eli5: When people used wells for drinking water, how did they not get sick? Was there some type of filter or was the water just naturally clean?
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People do still use wells for water. Water is effectively “filtered” through sand and soil which trap contaminants. Also, most diseases that infect humans only thrive and multiply in the human body (or sometimes in other animals) so if the water has moved through the ground for months before it reaches the well, there is a chance the germs have just died out by the time somebody drinks it.
Not all wells are safe however, in developed countries there are regulations on where you can put a well for drinking water and testing the water before using a well is either recommended or required. There are still cases of wells being contaminated by factories or people dumping waste, however. In poorer areas it is more common for people to get sick due to lack of testing and lack of control on where chemicals or waste may be disposed of
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