Our bodies are more than 80% water. We ought to drink at least 2 liters of water a day to remain healthy. Our bodies act as natural filters, so if the water isn't perfectly clean, any harmful chemical in the water supply become gradually absorbed into our systems. It's not a pleasant thought, is it?

What's Really in Your Tap Water?

You turn on the faucet in the kitchen and watch as your glass fills with clear water. You assume it's clean because it's been treated by the city or county. Just what's really in your tap water and how can you protect yourself?

Natural Impurities

Many impurities in water occur naturally and don't come from a manmade contaminant. Radon, arsenic, iron, lead, and copper all occur naturally. Just how much is in your water supply will vary according to where you live. Natural impurities in concentrated levels can be just as damaging and dangerous to the body as manmade contaminants. Don't rely on your city or county to test water correctly and do not assume that just because it's supposed to be 'safe' to drink that it is. How many times in history has a 'safe' amount of something been disproven later?

Manmade Contaminants

Other contaminants such as fertilizers, pesticides, asbestos, and industrial chemicals can actually leak into your water through the soil or your plumbing pipes. Some substances such as chlorine and fluoride are often purposefully added to water to kill bacteria or eliminate cloudiness. While chlorine does kill some bacteria (not all), levels used in water supplies can be extremely high and may pose other health risks. Some cities choose not to use fluoride because of possible side effects and others choose to use it because of advantages. I have our water tested every six months and we live in the country, far from the pollutants you would find in a city.

Living Organisms
Water can also contain viruses, bacteria, and parasites. In our area of the country there are chicken houses and cattle farms. They aren't in our immediate area but runoff from these places can easily seep into the water supply. Animals in large processing plants are a breeding ground for parasites and bacteria. Common bacteria found in animal waste can include e. coli, botulism, listeria, salmonella, giardiasis, norwalk virus, and even syaphylococcal bacteria. All are nasty and some can even kill you.

Protecting Yourself
I don't go out and buy all bottled water. Mainly because it's horrible for the planet and plastic can be linked to cancer. I do always filter the water we drink, have our water tested at least twice per year, and since we have a spring I have a better idea of where our water comes from. When we bought the property our house sits on, I checked the area to find out what kind of animal processing plants there were, what factories where in the area, and even checked up on the local waste (trash) pickup.

Knowing what to look for in water is the best step to preventing any sources of infection or poisoning. I am diligent about protecting our water supply but even if you use city water, you can still have it tested yourself before you put it in your body.