Is Tap Water Safe?
Do you ever wonder if the tap water in your home is safe? You're cleaning and cooking with it, and your family bathes in it, but is safe? Or do you need to consider drinking water treatment? Can I drink water directly from the tap, or can drinking water straight from the tap make you sick? After all, cities and counties are required to purify water before it gets to our homes, right?
Does tap water need to be filtered?
In most of this country and Canada, drinking tap water from a municipal water source is safe. There are required measures and steps that public water sources must follow with drinking water treatment that makes it just as safe as bottled water and provides the essential minerals that are recommended.
Municipal water is typically treated with chlorine or chloramine. This is to prevent contamination from dangerous bacteria and viruses. But many of us wonder if is it safe to consume that much chlorine. Here are some things you know if chlorine could affect your water and your health:
- The chlorine level in your drinking water is non-toxic.
- Trihalomethanes form when water and some natural compounds come in contact with each other.
- Studies have found there is a possible connection between trihalomethanes, birth defects, and some cancers.
- Sometimes, chlorine can be noticed by smell and/or taste, making it unpleasant to consume.
- Purchasing bottled water adds to the pollution and can be expensive.
- Chlorine can dry out your hair and skin.
Does filtering tap water do anything?
Our bodies are approximately 70% water, making it more important that we consume water versus food. If water isn't filtered, purified, or treated, it can be a health hazard. Fortunately, the government has requirements in place for the water coming into our homes to be treated. And, we also have access to advanced drinking water treatment in the way of water filtration systems and water filters.
Like anything though, before you purchase a drinking water treatment system for your home, you want to know what benefits are to be expected. The following are just a few of the benefits you can expect by upgrading your home with a drinking water treatment system:
- Cost Effective
By having a drinking water treatment system installed to filter the tap water is an upfront investment, but in the long run, it is less expensive than purchasing bottled water. What many of us don't realize, bottled water is tap water that was filtered as it filled the bottles.
- Environmental Benefits
Bottled water pollutes the environment. It takes three hundred years for plastic bottles to degrade. It takes three times the water to produce the bottle than to fill the bottle. Drinking water treatment will minimize this addition to the pollution problem we have today.
- Removes Impurities
Water impurities and dangerous contaminants are removed with a drinking water treatment system like chlorine, disinfection byproducts, arsenic, lead, mercury, and other heavy metals can cause health issues. A drinking water treatment will ensure that things that are healthy and safe for you like calcium, fluoride, magnesium, and zinc remain in the water while removing toxins and preventing limescale build-up.
- Water Smells and Tastes Better
A drinking water treatment system will make tap water smell and taste better after the impurities are removed. This makes the water refreshing and desirable to consume.
- Health Booster
Because you'll drink more water that smells and taste good, your health will improve. Your hair and skin are hydrated, and your body gets nutrition and is detoxed, which can lead to better digestion and weight loss. A drinking water treatment system will purify your water which will improve your immune system and your mental health function.
What is the healthiest way to drink tap water?
Even with plumbing that is lead-free, there is an average of 8% lead in the water that comes into your home. You can minimize your risk of this lead poisoning with your tap water by using only cold water for consuming and cooking and letting it run for a minute before filling your pots or pans.
What are the dangers of not purifying tap water?
These types of contaminants in tap water can cause the following health risks:
Lead
Commonly found in American drinking water, especially in older structures that may have lead-base plumbing. Long-term health risks possibilities include contracting:
- Liver & Kidney Damage
- Behavioral Issues
- Slow Mental & Physical Development
- Mental Retardation
- Blindness
- Death
Radium
This silvery-white radioactive metal is a natural material and when we burn coal and mine uranium, it releases radium into the environment and our water supply. Some long-term consequences of radium in our water include:
- Anemia
- Cancer
- Cataracts
- Fractured Teeth
- Death
Mercury
Mercury is released from coal-fired power plants, making the water in certain areas unsafe for consumption. The long-term risks of consuming mercury include:
- Peripheral Vision Loss
- Hands, Feet and Mouth have a "Pins and Needles" feeling.
- Coordination Problems
- Speech, Hearing and Walking Impaired
- Weak Muscles
Chromium-6
The consequences of consuming this contaminant can include:
- Damaging the Reproductive System
- Liver & Kidney Damage
- Anemia
- Cancer
- Ulcers
What happens if you don't purify water?
Over 3 million people die annually from unpurified water. Water that isn't purified through the municipality or with a drinking water treatment system risk suffering from any of the following diseases:
- Cholera
- Diarrhea
- Dysentery
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
- Polio
Getting It All Watered Down: How is water purified?
There are four ways to purify water:
- Boiling
- Filtration
- Distillation
- Chlorination
If you'd like to learn more about how you can have your water filtered at home, give our team a call at 909-280-4331 . We can help make sure you have clean tap water that is safe for your whole family.
