The answer to "how clean is our drinking water" varies from location to location. Water quality varies because of the natural pollutants that can be found in an area, the industrial pollutants that can be introduced to our water systems, the quality of the water purification plant, the techniques used to purify the water, and by the water's distribution system. Your first question should be just how clean, safe and healthy drinking water in your community is. Once you understand that, and make your home as safe as possible, then you can start considering other areas of the world.
It's a well-publicized fact that drinking clean water is a vital component to good health. However, if you find that the taste of your tap water is not very good or if your faucet delivers dirty water, you may be tempted to purchase bottled water or a home water filter. After all, just how clean is our drinking water and when should we stop drinking it?
Is Your Tap Water Safe to Drink?
Many reports indicate that the tap water supplied by cities is not very good. Despite the fact that your tap water may not taste or look very appetizing, unless you have a special health condition or are pregnant, the water in most cities is safe to drink. However, very young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with chronic illnesses or weakened immune systems can be vulnerable to illnesses caused by contaminated water.
Even if you don't fit into one of these categories and are healthy and well, the contaminants and pollution found in our tap water is reason for concern. Even the water provided by cities that meet clean water standards may actually contain contaminants that could cause cancer or illness in over the long run. Have you ever noticed the difference in taste between water in different cities? Do you have GI disturbances when you travel; consider the drinking water as part of the problem.
Should I Drink Bottled Water Instead of Tap Water?
If many cities are delivering dirty water that could eventually get your sick, is bottled water a good alternative? The answer is maybe but maybe not. A 1999 National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) test of 100 different types of bottled water indicated that bottled water isn't always cleaner or safer than tap water. Unfortunately, bottled water quality is not consistent from company to company. The quality and purity of some bottled water is very high, while others contain contaminants that could put your health at risk.
If you decide that bottled water is an attractive alternative for you, make sure to find bottled water with verified quality and purity. Since bottled water is significantly more expensive than tap water, you may decide that bottled water is only a viable short-term solution to a long-term problem. And there is the environmental concern of what happens to all of those plastic bottles.
Should I Filter My Tap Water?
If bottled water is not a viable or attractive option for you, you may want to invest in a high-quality home water filter system. The effectiveness and quality of home water filters varies from company to company, too. For example, a small drinking water filter placed at the kitchen sink will only remove contaminants that enter through your kitchen tap. Relying on such a point-of-use filter will not protect you from contaminants introduced in your shower.
Only a point-of-entry home water filter will clean all the water in your house, making the water in the entire house safe for consumption and bathing. When selecting a home water filter, make sure that the filter you're considering removes the contaminants found in your tap water (this information is publicly available in your city’s annual quality report). Plus, the water home filter's claim of which contaminants it removes should be independently certified to substantiate that claim. Lastly, be sure to follow the home water filter’s recommended maintenance schedule to keep the filter working at optimal levels.
Regardless of which short-term solution you choose, ultimately, our tap water needs to be clean and safe to drink for the public. The only real solution to having pure and safe tap water is to implement long-term solutions. That means ensuring that our water sources are protected and kept clean, and that our water treatment plants and delivery systems are modern and up-to-date.
