Why You Never Drink Untreated Water
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What you will learn
- 1Explain why wild water can be unsafe even when it looks clean
- 2Carry enough safe water from home
- 3Leave treating wild water to an adult
- 4Keep your water bottle clean and your own
- 5Tell an adult if you swallow wild water by accident
Mini Lesson
A stream can look clear, cold, and perfect to drink. But water in streams, lakes, and puddles can carry tiny germs. They are far too small to see. These germs can make you very sick. That is why you never drink wild water that has not been treated.
🌿 The Wild Way (safe water only)
- LOOKS CAN TRICK YOU: clear, cold water can still have germs you cannot see.
- NEVER DRINK IT UNTREATED: not from a stream, lake, puddle, or melted snow.
- BRING YOUR OWN: carry enough safe water from home for the whole trip.
- ADULTS TREAT IT: only an adult makes wild water safe, for example by boiling it.
- KEEP BOTTLES CLEAN: wash your bottle at home, and do not let others drink from it.
- TELL AN ADULT: if you swallow wild water by accident, tell an adult right away.
An adult is always in charge of treating wild water - never try it on your own, and never drink wild water just because it looks clean. If you swallowed some by accident, tell an adult right away. Stay calm - the adult decides what to do.
Words to know
germs
Living things so tiny you cannot see them. Some can make you sick.
e.g. A clear stream can still have germs.
untreated
Water that nobody has made safe yet.
e.g. I never drink untreated water.
treated
Water that an adult has made safe to drink.
e.g. This water is treated, so it is safe.
stream
A small river of moving water.
e.g. We saw a stream by the trail.
safe water
Water you know is okay to drink, like water you bring from home.
e.g. I carry safe water in my bottle.
swallow
To let something go down your throat.
e.g. If I swallow stream water, I tell an adult.
🧠 Survivor’s Trick: before a hike, fill your bottle at home and check it is full. Take small sips often so it lasts, and tell your grown-up when it is getting low - never fill it from a stream yourself.
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