Are You Really Gonna Drink That Water?

An inside story of how tap water reaches you

For most people, getting water is a no-brainer. Simply turn on the tap and out comes the water. No questions asked. But, have you ever pause and think about how that water actually reaches you and what might be lurking in the water you are drinking?

Unless you have a private well in your backyard, it pays to spend a few minutes to find out more about the water that you use day in day out. Let us now trace how water arrives at our tap and expose the hidden dangers that you might not be aware of:

1. Raw water from various sources is first collected and pumped to a water plant where it is chemically treated and filtered.
   
   Pollutants from nature & humans: It is essential to treat raw water as it contains impurities that are naturally occurring like microorganisms, and arsenic from rocks. Water sources may also be polluted by indiscriminate dumping of wastes by humans, acid rain as well as contaminants from the air.



2. To kill bacteria and viruses, chlorine is added to the treated water. Some water plants also add flouride in the name of tooth decay prevention, as well as ozone to kill more gems.
   
   Truth about chlorine in drinking water: Ironically, the chlorine added reacts with organic compounds in the water being treated to create potentially harmful byproducts such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, which may cause cancer and reproductive problems.



3. Water then gets pumped from the water plant in large concrete pipes to your home.
   
   Hidden dangers in concrete pipes: Along the way, water inevitably gets contaminated by small amounts of asbestos released by old, eroding concrete pipes. Asbestos is a known toxic which can cause lung cancer and diseases.



4. Water arrives at your home, distributed via PVC pipes right to your tap.
   
   Extras you didn't pay for: PVC depends on a cocktail of toxic chemical stabilizers such as lead, cadmium, and phthalate plasticizers to take shape. These chemicals leach, flake, or release as gas from the PVC pipe over time, increasing your risks of asthma, lead poisoning and cancers.

Do you really feel safe drinking this kind of water or bathing your children in it? Can you depend entirely on your government to deliver clean and safe water to your home?

Although water samples are randomly collected and analyzed by municipality to check for contaminants like lead, arsenic, nitrates, and microorganisms, the fact is water test is insufficient to detect the more than 2,100 synthetic organic chemicals now polluting our water sources. These include pesticide residues, herbicides, and industrial byproducts such as solvents. We are not even talking about those which are not yet known to Man.

As the water quality on our planet continues to decline, it is becoming a necessity rather than a luxury to filter the drinking and cooking water at home. Even showering with contaminated water is believed to be potentially harmful, increasing the use of shower filter. Because when it comes to you and your family's health, no one wants to leave it to chance.