When heavy flooding occurs, no water source can be fully trusted until some time has passed and official testing has revealed that it is once again safe.

The early 20th Century saw health officials searching for a means to purify water on a large scale, and it was found that chlorine would do this. Chlorinated water does provide a way for large numbers of people to drink water that would otherwise make them very ill.

In simple terms, nitrates are forms of nitrogen. As you may know, nitrogen is important for all organic matter, and it can be found in the air, the soil, and in water. In small amounts, nitrogen is useful for all living organisms. But if too much is ingested, especially through water, health problems can occur.