Most of us think our public drinking water is safe granted it is regulated and filtered safely before it gets to our taps. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) it is true that public drinking water in the U.S. is safe. The CDC states:
"The United States has one of the safest public drinking water supplies in the world. Over 286 million Americans get their tap water from a community water system. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates drinking water quality in public water systems and sets maximum concentration levels for water chemicals and pollutants." (CDC, 2010, p.1).
Despite the fact that the U.S. has one of the safest systems to purify water there is still the chance that contaminants can make their way into the water you drink. I know that there are many people who choose bottled water over tap water due to concerns like this. There are also those who choose bottled water over tap water due to not wanting to drink certain things that are known to be in tap water such as fluoride. Is bottled water really much safer to drink than tap water? According to the CDC bottled water also has the chance to be contaminated and some bottled waters may even contain fluoride. If you are somebody who does not want fluoride in your drinking water, it is best to call the manufacturer of your bottled water to find out. Also, each manufacturer of bottled water although regulated by the FDA does have different ways of filtering their water before final bottling and purchase. The CDC mentions that although bottled water contamination is not often reported it can occur based on the following factors: how the manufacturer protects their water source and if it is properly treated before bottling, whether the manufacturing process is efficient, also if the bottled water is protected properly when being stored, packaged, and shipped (CDC, 2010).
One other option for a water source is that of water filters. Many people choose to purchase water filters to attach to their faucet or they choose to use the filter attached to their refrigerator. Water filter products will claim to filter out contaminants from your drinking water as the water comes through the faucet and hits the filter. The filter system basically is said to only allow pure water to pass through into your cup and to not allow contaminants to pass through into your cup. Personally, I think water filters are a great way to go. I have seen water come out of faucets that is obviously cloudy. To me this means there are probably certain molecules or contaminants passing through the faucet that are not going to be healthy to drink. After attaching a water filter the water will come out clear which is telling.
If you drink water that has contaminants it can cause various illnesses that the CDC mentions. Visit the website I will post at the bottom of this blog in order to read all of the possible illnesses contaminated water can cause. Although most public drinking water in the U.S. has been proven to be safe and bottled water manufacturers don't have many reports of contamination it is still best to protect yourself the best you can since contaminants have the potential of entering your drinking water. If you drink tap water it might be best to attach a water filter to your faucet just to be on the safe side. If you drink bottled water know where your water is coming from. You can also call the manufacturer to find out information such as how is the water treated or what exactly does the company filter out of the water before bottling it? Another good question is how is the water protected and how well does it continue to be protected during the storage and shipping process?
References:
Water-related diseases and contaminants in public water systems. (2010). Center for Disease
Control and Prevention. Retrieved January 24, 2011, from
http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/public/water_diseases.html.
Commercially bottled water. (2010). Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved January 24,
2011, from http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/bottled/index.html.
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