When most people think about unsafe water, they picture water that looks dirty or causes immediate illness. And they’re right—drinking unsafe water can quickly lead to serious health issues. In fact, at any given time, nearly half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from waterborne diseases.
But there’s another danger that often goes unseen.
The Hidden Threat in Ground Water
Healing Waters International often works in places where water purification challenges are especially complex. While many assume that ground water is naturally safe to drink, in many parts of the world it can contain harmful contaminants, particularly heavy metals like lead.
Unlike bacteria, these contaminants don’t always cause immediate symptoms. Lead exposure, for example, builds up in the body over time. The long-term consequences can be devastating, contributing to kidney and liver failure, neurological damage, and even cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), no amount of lead in drinking water is considered safe. Lead is a toxic metal that persists in the environment and accumulates in the body over time. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) further warns that children are especially vulnerable, with exposure linked to nervous system damage, learning disabilities, impaired growth, and blood cell dysfunction.
Water may look clear. It may even taste fine. But it can still be dangerous.
Why Boiling Isn’t Enough
In many communities, families do everything they can to protect themselves. Boiling water is a common practice and an important one when it comes to killing bacteria. But boiling does not remove lead or other heavy metals.
That’s why Healing Waters is committed to providing water that is safe in every sense of the word—not just water that avoids immediate illness, but water that protects long-term health.
A Story from Nueva Providencia, Guatemala
In Nueva Providencia, Guatemala, families had been boiling their water daily in an effort to stay healthy. While a water system had previously been installed in the region in 2018, changes in the local partner’s location created the need for a new solution.
Recently, Healing Waters installed a purification system at a new water kiosk system in the community—one specifically designed to remove lead and other harmful contaminants from the water.
For residents like Maria Angelica, the impact has been deeply personal. She shared how grateful she is for the new system, knowing her family no longer has to rely on boiling water that still leaves them vulnerable to hidden toxins.
Water That Protects Today—and Tomorrow
Drinking unsafe water can cause immediate gastrointestinal illness, but the long-term effects of contaminants like lead can be even more harmful and far-reaching. Healing Waters works at the intersection of compassion, science, and faith to ensure communities receive water that supports health now and for generations to come.
Because water should be safe in every way.