Is Tap Water Safe to Drink?
April 4, 2022Water is the basic need for human beings apart from food and shelter. Most first-world class countries in the world have access to clean and safe tap drinking water such as Canada, United States, Finland, France, Germany, and others. However, not all countries have complied with the tap water drinking safety standard parameters that have been set by World Health Organization. In Malaysia, although The National Water Service Commission (SPAN) has mentioned that tap water is free from bacteria E-coli and safe for direct consumption but there are certain factors that should be taken into account such as the distance of the neighborhood to the water treatment plant and type of water pipes used that may significantly affect the quality of water. Find doctor has many specialists who can guide you on how to stay healthy with trusted medical advice regarding any of your health issues or inquiries.
Is Tap Water In Malaysia Is Safe To Drink?
The main water source in Malaysia is rivers which supply 97% of the water needed for domestic, industrial, and agricultural purposes. The water-primarily should be free from contaminants and contained various minerals which are safe for drink after it has passed through the chlorination process to remove the microorganisms and bacteria. However, the transportation of water between the treatment plant should be channeled through a clean piping system. Unfortunately, many piping systems in Malaysia are not well maintained, rust, and corroded. The corrosion of the metal when getting into the water may affect the taste, smell, and color, and can potentially harm the people who live specifically in rural areas where the piping system is old and not regularly maintained. The quality of tap water that is originally safe after the purification may change once it reaches the consumer. Every year, many people are getting sick from drinking contaminated tap water, and thus may danger your health. Therefore, it is not advisable to directly drink the tap water, instead, you should use a water filter or boil the water before drinking for health reasons.
What Is The Process Of Drinking Water Treatment?
In recent years, the rampant pollution of rivers and lakes has deteriorated the environment due to illegal activities such as deforestation, chemical spill, garbage disposal, or natural disasters such as soil erosion or flood. Therefore, the government has taken the initiative to ensure the safety of drinking water through the advancement of water quality treatment which employed conventional and non-conventional methods. For the conventional method, the water undergoes several processes such as coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection (chlorination), and fluoridation before it is channeled to the household while the non-conventional method uses sophisticated technology which is more complex such as membrane filtration technology. During water treatment plants, water is treated in several phases to remove contaminants such as bacteria, microorganisms, heavy metals, chemicals, and other dangerous substances.
Although the water is treated according to a standard that has been set by the Ministry of Health, and most of the bacteria and germs have been killed during the chlorination process, however bacteria buildup may happen along the channel piped and if the water is left stagnant, the bacteria may grow in numbers and substantially cause diseases. In the worst-case scenario, the bacteria can enter the tap water through sewage water contamination. The rapid growth of population and industrialization has also become contributing factor to water pollution. Although figuratively the level of contaminants is under control and does not exceed the national drinking water standard, however, there are studies has exceeded the stipulated guidelines. To sum up, the overall water quality in Malaysia is fairly acceptable, and preventative measures have to be undertaken to safeguard the quality of drinking water through water treatment technology by water providers which need to be viewed through multiple lenses before the water is supplied to every living household in Malaysia.
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