Glossary

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Dehydration

The basic definition of dehydration simply refers to the state of having too little water in the body. The symptoms related to dehydration include dry mouth, lethargy, and muscle weakness. Dehydration can occur without thirst. Severe dehydration is characterized by lack of sweat, dry and shriveled skin, low blood pressure, increased heart rate and eventually loss of consciousness or worse.

Discover how much water you should drink daily.

Disinfectant

Disinfectants are agents applied to non-living surfaces to kill microbes. Chlorine and chloramine are the two most commonly known drinking water disinfectants. They don’t kill all microorganisms, especially those which have become resistant to disinfectants including cysts like giardia and cryptosporidium. They can also have their own impact on the thing they are disinfecting, in our case drinking water. A disinfectant is not the same as an antibiotic or an antiseptic (both of which are used with living surfaces).

Dr. Jennifer Sass, PhD

Senior scientist for the National Resources Defense Council, an activist group, Dr. Jennifer Sass, PhD has focused her work on toxic chemical regulation. She contributes testimony and scientific briefings to members of congress and has contributed to studies and media regarding chemical contaminants in drinking water.

Dr. Moana Hanna-Attisha

Dr. Moana Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at Hurley Medical Center, was instrumental in the discovery of the effects of elevated lead levels in Flint, Michigan. Having heard through a friend that Flint was not doing proper “corrosion control” for its water supply, she analyzed data from infant screenings and found that the incidence of lead poisoning in Flint children had doubled since the city had changed water sources. Rather than waiting for the research to be published, Hanna-Attisha shared her findings at a press conference, in the hopes of alerting people to the issue at hand. Her research was criticized as a result, but her findings added to the growing evidence that Flint water was not safe.

Drinking Water Filter

A drinking water filter is a filter for drinking water. Designed to remove harmful contaminants and other particulates like lead, mercury, asbestos, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, herbicides, and more.

Learn how to choose the right water filter for your needs.

Drought

A drought is a prolonged period of time in which there is little to no rainfall that ultimately causes a water shortage.