What’s
in your tap water?
The
UK has high quality public water supplies - probably
the best in the world. However it’s not easy
to know exactly what’s in your tap water -
and whether you can fully trust it.
The
privatised British water companies are regulated
by the Drinking
Water Inspectorate and are responsible for testing
their own water and releasing the results.
Unfortunately
some seem to be better at giving out this information
than others.
An
example of a good water company test result is the
United
Utilities water test results (Enter the
postcode WA1 2BX in the search box to get a sample
result)
However,
even with a good water test report like that it
is difficult to know what is in your tap water because
the quality varies greatly depending
on the exact location, and the season.
Like the UK, the USA has high quality public water
supplies. However according to the national watchdog,
the Environmental Protection Agency,
The important thing to note is that many
contaminants are not even being tested for...
The following list outlines some common contaminants
and where they come from:
•
Water treatment additives such
as chlorine, and fluoride
• Heavy metals such as
lead, mercury, copper, cadmium, aluminium
• Bacteria and viruses such
as coli form and E-coli
• Volatile organic chemicals
(VOCs) such as pesticides and herbicides, pharmaceuticals,
chemicals from irresponsible manufacturers,
as well as thousands of untested chemicals in
our personal care and household cleaning products |
Let's look at some of these in detail:
Chlorine
in tap water
Chlorine is used in almost every municipal water
treatment facility in the world.
While it kills many micro-organisms in the water
it also reportedly damages human cells.
(After all, chlorine was the happy by-product of
a First World War nerve gas).
The
US National
Cancer Institute has reportedly suggested
that people who drink unfiltered chlorinated
water have more than a 90
percent higher risk of developing cancer.
|
Balance this with the further discouraging news
that chlorine in your tap water doesn’t
guarantee that when the water comes out
of your tap it is completely free of dangerous micro-organisms.
To be fair to the water treatment processes used
by the water companies, when these bugs are found
in our tap water, it’s often the result of
the delivery system between the treatment plant
and our home.
Even minimal exposure to bugs like e-coli can cause
symptoms similar to the flu, such as headaches and
diarrhoea.
Heavy Metals
Heavy metals are some of the most toxic substances
known to affect the human body.
When ingested, these metals are difficult to remove.
They reportedly weaken the immune system,
cause damage to your cells and can cause a large
number of health problems.
Again, to be fair to the public water suppliers
they cannot treat their water supplies for heavy
metals because a lot of these come from rust and
sediment build up in the water pipes that bring
the water from the water treatment plants as well
as the pipes within your home.
A significant health risk is lead
that leaches into tap water from older water pipes.
Pregnant
women and children are at highest risk from
lead and other heavy metals. However, ongoing
exposure can impact anyone’s
health. |
Chemicals
In the United States reportedly over 80,000
different synthetic chemicals are in common use,
for example in household cleaning products. The
figure is likely to be similar in the UK and Europe
Many
of these chemicals end up in the water we drink.
According
to the USA’s Ralph
Nader Research Group, more than 2100
toxic chemicals have already been found
in water supplies in the U.S.
However only about 90 of the 80,000
chemicals are being tested for in US public water
supplies.
It is suspected that the cumulative effect
of drinking even small amounts of these
chemicals could be significantly increasing the
risk of cancer and other diseases.
Prescription
and Illegal Drugs
Prescription
and illegal drugs are being taken and excreted by
users in your area. (Sorry to be blunt, but it's
happening in a street near you).
It is common for the water companies to recycle
water.
It
is estimated that we recycle water through
our bodies up to seven times.
|
However
these medicines and drugs are not filtered out by
the water companies.
While
it is thought that the active molecules
are probably broken down during the ingestion
process it doesn’t sound great does it.
Conclusion:
To protect yourself from the shortcomings of public
water supplies simply get a good water filter to
protect yourself and your family.
You
can get a water
filter your drinking water only or a water
filter for the whole house
|
0800 009 6611
