Drinking Water From a Tap - What to Do to Make it Safer
Most people assume that when they drink water from a tap, they get clean, safe, healthy drinking water.
Unfortunately, however, this is not often the case. Regardless of the original source of tap water, it is vulnerable to a number of different types of impurities and may be full of harmful chemicals and inorganic minerals that the body cannot use.
Some undesirable substances found in the water from a tap (such as radon, arsenic, lead, copper and other heavy metals) can occur naturally. Other contaminants such as fertilizers, asbestos, cyanides, herbicides, pesticides may seep into ground water through the soil, or into any tap water from plumbing pipes.
The sad truth is that many of these chemicals have been linked to cancer as well as other disorders. Water can also contain biological contaminants including viruses, bacteria and parasites.
In order to combat many disease-causing bacteria, water authorities have long added chlorine to the water from a tap. However, its levels nowadays can be quite high, and some by-products of chlorine (called trihalomethanes or THMs for short), are known carcinogens.
Another thing that is important to know about chlorine is that it is ineffective at eliminating two notorious pesticides, namely cryptosporidium and giardium.
Maybe some of you remember what happened back in 1993, when as many as 370,000 people in and around Milwaukee were stricken by cryptosporidium found in the city's water supply. Thousands suffered from severe diarrhea and up to 1000 deaths were attributed to the outbreak.
People with compromised or weak immune systems (such as people with HIV or AIDS, the elderly, cancer patients, small children) are particularly vulnerable to these parasites.
So, having said all the above, the obvious question is raised: What can we do as individuals to ensure that the water from a tap that we get at our house is pure and healthy?
One thing you can do is buy bottled water. But beware of this fact: Despite common perception, there are no government standards that require bottled water to be any better, purer or safer than tap water.
To be more specific, FDA regulations (the government body which sets the standards bottled water quality) stipulate that only bottled water transported from state to state fall under their scrutiny. Whatever is sold within each state is exempt. Well, if you consider that 60% to 70% falls into the latter category, then it is easy to conclude that in reality there is minimum to non existent quality control!
What I suggest you should do if you are seriously contemplating a cost effective solution to improve your water from a tap, is to consider investing in a high quality water filtration system, like I have done myself.
Because there is a wide diversity of products out there my advice is this: Always look for their performance sheets to back their claims and look for the seal of approval in their product advertising and literature from a respectable testing authority.
The most highly respected is NSF International (formerly the National Sanitation Foundation) which is accredited by ANSI (American National Standards Institute).
To become better educated about your options regarding water purification and see what I personally recommend, visit my website.
Unfortunately, however, this is not often the case. Regardless of the original source of tap water, it is vulnerable to a number of different types of impurities and may be full of harmful chemicals and inorganic minerals that the body cannot use.
Some undesirable substances found in the water from a tap (such as radon, arsenic, lead, copper and other heavy metals) can occur naturally. Other contaminants such as fertilizers, asbestos, cyanides, herbicides, pesticides may seep into ground water through the soil, or into any tap water from plumbing pipes.
The sad truth is that many of these chemicals have been linked to cancer as well as other disorders. Water can also contain biological contaminants including viruses, bacteria and parasites.
In order to combat many disease-causing bacteria, water authorities have long added chlorine to the water from a tap. However, its levels nowadays can be quite high, and some by-products of chlorine (called trihalomethanes or THMs for short), are known carcinogens.
Another thing that is important to know about chlorine is that it is ineffective at eliminating two notorious pesticides, namely cryptosporidium and giardium.
Maybe some of you remember what happened back in 1993, when as many as 370,000 people in and around Milwaukee were stricken by cryptosporidium found in the city's water supply. Thousands suffered from severe diarrhea and up to 1000 deaths were attributed to the outbreak.
People with compromised or weak immune systems (such as people with HIV or AIDS, the elderly, cancer patients, small children) are particularly vulnerable to these parasites.
So, having said all the above, the obvious question is raised: What can we do as individuals to ensure that the water from a tap that we get at our house is pure and healthy?
One thing you can do is buy bottled water. But beware of this fact: Despite common perception, there are no government standards that require bottled water to be any better, purer or safer than tap water.
To be more specific, FDA regulations (the government body which sets the standards bottled water quality) stipulate that only bottled water transported from state to state fall under their scrutiny. Whatever is sold within each state is exempt. Well, if you consider that 60% to 70% falls into the latter category, then it is easy to conclude that in reality there is minimum to non existent quality control!
What I suggest you should do if you are seriously contemplating a cost effective solution to improve your water from a tap, is to consider investing in a high quality water filtration system, like I have done myself.
Because there is a wide diversity of products out there my advice is this: Always look for their performance sheets to back their claims and look for the seal of approval in their product advertising and literature from a respectable testing authority.
The most highly respected is NSF International (formerly the National Sanitation Foundation) which is accredited by ANSI (American National Standards Institute).
To become better educated about your options regarding water purification and see what I personally recommend, visit my website.