What’s Wrong With The Water I Drink?
Like me, you try to do what is best for your family and in today’s world that can sometimes be difficult – especially when it comes to what you can give them to eat and drink. We are exposed to more chemicals (intentional and unintentional!) in our food and water than our parents and grandparents ever were.
Some of these chemicals, for example, chlorine, are actually added to the water to make it “safer”. Others end up there as a result of industry, agriculture, accidents, natural disasters, human (or computer) error and waste water treatment.
You may be shocked to discover that there are things in your water that should definitely not be there and that some things you thought were safe, aren’t.
But Chlorinated Water Is Safe – Isn’t It?
Consider chlorine which is one of the “safe” chemicals. Studies show a link with cancer due, primarily, to the presence of Trihalomethanes (THMs). THMs are produced when chlorine reacts with organic matter such as leaf litter. For example, one study[1] looked at bladder cancer and found that people living in industrialised countries had double the risk of bladder cancer due to THMs in chlorinated water.
The links between chlorine and breast cancer have been well established by multiple studies. The results of a 1992 study in Hartford, Connecticut found that women with breast cancer had 50% to 60% higher levels of chlorinated by-products in their breast tissue than women without the disease.
Other studies have linked chlorinated water to reproductive and developmental effects in children, and heart disease.
And it is not just children. Even the unborn can suffer because of the chlorine ingested by the mother. One study found that jaundice was nearly twice as likely to occur in newborns whose mothers drank chlorinated water during pregnancy. The newborn babies were also more likely to have a smaller body length and head size. You don’t have to take my word for it. Just do a quick search and you will find references to these studies and a whole lot more. Yet this chemical is considered safe.
Sure, chlorinated water may be better than typhoid (which is why it was originally added to municipal water supplies) but, now that we know the damage it can do, we need to take steps to protect ourselves and our families. The thing is, though, chlorine is not the only chemical in your water…
Drugs In My Drinking Water? No Way!
Roughly 100 pharmaceuticals have been identified in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters throughout Europe and the United States. The drugs include cholesterol regulators, analgesics, painkillers, antibiotics, sex hormones, antibiotics, epilspsy drugs and anti-seizure medications as well as potential endocrine disruptors, and caffeine.
This is not surprising since anywhere from half to almost all of a drug taken by patients can pass through their bodies without being absorbed or metabolised. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals (or other drugs) from sewerage and so this ends up in water you are possibly drinking.
While the concentrations are not high (parts per billion to parts per trillion), no one knows what the effect of long-term exposure is – especially on the developing body of a young child. What is known, however, is that feminisation of male fish occurs with exposure to sewage effluent containing ethinyl estradiol, the active ingredient in birth control pills.
Do you really want to take the chance that these drugs won’t affect you or your family? I don’t.
With recycled water being used or introduced in many areas, the issue of pharmaceuticals in drinking water is going to become more topical. Yes, we have been told that the treatment plants are producing water that is purer than the water we are already drinking (if so, why not just upgrade our existing water plants?).
With any system (not just water treatment) there is always the possibility of human or computer error. Have you ever had your computer crash? Then you know it is true. If the computer controlling a recycled water plant crashes or malfunctions you can’t get the water back out of the pipes. Having come from an IT background and having worked with many programmers, I can confidently state that it is not a matter of if the computer malfunctions, but when. If the operator makes a mistake the result is the same – inadequately purified water can end up in the pipes.
Microbes Living in Your Drinking Water
A glass of water looks clear and pure to the naked eye. Under a microscope the picture is very different.
Bacteria (such as E. Coli) and cysts (such as cryptosporidia and giardia) are invariably found in water catchments and in tank or well water. These microorganisms cause gastroenteritis, salmonella infection, dysentery, shigellosis, hepatitis, and giardiasis (a gastrointestinal infection causing diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, and flatulance). At best you will suffer minor symptoms; at worst, the symptoms can be serious and even fatal in the very young, the very old or those with weakened immunity.
It makes little difference whether you are on town water, tank water or well water. Bacteria occur everywhere.
As I mentioned above, chlorine is added to municipal drinking water supplies to eliminate these pathogens. Initially chlorine was effective. Today, however, micro-organisms are developing a resistance to it. And, as we have already discussed, chlorine introduces its own set of problems.
Lest you think I am scaremongering – no, I’m not. But it would be irresponsible of me not to make you aware of these issues – especially when there is something you can do to protect yourself against drinking water contamination.
The simplest way to protect against these contaminants is to install a good quality water purifer or, at the very least, a good quality water filter. There are many on the market and we recommend some on this site. With a water purifier in place you can drink your water with confidence and complete safety. After all, your health is too important to leave to chance.
