Waterborne diseases are illnesses caused by drinking or being exposed to contaminated water. In simple terms, it means getting sick from dirty or polluted water. Full definition
According to the U.S. National Assessment on the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change, determining the role of weather in the incidence of waterborne disease outbreaks is a priority public health research issue for this country. (medsocietiesforclimatehealth.org)
The CDC reports that 2,698 got sick from waterborne diseases in 2003, which resulted in 58 people requiring hospitalization and one death. (verywellfamily.com)