Do you really know what is in your tap water?
We take the safety of our water for granted, but accidents occur every year in which water unfit for human consumption is supplied to thousands of households. Concerns have been raised about pesticides and gender-bending chemicals in the water supply, and traces of hundreds of substances can be found in tap water. Excess amounts can damage our health and the effects of many remain undiscovered.
What is really in our water, and how can we make sure it is as safe as possible?
CHLORINE
Liquid chlorine is added during water treatment to kill bacteria, though the cryptosporidium strain – the cause of amoebic dysentery – and parasites such as giardia are extremely resistant to it.
Although chlorine gas is highly toxic, there is no maximum level specified in European drinking water regulations, even though there have been limits in the U.S. for almost 20 years. Although many people do not like the taste and smell of chlorine, water companies insist that it is safer than de-chlorinated water which is left sitting out at room temperature.
Activated carbon filters, found in basic jug-type filters as well as more sophisticated systems, remove chlorine. But one of the biggest household named brands of water filtered jugs this chlorine and heavy metal removal comes at a price as their filter utilises aluminium paste to achieve the results. The side effect is that this actually INCREASES the aluminium content in the filtered water by 34%! Not good for the likes of Alzheimer’s.
ORGANISMS
The bacteria M. Avium paratuberculosis (MAP), a cousin of the tuberculosis germ, is found in farm animals in which it causes chronic intestinal inflammation. This microscopic organism is believed by some experts to be a cause of Crohn’s disease, the debilitating human gut disorder.
Perhaps as many as 15% of animals are harbouring MAP bacteria, and without doubt it is leaching into the water supply through run off from land into rivers and ground water. MAP bacteria are highly resistant to chlorination, and could possibly be responsible for up to 8,000 new cases of Crohn’s every year. The probability that MAP is being conveyed to people in domestic water supplies is very high.
PESTICIDES, PLASTICS
Since early studies highlighted how fish exposed to sewage effluents were changing sex, attention has been focused on the effects of these chemicals on human fertility, which has shown a marked decline over recent years. Though water companies operate under specific codes of practice to prevent plastic resins, cements and linings from leaching foreign substances into the supply, there have been several incidents where they have failed to prevent contamination.
Also under scrutiny are pesticides, which work their way into the ground and river systems from industry, agriculture and even households. These can mimic the action of hormones in the body, and are increasingly suspected as one factor lying behind the rising rates of hormone-related cancers in industrially developed nations.
FLUORIDE
Fluoride, which can occur naturally in water, helps strengthen children’s teeth as they develop.
But too much can cause fluorosis – an unsightly permanent brown mottling of the teeth. Because many toothpastes and mouthwashes already contain fluoride – and as children often swallow toothpaste – some experts argue that fluoridation of water supplies could increase the number of people potentially at risk of fluorosis.
There is no convincing argument against fluoridating the water. fluoride, which is added by some water authorities in the UK, and is also present in many toothpastes and mouthwashes. Around 10% of the UK’s water supply is fluoridated, despite a huge and ever-growing body of evidence that the science behind this mass medication programme is questionable to say the least. Fluoridation of water is banned in all other European countries?
Plus, the Government have already announced that they are going to add more fluoride to your water supply!! So even if you live in an area at the moment that does not have added fluoride, watch out, it will soon be added!
HEAVY METALS
While trace elements of many metals (such as magnesium and selenium) are necessary for good health, some, like lead and aluminium, are not. Aluminium can occur naturally, but many water companies still treat water using aluminium sulphate. An accidental overdose of this chemical caused the infamous Camelford water-contamination in 1988.
Both lead and aluminium poison the internal organs before settling in the brain and bones. Excess aluminium is widely believed to trigger Alzheimer’s disease, which causes dementia as the brain is rapidly destroyed. These and other metals with similar effects like silver, cadmium and mercury can be effectively removed by filtration systems like the Nikken PiMag Waterfall.
Here is a full list of what is potentially in your tap water:
Tap water is treated with a large number of chemicals in order to kill bacteria and other microorganisms. In addition, it may contain other undesirable contaminants like toxic metal salts, hormones and pesticides, or it may become contaminated by chemicals or microbes within pipes (e.g. lead, bacteria, protozoa).
Typical tap water content:
- Chlorine
- Fluorine compounds
- Trihalomethanes (THMs)
- Salts of: arsenic, radium, aluminium, copper, lead, mercury, cadmium, barium
- Hormones
- Nitrates
- Pesticides
Here is a list of just a few of the chemicals routinely added to our water supply:
- Liquified chlorine
- Fluorosilicic acid
- Aluminium sulphate
- Calcium hydroxide
- Sodium silicofluoride
And you still want to drink tap water!!!
Even if the water leaves the source in a relatively clean state, don’t forget that your water travels through pipes, which may have been underground since Victorian times. It is almost impossible for the water not to become contaminated by something undesirable.
Why you need to drink alkaline water
Having too much acid in your body can weaken all your systems. Your body has to borrow minerals from your bones, teeth and organs to neutralize excess acidity. High acid levels, or acidosis, might lead to diarrhoea, osteoporosis, anxiety, rheumatoid arthritis and impaired immune function. Acidosis could also interfere with your cells’ ability to heal or produce energy and also allow cancer to flourish. Also, cancer cells thrive in acidic environments.
Drinking pure alkaline water is so beneficial to the body but you have to be careful where you get the water. There is alkaline water and ‘fake’ alkaline water. The Nikken PiMag Waterfall system is an amazingly effective alkaline water system.
What is the difference between naturally and artificially alkaline water?
When measured in drinking water, an alkaline pH can be a result of either natural or unnatural conditions in the water. Thus when comparing two waters, each with a pH of 9.5, one can be healthful while the other causes side effects.
Water ionizers split apart water molecules with electricity to artificially create alkaline water. Why is this artificial? All water found in nature has a pH that perfectly corresponds to the minerals in the water. When you drink alkaline water, the body assumes it is receiving alkaline minerals, like calcium and magnesium. The problem with ionized water is that the body thinks it is receiving more alkaline minerals than what are actually present in the water.
If our goal is to be healthy, why would we drink or eat anything artificial? Most people never question whether water is naturally or artificially alkaline and these companies prefer it that way.
If you need help, have a chat with us and we can guide you into a range of options to suit all budgets so you can start drinking healthy water.