Water is vital to life. Not one living thing on the planet can survive without it, so naturally, we should be concerned about what is in our tap water and whether or not it is safe to drink. Our bodies are made up of over 60% water, and every muscle, bone, tissue, and cell contains it. Every vitamin, mineral, metal, toxin, and chemical in our tap water ends up in our tissues, organs, and cells, so healthy tap water is essential. Regrettably, almost every water reservoir on the planet is polluted with chemicals, toxins, metals, or other harmful elements. There is a limited amount of water on the earth – what is here is all we get. No freshwater is produced. The water that is in our oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams dissolves into the air and returns as rain or snow. The sequence goes on indefinitely, so what we have is what we have to use.
The tap water is usually treated if it originates from a municipal water supply. Unluckily, the water treatment cannot possibly eliminate every contaminant that is in the water. In particular, the chemicals that are applied to treat the water are harmful.
Water treatment plants use chlorine to remove the bacteria and parasites in the water, yet did you know chlorine itself is a known cancer-causing chemical? Is it just accident that cancer rates have risen from 2% fifty years ago to 50% today? That same coincidence is that is when we began chlorinating our water.
What about fluoride? Most cities in the US still add fluoride to the water, saying that it strengthens tooth enamel and prevents cavities. Perhaps that is true, but to what cost? Fluoride is known to harm kidneys, heart, lungs, nervous system, bones, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, and teeth. Some researches suggest that fluoride may be a relevant factor in the development of ADHD and other cognitive diseases. Interestingly enough, fluoride was also given to prisoners at Nazi concentration camps during WWII.
Do you think they were concerned with the dental health of the prisoners? No, it was because it causes neurological damage that made them more docile and submissive. Examinations were done by the Ralph Nader Research Institute on American tap water discovered over 2100 different chemicals in the water. Many of which are identified to cause cancer and other harmful diseases. A separate study found 50 different drugs in tap water. Who knows what the long term effects of ingesting all of those chemicals and drugs is, not to mention what the impact of having them all mixed together in a potentially toxic soup that we call tap water!
Several chemicals that are in our tap water are trihalomethanes or THMs, which can cause cancer. Ingestion, consumption, and exposure to THMs cause bladder, bowel, and colorectal cancer.
Much of the water contamination comes from industrial waste, farm run-off, and herbicide and pesticide use. Many industrial facilities still dump toxic waste directly into the water despite warnings and fines. Others, such as commercial farms and some industries, end up contaminating the groundwater by improper disposal of waste. The toxins from the waste seep into the ground and end up in our groundwater, which can end up in nearby wells and water sources.
The levels of heavy metals in our tap water are also dangerously high. Chlorination and other water treatment procedures are not able to remove minerals from the water. Only certain types of water filtration systems can do so. Lead, mercury, and asbestos are commonly found in all water sources, including our tap water. Lead is a toxin that continues to build up in the tissue over time, particularly in brain tissue. Allowing children to drink water with lead in it is particularly dangerous as it leads to permanent brain damage. Adults who consume lead are at a high risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Since many older homes have lead pipes, the pipes begin to corrode over time, and the lead seeps into the water.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral in serpentine rock. In areas with this type of geology or in houses that were built in the 1950s that often had asbestos-lined pipes, this is a problem. Asbestos is an identified carcinogen and should be avoided at all costs.
Now that you know what is in our tap water, you probably should consider a tap water filter for your home.