With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.

Summertime is synonymous with more outdoor activities. This can be a very fun time, but it also means that you are more vulnerable to dehydration and the potential side effects. Here, we’ll explore the easy ways to ensure that you and your family remain adequately hydrated this summer.

Why is Hydration Important in Summer?

Summer can be a very hectic time. Your schedule may be packed with summer camps, family breaks, and outdoor activities. Combine this with hotter temperatures, and there is a serious risk of dehydration. This is particularly problematic for children since they typically drink less water and may not be able to recognize if they are becoming dehydrated.

Drinking sufficient water maintains your body temperature and encourages the removal of toxins through urine and sweat. Fluids are also crucial for the proper function of your tissues, cells, and organs. In hotter weather, you’re likely to lose more fluid through sweat, and when you don’t replenish this fluid, it can lead to serious health issues.

The Signs of Dehydration

Many people assume that the first sign of dehydration is feeling thirsty, but this is not the case. Our individual water needs are different, and depending on how much fluid you’ve lost, the signs of dehydration can vary.

The most common indicators of dehydration are headaches, fatigue, muscle cramps, and dry skin. In severe cases, you may have unclear vision, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and a drop in your blood pressure. In extreme cases, there could be seizures, kidney damage or even death.

It is important to become familiar with how mild dehydration affects you, so you can take action if you start to become dehydrated. In most cases, you may notice that your urine becomes a darker color and that your mouth feels dry. This is the first indication that you need to stop to take a drink of water.

If you have young children, you should familiarize yourself with the symptoms of dehydration, as they can differ from adults. Look out for dry, cracked lips, passing less urine than normal, irritability, low energy levels, or no tears when crying. Remember that children have far lower body weight compared to adults, so they can quickly develop more serious dehydration. Be alert for the early indications of dehydration and make sure you interrupt play time or your child’s activity for regular drink breaks. This will help to maintain proper hydration and your child’s health on even the hottest days.

Tips to Maintain Proper Hydration

Fortunately, there are some simple habits that can help you and your family members to maintain proper hydration. Although this may require making a few changes, it will ensure that your family can fully enjoy the summer activities.

  • Keep Water Bottles Handy: Each member of your family should have a water bottle and ensure that you take them with you when you spend time outdoors or are travelling. You can fill up the bottles from home before you set off, so you don’t need to panic to find expensive bottles of water when you’re out and about.
  • Provide Easy Access to Water for Your Kids: Whether your children are at the park, on the playground or in the pool, they need to have easy access to water. In addition to packing bottles of water in your bag for the day, remember to periodically remind your children to stop what they are doing and come and get a drink. This will ensure that they remain hydrated and have the energy to make the most of their summer activities.
  • Choose Water Rich Foods: While drinking lots of water is great, remember that you can also supplement your hydration with water rich foods. Cucumbers, melons, oranges, apples, and tomatoes are great examples of foods with a high water content. These types of foods can also be cooling, if you need a refreshing snack on a hot summer day.
  • Swap Water for Soda and Sweet Beverages: Sugary drinks are not the best for hydration, and they can add extra calories into your diet. Sugary drinks can also make you feel more thirsty, which will make you feel more dehydrated. Try to swap out those sodas and sweetened beverages with water. If you’re not convinced that you will enjoy drinking water all day, you can always liven it up with lemon, lime, cucumber, or other natural flavors.
  • Don’t Ignore Dehydration Symptoms: If you do start to feel dehydrated, don’t ignore the symptoms. You should stop your activity and make sure that you replenish your fluid levels. Get a little rest, and wait until you start to feel better. If you frequently have dehydration issues, you may need to speak to your doctor about oral rehydration solutions.

Consider a Domestic Water Treatment System

When many people think about hydration, they assume that they need to buy expensive bottled water, but this is not necessarily the case. While tap water tends to be a little unpalatable, you can enjoy great tasting drinking water with a water treatment system in your home. These devices can be installed at point of use, under your kitchen sink, or at point of entry, so treated water is supplied to all fixtures and water using appliances in your home.

These types of systems can be tailored to the specific characteristics of your water supply. This will ensure that any potentially harmful or unpalatable contaminants are removed from your water to provide delicious tasting drinking water. This will mean that you can fill your water bottles at home before you head out for your day of summer activities.

If you are interested in improving your water quality to improve your drinking water, be sure to speak to a water treatment specialist. An experienced technician can test your water to determine contaminant levels and then guide you through the treatment solutions best suited to your water conditions. This will ensure that your drinking water tastes great and will keep you hydrated at all times of the year.