Should You Say No To The Tap? What’s In The Water We Drink

Evidence has shown that more of us than ever before are buying bottled water because we’re worried about the quality of the stuff that comes out of the faucet. However, there is no reason to be too concerned. Local municipalities in the USA provide tap water which is of a high standard and is safe and healthy to drink. On the other hand, if you’re getting your water from a private well or if you live in a rural area, it might not be so cut and dried. Let’s take a closer look at what is actually in the water we drink.

Health-Based Contamination

Although for around 85% of the population of the USA, water from the faucet is completely safe to drink for around 15% of people, there could be health-based contamination in their water supply. What does this mean? Well, it means that contaminants like arsenic, copper, lead, HHAs and THMs could be in their water. That means that 70 million people in America could be putting their lives at risk each time they get a glass of water. Every one of the 50 states has a water system which violates the Safe Drinking Water Act from the Environmental protection Agency and in 2015 alone there were around 80,00 safety violations. Most of those affected lived in rural areas however even in other regions there are some issues when it comes to tap water contamination.

New York

Although New York’s tap water is said to be the 13th best in the country, there have been six contaminants in its tap water detected in recent times. Three of those are THMs, two are HAAs and one is Chromium. Although New York’s water is safe according to the international standards, it still contains substances you might not want to consume.

Los Angeles

LA water officials may have claimed recently that their water is equally good as that from a bottle but it also has been shown to contain 5 contaminants – 2 THMs, chromium, arsenic and radiological contaminants.

While you could always get your water tested by a water laboratory, this would cost you as much as $100. Nevertheless, this is definitely recommended for anyone with a well supplying their drinking water.

What Is In Bottled Water?

The USA’s top selling bottled drink is now water, with half being purified tap water. Evidence has shown that this is no safer than the average tap water. Not only that, but the plastic of the bottles is going into landfill and causing pollution. Only a quarter of plastic water bottles in America are actually recycled today.

What’s The Options?

You could drink the water from your tap but you can’t be sure that you’re protecting your health to the max. You could drink bottled water, but again, you could be damaging the environment and it may be no better for you than the stuff from your faucet. There is, however, another answer. Using a water filter.

There are several types of water filter. You can buy an inbuilt system which fits under your sink in your kitchen and which will filter all the water for you. Alternatively, you can find a water filter which fits onto your faucet and which cleans out all the contaminants from the water effectively before it arrives in your glass. There is a third option too – the classic jug water filter which can fit in your fridge and filter your water ready to drink so you can be confident that no unwanted contaminants are contained in it. All three of these options will ensure your water is clean and safe to drink.

Although the experts say that the water from your faucet is perfectly safe for human consumption, your first concern is always going to be to protect your own and your family’s health. The best way to do this without damaging the environment is to invest in a simple water filter. Quick and easy to use, a water filter will ensure that the heavy metals, pollutants and contaminants which could end up in your digestive system will all be removed so you can stay safe and hydrated.

Sanath pollemore is best blogger and writer alll niche.