.

Results of Changes and Predictions for the Future Results of Changes By learning new ways to purify water other than boiling it has been less expensive. Finding new chemicals has made the water EXTRA clean. By getting rid of parasites in the United States, we have reduced the amount of people getting sick by them. My Predictions for the Future I predict we will continue to search and find new ways to purify water and find the water quality because naturally humans are creative in some way and are very curious.

Baton Rouge’s Water Report This is how citizens find out the water quality in the city. Lead Fluoride Copper E.Coli Date Date /7/ /23/09 Violation: V: V: V: No No Causes: E.Coli: Human and animal fecal waste Fluoride: Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories Copper: Erosion of natural deposits; corrosion of household plumbing systems; leaching from wood preservatives Lead: Erosion of natural deposits; corrosion of household plumbing systems

Did You Know? The average American uses about 50 gallons (190 liters) of water daily. Flushing a toilet uses 2 to 7 gallons (7.5 to 26.5 liters) of water. A five-minute shower uses 25 to 50 gallons (95 to 190 liters) of water. Leaving the water on while brushing your teeth wastes 2 gallons (7.5 liters) of water each time! At least 400 million people live in regions with severe water shortages. Water is the original health drink. It contains no fat, no calories and no cholesterol. Excerpt from