IntroductionShallow water wells that are constructed correctly can benefit millions of people around the world. Shallow wells provide access to drinking water or water that can be made potable. The objective of this article will be to obtain, filter, purify and finally drink water. There will also be a discussion of different methods to accomplish each step. This article discusses our most precious resource, water, and our ability to drink it.Obtaining Water and DehydrationThere are several methods for obtaining water. These range from groundwater such as lakes and ponds to streams and rainwater. Whatever your situation, water is abundant: approximately 70% of the world's surface is covered in water (The USGS Water Science School, 2013). It's also important that you know how to filter or purify your water, otherwise you risk contracting waterborne pathogens, viruses, and parasites. To keep your body functioning properly, it needs one to seven gallons of water per day to prevent dehydration, and five gallons of water per day can serve an entire household (Vivian, 2000) ( Rodney Rhoades, 2003). The human body contains 55 to 78 percent water depending on body size, and it takes approximately three days without water to cause death, although some have gone eight to ten days (Utz, 2009) (Binns, 2012) . Knowing these things is important for survival because you will have a better understanding of your priorities. Remember that just because you have access to water doesn't mean it's safe to drink. Wells In some parts of the world, getting water is just as difficult as it is for other people to purify dirty water . In coastal areas there is plenty of water, but it all comes from the ocean and is too salinized to drink. One of ...... middle of paper ...... art 2 [Motion Picture]. Wood Craft Wanderings. (2008, October 1). Water. Retrieved from Woodcraftwanderings.org: http://www.woodcraftwanderings.org/water.htmlWorld Health Organization. (2007). Combating waterborne diseases at the household level. Retrieved from Who.int: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/combating_diseasepart1lowres.pdfWorld Health Organization. (2004). Health risks associated with consumption of demineralized water. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutdemineralized.pdfWorld Vision International. (nd). Introduction to groundwater extraction technologies. Retrieved from Wateringmalawi.com: http://www.wateringmalawi.com/Watering_Malawi/Resources_files/Boreholewells.pdfWWFA. (2013). How to build a well. Excerpted from Water Wells for Africa: http://waterwellsforafrica.org/how-to-build-a-well-2/