Importance of a Covered Water Container

Covered water containers are important for keeping water supplies free of bacteria and other harmful entities. Water must be kept in a clean, sealed container -- especially in areas of the world that lack sophisticated methods of clean water distribution.

Evaporation

• Water is evaporated when heat from the sun causes the air temperature to increase. When air temperature increases, the air becomes capable of carrying a higher moisture content. Uncovered water containers will evaporate water at a faster rate, limiting the supply available to the population.

Dengue Fever

• Bacteria tends to flourish in moist areas. According to a 2008 study published in the BioOne Online Journal, certain regions of Cambodia have experienced an epidemic of dengue, a bacteria transported by mosquitoes. The mosquitoes breed in open water containers which is conducive to the spread of the dangerous bacteria. The solution was to treat covers with insecticide to help prevent the spread of dengue, which after two weeks reduced female bacteria count by threefold.

Diarhheal Disease

• Two studies, conducted in 1997, published in the "Journal of Water and Health" illustrated the effectiveness of fighting bacteria by covering water containers. In the first study, researchers determined in South African slums that 74 percent of people who resided in households using uncovered water exhibited symptoms of diarrheal disease as opposed to 54 percent in households using covered containers. The second study, conducted in Kenya, produced facts stating that use of water from uncovered containers were more likely to inhibit recovering from diarrhea disease.