Category Archives for Infographics

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Infographic: A Guide on Drinking Water Quality Around the World

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The following infographic outlines the quality of drinking water – that means tap and well water – around the world.

You might find this information useful if you are a passionate globetrotter and want to know where you can drink straight from the tap without thinking. Or like us, you simply find it interesting to learn in which parts of the world such a fundamental part of human existence as clean drinking water is still not self-evident (sadly).

After all, at least 2 billion people worldwide are using a drinking water source contaminated with feces; feces that cause diarrhea, cholera, polio and other diseases resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.

About the Data

We acquired the data for our infographic from 2 sources:

  1. The Report on Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2017 published by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP). The JMP maintains an extensive global database on estimates of progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene since 1990.
  2. Recommendations of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to reduce one’s risk of travelers’ diarrhea and other diseases caused by unclean water. The CDC is one of the major operating components of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission is to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both domestic and foreign.

Explanation: Contamination-Free

The infographic lists the population percentage with access to contamination-free water supplies for each country in the year 2017. In this case, contamination-free means “compliant with standards for faecal contamination (E. coli) and priority chemical contamination (arsenic and fluoride)”. This is simply the definition that the JMP has used in the WASH report.

Of course, there are many more potential water contaminants that might do you harm when ingested – so be aware!

Interestingly enough, there are discrepancies between the WASH report data and what the CDC recommends.

Because for some countries where 98–99+% of the population has access to contamination-free drinking water (according to the WASH report), the CDC does not deem the water safe and recommends sticking to bottled water.

Maybe this is because the CDC relies on data that is outdated or different. Or maybe they just take a more conservative approach? We don’t know.

When in Doubt Stick to Bottled Water or Use a Filter

What we know is that when you are in doubt about the quality of your drinking water, either stick to bottled water or use a filter if possible. The best way to get access to clean drinking water is through a reverse osmosis system. There are even portable RO systems, some suited for traveling.

If you know what impurities you are facing you might also try a filter straw or a small gravity water filter system. This guide focuses on portable water filters that remove bacteria, pathogens, and viruses.

Infographic: A Guide on Drinking Water Quality Around the World

Enough said, let’s get on with the infographic!

Source Links:

JMP report: https://washdata.org/report/jmp-2019-wash-households

CDC recommendations: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list

Global Water 101 Infographic by BOS

If you have any questions about our infographic please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!

About the Author Gene Fitzgerald

Gene Fitzgerald is one of the founders of BOS and currently head of content creation. She has 8+ years of experience as a water treatment specialist under her belt making her our senior scientist. Outside of BOS, Gene loves reading books on philosophy & social issues, making music, and hiking.
Learn more about .

Gene

Information provided on BOS is for educational purposes only. The products and services we review may not be right for your individual circumstances.
We adhere to strict editorial guidelines. Rest assured, the opinions expressed have not been provided, reviewed, or otherwise endorsed by our partners – they are unbiased, independent, and the author’s alone. Our licensed experts fact-check all content for accuracy. It is accurate as of the date posted and to the best of our knowledge.

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Infographic: The Current State of U.S. Public Tap Water

This page may contain affiliate links. If you buy a product or service through such a link we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

We’ve put a lot of effort into creating the following infographic. It’s titled The Current State Of U.S. Public Tap Water.

The graphic tells you what tap water contaminants can be found in which regions of our country. Furthermore, it lists all harmful substances that were found in concentrations exceeding legal limits and how they can affect your health.

All data was gathered from the free Tap Water Database of the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The database provides more than 30 million test results for nearly 50,000 water utilities in all 50 states of the U.S. and Washington, D.C.

Water samples were tested for 502 different contaminants. A total of 267 were found. More than 160 of them are currently unregulated by a nationwide drinking water standard.

Infographic About U.S. Tap Water by best-osmosis-systems.com

If you have any questions about our infographic please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!

About the Author Gene Fitzgerald

Gene Fitzgerald is one of the founders of BOS and currently head of content creation. She has 8+ years of experience as a water treatment specialist under her belt making her our senior scientist. Outside of BOS, Gene loves reading books on philosophy & social issues, making music, and hiking.
Learn more about .

Gene

Information provided on BOS is for educational purposes only. The products and services we review may not be right for your individual circumstances.
We adhere to strict editorial guidelines. Rest assured, the opinions expressed have not been provided, reviewed, or otherwise endorsed by our partners – they are unbiased, independent, and the author’s alone. Our licensed experts fact-check all content for accuracy. It is accurate as of the date posted and to the best of our knowledge.