HOW TO HAVE A SAFE WATER SUPPLY
How much does a glass of water cost? Some oŁ you
will answer, "Nothing." That is true in a few places
where safe water bubbles up from a spring. But in almost
every place water costs something. The story is told of a
merchant traveling through the desert-who, when his
water supply was gone, paid for a drink of water in
diamonds. The glass of water that you get from your own
well or pump costs very little—just a fraction of the first
cost of the well or pump. Perhaps your father pays a
water tax. Ask him whether he does. This tax helps to
pay the cost of providing safe water for all the people.
Where can you get safe water? Since everyone must
have water, it is very important to make it safe, no
matter how much it costs. Safe water is always cheaper
in the end than sickness. Bacteria that cause disease find
their way into drinking water in hundreds of ways. But
there are just as many ways of guarding against them.
The town or city or county government plays a part in
making water safe. The school has its responsibility. Your
father and mother have a part to play. You have a share,
too, in securing safe water.
If you live in a city, you depend upon the city to supply
safe water. All cities today make sure that the water is
safe to drink. Most cities filter * the water and treat it
with chlorine. Filtering strains out dirt of all kinds.
Chlorine kills bacteria quickly. You can sometimes taste
the chlorine in the water of cities that use it to make
water safe. But commonly city water tastes like cool
spring water from high up in the mountains.
The school has an important responsibility in provid-
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