RAW TAP
WATER IS "WORK WATER"
The raw water that comes directly from the tap is fit only to be "work
water". Harmful chemicals and other contaminants make it unfit for
drinking, showering or bathing without effective purification.
CHEMICAL
COCKTAIL
Every city water department and many well-owners add chemicals to the water
supply for various purposes, particularly chlorine. Fluoride is also added
by cities.
Chlorine
Chlorine is a powerful poison used as a deadly weapon in World War I.
Beginning in 1910 it was added to water to kill bacteria and algae. Within a
few years circulatory disease and cancer, which were previously rare, began
to affect the population.
Chlorine in water
may have caused suffering and early death for millions over the last 100
years. Chlorine
readily combines with other compounds, including natural ones, to form new
harmful toxins.
For example THM's (trihalomethanes) and MX's (unknown mutagens) are present
in virtually every chlorinated water supply. THM's, developed from the
combination of chlorine with humic acids from decayed organic matter such as
leaves in the source water, is highly carcinogenic.
MX's form from
the interaction of chlorine, consumed by drinking or absorbed in showering
or bathing, with various phytochemicals from plants. MX's are 170 times more
deadly than THM's. These can even arise in the body from chlorine's action
on food and nutritional supplements. MX's are infinitisimal, very difficult
to detect, and can form with even small amounts of chlorine.
A U.S. Council of Environmental Quality study states, "Cancer risk
among people drinking chlorinated water is 93% higher than among those whose
water does not contain chlorine."
Fluoride
Fluoride has been added to water in major cities since the 1950's,
supposedly to protect teeth against decay. There are opposing
points of view about the efficacy of fluoride, but there is no reason
for putting fluoride in the water for that purpose. People who choose to
use fluoride can buy fluoridated toothpaste and mouthwash.
CLICK HERE
to read more about fluoride, its harmful effects, and speculation about
it other reasons for it being added to our water.
Other
Contaminants
Whether city or well water, the toxins from lead plumbing joints and
pollution of the ground water by agriculture, industry, mining, spills,
dumping and radioactivity leave your water unacceptable for consumption
without purification. There could also be contamination by bacteria and/or
algae, for which chlorination is the usual remedy, but often not totally
effective.
BOTTLED
WATER IS NOT THE ANSWER
Many people drink commercially bottled water. There are no standards for how
"pure" bottled water should be other than occasional testing for
bacteria at bottling sites in some states.
How well
purified is this water? How has the equipment been maintained?
Bottled water is
a corporate product for profit. Most of it is in toxic plastic bottles.
They stealing the cheap water from precious local water sources to
profit from an absolute necessity while reducing the public supply.
Bottled water
is subject to less testing and lower standards than
even our tap water. Even disinfection is NOT a requirement for
bottled water according to FDA guidelines.
A recent 4-year study on
bottled water,
based on 1000 bottles of 103 brands of spring water, concluded that bottled
water is not necessarily cleaner or safer than common tap water.
Also, who knows what they may be adding to the bottled water?
A University of Iowa study
which tested 39 brands of bottled water found that 75%
of them contained chemicals, dissolved metals and other harmful
pollutants. The study concluded that, "Bottled
water is no better than tap water, and in some cases, even worse."
"What's sold in
jugs or delivered to coolers need meet no standard higher than
for tap water!
Some bottled waters are actually drawn from municipal water systems."
-- Reader's Digest
Much of bottled water is spring water that is not purified at all. Some is
city water filtered to remove chlorine, that still has fluoride and other
chemicals in it.
According
to government and industry estimates, an amazing 25-40%
of all bottled water is actually just bottled tap water!
Whether purified or not, in the absence of an antiseptic agent such as
chlorine, bacteria can actually grow in bottled water if there is a
substantial time between bottling and consumption. How long has the water
been stored in inventory?
And what of the cost? Bottled water can run anywhere from $.25 per gallon to
$2 per pint. It is far less expensive and much more dependable to have your
own purification system and properly maintain it for good water.
With your own pure
water system you can have dependably safe water, really pure water, for a
cent or two per gallon.
CARBON
ALONE IS NOT PURIFICATION!
Be aware that Granular Activated Carbon (GAC), the traditional and most
commonly used filter media, does not really purify water as it does not
destroy or remove bacteria. In fact, it can be a breeding ground for
bacteria growth when sitting for a time unused. Silver added to carbon can
inhibit bacteria growth when the filter is idle, but it does not kill
bacteria coming through in the water.
Nonetheless, carbon has a high affinity for organic contaminants and
chlorine, and is very effective in removing these. However, if carbon is
used by itself, it becomes saturated with chlorine rapidly, resulting in a
shortened effective life.
In this situation, if people do not change a carbon filter soon enough,
before long they are drinking water that may be as loaded with chlorine as
raw city tap water!
Still, due to its superior removal of organic pollutants and chlorine,
carbon is usually combined with the various methods of water purification. As long
as carbon is changed often or protected by a preceding method of removing
chlorine, it has a valuable role.
