Many of us take for granted the glass of water we drink. But just a sip of unclean water can cause havoc with our health. Here are some tips on what you can do to make sure your drinking water is clean.

The importance of drinking clean, boiled water:

Boiling water kills germs
Boiling water kills germs. So, if possible, water drawn from sources such as ponds, streams, springs, wells, tanks or public standpipes should be boiled and cooled before drinking.

Boil water meant for infants and children
It is especially important to boil and cool the water which is given to babies and young children; they have less resistance to germs than adults.

A natural way to make water safe
If boiling or disinfecting water is not possible, it can be made safer by using sunlight. Choose containers made of colourless or light blue glass or plastic. You must be able to see through them. Remove all labels, fill with the clearest water available, and cover the containers to keep out dirt and insects. Put them in an open space where the sun can shine on them all day. Spread them out so that they do not shade each other. Leave the containers in the sunlight for at least a day. The longer the containers are in sunlight, the greater the chance that the water will be safe. This method of making water safer does not work on cloudy days. (Source: UNICEF)