Introduction
There is a direct correlation between the lack of clean safe water for drinking and cooking with nutritional problems. The lack of clean drinking water leads to diseases like diarrhea. Nutritional deficiencies are directly related to lack of potable water. This is because a person does not get enough calories, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, or minerals in their body. Undernutrition has been associated with 45 percent of global deaths and nearly 7.4 percent of the world's children are at risk of undernutrition. Malnourished children have weakened immune systems that make them more susceptible to diarrhea when they are exposed to dirty water. The lack of clean water means that individuals will be living in non-sanitized environments and this increases the risk of suffering from diarrhea. People suffering from diarrhea will eat less and they are unable to absorb the nutrients they need from the food they eat, which results in malnutrition. As Esrey and Habicht (1986) posits diarrhea can occur after a person ingests contaminated water. There are also instances when water that has low doses of pathogenic bacteria necessary for infecting humans can be used for preparing food and this would incubate and multiply the bacteria in the food (Esrey & Habicht, 1986).

There are numerous studies that have been conducted indicating that the lack of clean water has adverse effects on the individual’s nutrition. The underlying trend is that the lack of clean drinking water has been associated with nutrition problems in the 6 studies that we reviewed. Low-income areas are adversely affected and the lack of proper disposal of waste has also been associated with nutritional issues. According to (Moe & Rheingans, 2006), provision of clean water is one of the ways for preventing diseases from spreading through water. However, they also note that the distribution system can be problematic and this can result in the contamination of water. Therefore, there should be a way of ensuring that clean piped water is delivered to the individuals’ homes and there is no contamination during its distribution. It has been identified that distribution system contamination is the single most cause of outbreaks in community water systems. We aim to determine the effect of potable on nutrition and in this respect, we have gathered 6 articles that have focused on the role played of potable water on nutrition. Sanitation has also been covered in some of the articles. The paper will begin with the nutritional problems faced when there is no clean water for drinking and preparing food, then progress to the interventions that have been put in place to counter this. We will also look into strategies that can be implemented in areas where there is little water for usage.

Nutritional Deficiencies

The lack of potable water results in undernutrition where the individual does not have enough calories, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, or minerals in their body (Moe & Rheingans, 2006). Poverty has been directly liked to malnutrition. Families that do not have enough income are forced to rely on the available water for their home needs and this might be contaminated water. Food is also not properly cleaned and there is a chance that they end up eating food that is contaminated. Malnutrition is manifested in individuals and children in different forms like stunting, wasting, underweight, and micronutrient deficiencies. Stunting refers to low height for the person's age while wasting means low weight for height. Cholera outbreaks are a clear manifestation of an area that is lacking potable water. According to (Peter-Varbanets, Zurbrügg, Swartz, & Pronk, 2008), cholera is mostly spread in water and it has symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting. This means that the individual would not be able to retain any nutrients they consume in their food and will also lead to malnutrition if not treated early. Lack of potable water is also linked to unclean environments and lack of sanitation. While there are attempts by some municipals this is only done in the affluent areas. The suburban areas are densely populated and this makes it hard for service provision. The population also consists of poor unemployed individuals who are forced to live in poor accommodation structures. These structures are closely placed and it is hard to even maneuver around on foot. Congestion has increased with a decline in economic growth of the low-income counties and this has aggravated...…often limiting. This is because it might be situated far from most of the community members. The mode of transporting the water from the borehole to the household is also impacted as most of the jerrycans used might be contaminated and this will lead to water contamination during transportation. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that communities are educated on the importance of cleanliness when they are handling and transporting water. This way the water is fetched will be clean and conducive for cooking and cleaning. With potable water, the number of diseases that affect communities has reduced considerably and they are now better placed to fight off water-borne diseases. Children are also healthier than before as they now consume clean water. Communities have improved health when there is potable water readily available. Improving the nutrition of the community has been proved when there is potable water. Bodily functions are also improved and communities are much healthier as compared to the time when they did not have potable water. This clearly indicates the importance and benefits of having potable water. Improving health outcomes has benefits not only in terms of health but also in terms of general community awareness.

Conclusion

Water is a necessary resource and drinking or using contaminated water will lead to adverse effects like diseases. On nutrition, lack of potable water results in individuals not being able to retain the little nutrients they accumulate or receive from their food due to diseases like cholera and diarrhea. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that there is potable water for communities. Food preparation should only be done using clean water in order to ensure that no bacteria is left or attaches to the food as it is being prepared. Using potable water has been found to contribute toward improving the nutrition of people and also reduces the mortality rate of children. Body nutrients are retained and there is no likelihood that an individual will suffer from water-borne diseases. Pollution of water from open dumpsites should also be controlled to ensure that there is safe clean water. Pollution can penetrate the ground and reach the groundwater meaning that communities that are further…