Why Clean Water Matters: Essential Information for Families 

As water security grows in importance, we look at why it matters to you and your family, and ways to maintain safe, drinkable water.

Every parent knows that children are more susceptible to a range of pathogens. Indeed, it takes 10 years for a child’s immune system become truly effective. This is why households with young children are often fending off a range of colds and other illnesses that the children pick up from daycare and school. (As well as having lower immunity, children tend to lead messier, more tactile lives, which also helps them acquire illnesses.)

Sadly, this lower immune system is a major cause of child mortality, especially when it comes to water consumption. While unpure water is bad for everyone, children are less equipped to deal with the dangers it poses.

As UNICEF reported recently, dirty water is the number one killer of children under the age of 5.

So, safe water management, while important to everyone, is even more so if your household has children.

The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends a daily fluid intake of roughly 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women.

For children, Johns Hopkins says the following: “The current recommendations are for children to drink their age in 8-ounce glasses until they reach the age of 8. Children 8 and older should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. If you have a 6-year old, he or she should be getting six 8-ounce glasses per day. Although this seems like a lot when thinking about a 10-year old who should be drinking eight 8-ounce glasses a day, this can easily be accomplished by drinking water with meals as most cups that families use are between 12 and 16 ounces.”

Water intake is vital for your health. Among other benefits, it maintains body temperature, brings nutrients to cells, and helps get rid of waste.

Remember, you can also consume water in other ways: Fresh fruits and vegetables contain water too.

While sodas are tempting, especially for kids, water should be the go-to beverage in any household. It carries the aforementioned benefits of helping you stay hydrated, while containing none of the ultra-processed ingredients such as highly refined sugar. 

There are numerous ways to test your household water safety. In many areas, you can ask your local water authority directly.

Otherwise, you can purchase and use water-testing kits. Or you can send your water to a laboratory for testing, which, unsurprisingly, is both more comprehensive and more expensive than home testing.

(This is a subject we covered in more detail in our post, Expert Tips on Safe Water Management.)

We have a range of resources for water management, especially for families. For information on communicating the importance of water management, you can read our guide to Educating Kids on Water Management, and a guide for families on Understanding Water Security.

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