The Dangers of Drinking Tap Water
This Could Be The Final Straw That Destroys Your Health
Well, Well, Well.
Drinking tap water may seem like the easiest way to quench your thirst. After all, ancient women like Zipporah (Moses' wife), Rebekah (Isaac's wife), and the Samaritan woman (whom Jesus met at the well) had to get their drinking water from wells. This was an arduous process — especially when animals were thirsty. Rebekah is said to have drawn enough water to quench the thirst of 10 camels in one event. It could have taken up to 400 gallons of water to accomplish this feat.
Drinking Tap Water a Convenience or a Death Sentence?
There is no question that modern conveniences have made life much simpler for the average woman. I don't think I'd have the time to write if my regular chores included a daily trek to the well. Thank you, Lord, for my kitchen sink.
Unfortunately, modern conveniences, like drinking tap water may be costing us more than we realize -- in fact, they could be slowly killing us. Yet the most readily available drinking water in America comes straight out of the kitchen faucet. And, unfortunately, we have to pay for it (both financially and with our health). There are three forms of dangers lurking in your tap water:
those that are added (or result from what is added)
those which find their way into the water through other means
and those that occur naturally
Naturally occurring dangers are the least common threat, but the first two, are regular health wreckers -- potentially causing illness without an identifiable cause. This is why you should stop drinking tap water immediately (unless you have a quality filter)
The Horse Is Still Kicking.
I have spent several posts discussing the importance of water:
But, the horse is not dead yet. There is too much left to say to stop beating this topic. Water is such a foundational piece of the puzzle of good health, that we must make sure that what we are drinking is the right stuff.
If you are drinking tap water that is not properly filtered — it could be slowly killing you.
Below are only few examples of the undesirables in tap water.
Additives in Most Tap Water:
Chlorine (can "damage arteries and initiate cancer," decrease friendly bacteria in the colon, cause arterial plaque, cause liver malfunction, weaken the immune system, "increase the risk of gastrointestinal cancer," and more) [1]
Disinfectant byproducts of Chlorine [2]
trihalomethanes (THMs - Cancer Group B carcinogens)
haloacetic acids (HAAs - "long-term exposure to elevated levels of HAAs may pose a risk in the development of cancer." [3])
Fluoride [4] (can cause arthritis, bone fractures, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, endocrine disruption, acute toxicity, gastrointestinal issues, hypersensitivity, kidney disease, infertility, skeletal fluorosis, thyroid disease, early puberty [5], neurological damage and lower I.Q. in children [6])
Fluorosilicic acid (CDC.gov says - "Do NOT let this chemical enter the environment." [7])
Sodium fluorosilicate (Government website says, "compound is highly toxic; initial symptoms include nausea, cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration; in severe cases, convulsions, shock, and cyanosis are followed by death in 2-4 hr. Contact with eyes causes irritation." [8])
Sodium fluoride (side effects include: discolored teeth, changes in the appearance of your teeth, stomach upset, weakness, weakened tooth enamel, headache [9]; interferes with electron transport and calcium metabolism, causes arrhythmias, and is classified as toxic both by inhalation and ingestion [10])
Other Contaminates Found in Tap Water:
Contaminants ("Federal scientists report finding traces of 18 unregulated contaminants in one-third of the water samples collected from 25 municipal utilities across the US in their most recent testing." [11])
Fecal Matter [12]
Pharmaceutical Drugs (specifically the following 11 [13])
Atenolol, a beta-blocker used to treat cardiovascular disease
Atrazine, an herbicide banned in the EU which has been implicated in the decline of fish stocks and in changes in animal behavior
Carbamazepine, a mood-stabilizing drug used to treat bipolar disorder
Estrone, an estrogen hormone secreted by the ovaries and blamed for causing gender changes in fish
Gemfibrozil, an anti-cholesterol drug
Meprobamate, a tranquilizer used in psychiatric treatment
Naproxen, a painkiller and anti-inflammatory linked to increases in asthma incidence
Phenytoin, an anticonvulsant used to treat epilepsy
Sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic
TCEP, a reducing agent used in molecular biology
Trimethoprim, an antibiotic
Pesticides [14]
Bacteria [15]
Protozoan [16]
Viruses [17]
Heavy Metals [18]
Radiation [19]
Wow! Are you ready to gulp down thirty-two ounces straight out of the tap? I hope not. Knowing that these dangers are likely coming out of your faucet should be enough to start you thinking about what you are putting into your body. But this is only the beginning. We are still leading the horse to the water — hopefully we can find some that is safe for him to drink — before we break the camel's back.
The best water filter is one that removes the dangerous toxins above, while leaving the minerals intact and the ph level at least neutral.
[This posts contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission if you order from one of my links. Thanks in advance.]
We recommend either an iSpring 6-Stage RO System with a Remineralization Cartridge or a Berkey Water Filter with a Fluoride Filter.
Drink to your health!
Drinking Tap Water Notes:
[1] http://www.orthomolecular.org/library/jom/2000/articles/2000-v15n02-p089.shtml
[2] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/07/tap-water-toxins-is-your-water-trying-to-kill-you.aspx
[3] https://www.novascotia.ca/nse/water/haloaceticacid.asp
[4] http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/factsheets/engineering/wfadditives.htm
[5] http://fluoridealert.org/issues/health/
[6] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/08/07/effects-of-fluoride-to-children.aspx
[7] http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcsneng/neng1233.html
[8] https://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/9083
[9] http://www.rxlist.com/ethedent-drug.htm
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_fluoride
[11] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/28/fluoride-drinking-water.aspx
[12] http://www.ewg.org/research/state-level-executive-summaries/south-carolina
[13] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/07/tap-water-toxins-is-your-water-trying-to-kill-you.aspx
[14] http://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/drinking-water-and-pesticides
[15] http://www.ns.umich.edu/new/releases/20669-bacteria-in-tap-water-can-be-traced-to-the-water-treatment-process
[16] http://articles.extension.org/pages/31566/drinking-water-contaminant-protozoa-and-amoeba
[17] http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/news/20120914/tainted-tap-water-sickens-1.1-million-each-year
[18] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/14/is-your-home-supplied-with-water-contaminated-by-lead-pipes.aspx
[19] http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2011/04/09/radiation-detected-in-drinking-water-in-13-more-us-cities-cesium-137-in-vermont-milk/#5ec201591ce6