Sick from Dirty Water

Why it matters

A single glass of dirty water can make a whole family ill. Some serious diseases hide in unclean water, waiting to spread. Which ones come from water?

Predict first

Which illness can you catch by drinking dirty, germ-filled water?

Cholera is a water-borne disease: it spreads through water contaminated with germs. A broken bone, sunburn and toothache have nothing to do with water.

• A broken bone
• Cholera — correct
• Sunburn
• A toothache

What you do

Sort each health problem: is it spread by dirty water, or not?

Check yourself

Diseases like cholera and typhoid that spread through unsafe water are called:

Diseases that spread through germs in dirty water are called water-borne diseases. Cholera, typhoid, jaundice and dysentery are all examples.

What actually causes water-borne diseases when you drink unsafe water?

Water-borne diseases are caused by tiny germs in unsafe water. When we drink such water, the germs enter our body and make us ill.

How can we make dirty water safe and stop water-borne diseases?

Boiling water or adding chlorine kills the germs that cause water-borne diseases. Clean, treated water keeps us healthy.

• Water-borne diseases — correct
• Air-borne diseases
• Broken-bone diseases
• Sun diseases
• Tiny germs living in the dirty water — correct
• The water being too cold
• Sunlight shining on the water
• The water being too clear
• Boil it or add chlorine to kill the germs — correct
• Add a spoon of sugar to it
• Leave it uncovered overnight
• Pour it from one glass to another