The debate rages on about whether tap water is safe to drink, or if it’s a better idea to drink bottled water. Many people will tell you that tap water is perfectly safe to drink, while others will claim it is the worst poison on the planet. If you want to know if your tap water is safe, you should have it tested to see exactly what it contains. Water is crucial to good health. Whatever your point of view, there are some valid reasons why you should stop drinking tap water, and here are seven of them:
1. Tap water can lead to skin issues, including rashes and burns. The water from your tap may contain dangerous chemicals, including barium, arsenic and lead. Arsenic is a carcinogenic and can cause cancer if consumed in large quantities. High levels of nitrates can be dangerous for babies, especially if the water is used to mix formula. It might be best to use bottled water for the purpose of mixing formula to prevent babies from getting sick from consuming a large amount of contaminants.
2. Most tap water has chlorine added to it. The disinfection of tap water for drinking with the use of chlorine creates dangerous by-products known as trihalomethanes, which can contribute to birth defects, fetal deaths, low birth weight, premature delivery and several other serious issues related to pregnancy. Pregnant women should use a filtration system or avoid tap water altogether.
3. Drinking water is often fluoridated to prevent tooth decay and dental caries, but there is no scientific evidence that specific diseases are caused by a fluoride deficiency. Fluoride is supposed to be applied to the surface of teeth, not swallowed. In fact, a 2001 article in the Journal of the American Dental Association concluded that fluoride that is swallowed is not enough to have any real or measurable effect on teeth. Drinking fluoride on a regular basis can have a detrimental effect on your overall health, though.
4. Believe it or not, tap water can contain pharmaceutical drugs. These drugs are being introduced to our drinking water supply after they have been flushed down the toilet. The most commonly flushed drugs include birth-control pills, antibiotics, antidepressants, painkillers and psychiatric medications. Municipal water supplies have been shown to contain most of these drugs in some concentration.
5. Tap water is one of the leading causes of kidney stones. If you are prone to kidney stones, then you should stop drinking water from the tap right away. If you have ever been to the doctor for kidney stones, then you know that one of the first questions you will be asked is if you drink tap water regularly. If you have had problems in the past with kidney stones, avoid tap water and make the switch to bottled water or purified water systems.
6. Local water supplies that feed your tap are dependent on large local reservoirs. Sometimes reservoirs can become contaminated with a variety of things. If it rains too hard, the water can be contaminated with parasites, birds that nest on the shores can defecate into the water, and bacteria can multiply. The local drinking water supply is only as good as the filtration system that cleans and tests the water before public consumption.
7. People with weakened immune systems should avoid tap water. People who have weaker-than-normal immune systems may be more susceptible to illnesses that can be caused by tap water consumption. Cancer or HIV patients, as well as steroid users, should all avoid tap water or boil the water before consuming it.
There are many alternatives to drinking water right from the tap. You can purchase bottled water, but read the label carefully to find out how that water is filtered or processed, because it may just come from the tap, too. Filtering your own water can be an efficient way to ensure that it is safe, but filters need to be changed on a regular basis to be certain they are working efficiently and removing the appropriate amount of contaminants from the water. Every city has different water quality, and most of the time you will know right away if you want to consume that water or not just by tasting it.
BDST: 1549 HRS, JUNE-01, 2014
