Good old H2O is without a doubt, the most important fluid that our body must have on a consistent basis. Water is crucial to our survival, as it is essential in multiple body functions including digestion, circulation, bowel movement, absorption, transportation of nutrients, and so much more. It also keeps the body hydrated, regulates temperature, and detoxifies the system. In fact, water is so important, that the human body is actually made up of 70% of it.
Needless to say, consuming water regularly is a must. Do keep in mind though, that due to pollution and other factors, water isn't always safe for drinking. That's why it's extremely important to filter and purify water before consumption.
Water Purification
Fortunately, water purification isn't difficult, nor is it expensive. Check out the following filtering / purification methods and see what works best for you:
Carbon
Probably the most common method to filter water, you can easily use carbon filtering though Brita-style pitchers and carbon home systems. This method works because carbon has the ability to eliminate inorganic impurities like pesticides and chlorine. It can also get rid of bad tastes in water, giving you a more pleasant experience.
Boiling
Boling water for about 15 to 20 minutes will kill 99.9% of bacteria, and can vaporize harmful chemicals. The good news is, this method is very inexpensive and easy to do. Boiling may not be able to get rid of weird tastes in water, though so try this method a few times before deciding if it's right for you.
Ultraviolet light
A relatively new method of purifying water, ultraviolet light involves using a super white light to vaporize bacteria and other impurities. It works only in clearly filtered water and has no residual kill. Ultraviolet light works by deactivating the DNA of viruses and bacteria, causing them to die.
Filtering
You can use many materials to filter water, including sand, cloth, and stone. Do note though that these filtering methods may not be as effective as the aforementioned purification techniques, so if you have a choice, just select other methods to clean your water.
Distillation
There are many ways to distill water, the process generally works by letting the water evaporate through heat, collecting the vapors, and then condensing them into a clean container.
Chemicals
Chlorine, iodine, bromine, hydrogen peroxide, and lime are examples of chemicals that can be used to kill bacteria in water. However, these methods can be toxic in high doses and shouldn't always be used on drinking water.
Resources
To further educate yourself about H2O purification methods as well as importance of clean water, check out the following resources:
Twenty-Four Methods to Purify Water - A very informative page detailing ways to purify water. Brought to you by Environmental Alternatives
OA Guide to Water Purification - Water purification guide from "The Backpacker's Field Manual"
How you can have, CLEAN DRINKING WATER IN AN EMERGENCY - A great article informing readers about how to obtain drinkable water in case of a disaster
Water Treatment Methods - A water treatment guide from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention
Water Filtration and Purification - A guide by Emergency Essentials about how to filter and purify water
Purifying Water During an Emergency - A water purification emergency guide by the Washington State Department of Health
The Importance of Clean Water - A thought-provoking article at HealthGuidance.org
Water Scarcity: The Importance of Water & Access - A post from The Water Project about the scarcity of water and how important it is to give the developing world proper access to it
The Importance of Clean Water A post about water's importance from the angel of ChevronToxico
The United Nations has designated March 22nd World Water Day - An article about the UN's declaration of World Water Day
Hydrosphere: Importance of Clean Freshwater - Informative post by Water Quality
Why is clean water so important? - A blog post by GiftOfWater.org
The Importance of Water and Your Health - An article by FreeDrinkingWater.com
Image credit: Gaz Haywood on Flickr