Quality of water

We have to drink good quality water. Water quality is closely linked to water use and to the state of economic development.  In industrialized countries, bacterial contamination of surface water caused serious health problems in major cities throughout the mid 1800�s.  By the turn of the century, cities in Europe and North America began building sewer networks to route domestic wastes downstream of water intakes.  Development of these sewage networks and waste treatment facilities in urban areas has expanded tremendously in the past two decades.  However, the rapid growth of the urban population (especially in Latin America and Asia) has outpaced the ability of governments to expand sewage and water infrastructure.