Page:What to do for Uncle Sam; a first book of citizenship (IA whattodoforuncle00bail).pdf/52

48 They must look carefully for conditions that spread disease, and ways to improve them.

It does not seem possible, as we lift a glass of clear water to our lips for a refreshing drink, or feel a crystal raindrop touch our check that the water supply, if impure, might make one very ill indeed. The Government does all it can to purify our drinking water and regulate the supply, but boys and girls get very thirsty and often forget to think where their drinking waiter comes from.

Learn where the water starts, and tell your friends whether or not it is safe to drink it.

Most of the water on the earth’s surface is stored in the oceans, from which it is drawn up by the sun to form clouds, and then falls again as rain. But the rainfall fills the rivers, and these are swift flowing at first, but slow and winding as they go through towns and villages. Slowly flowing rivers, poisoned by sewage from the dumps on their banks, are apt to be very dangerous to health. That is why most towns draw off water into artificial lakes and reservoirs, purify it, and then send it through underground pipes to the houses and public buildings.

Children should be very careful about what kind of water they drink. The little pool of rain water sunk in the ground in the park or woods