By Staff
waterhead.com
October 14, 2011

Tap water is an important source of liquid for many people. Western countries have tap water that is run through a municipal water-treatment system. This assures that most of the pollutants and bacteria are removed from the water so it is safe to consume. These treatment plants must adhere to strict guidelines in order to make sure the population is safe from contaminants. Many of the communities add chlorine to kill bacteria and other pathogens in the tap water. There is some controversy about adding chlorine to tap water because many concerned individuals do not feel it is good for the human body to consume this substance.

There are many home devices that can be used to clean the tap water more thoroughly. Many pipes in homes, especially the older ones, have copper pipes. The copper leaches into the water and is ingested when people drink the water. Too much copper in the body is detrimental to good health. There are also concerns that tap water contains high levels of mercury. Mercury is a metal that can lodge itself in various organs of the body and cause great harm. The term 'mad as a hatter' originated in Victorian England, when people who made hats inhaled the mercury used in the hat-making process. The workers often went slowly insane as a result.

Tap water in some municipalities is fortified with fluoride in the belief that it will help prevent tooth decay. This is another very controversial process. Many people do not believe this is accurate and are not convinced of the scientific studies done in this regard. Another issue concerning tap water has recently come to light. It is believed that medications thrown away or flushed down the toilet eventually make it back into our tap water supply. This has the effect of many individuals ingesting medicine that was never meant for them to take. It is still not clear what long term effect this medical residue will have on the population.

Many people no longer drink tap water because of these concerns. As a result the bottled-water industry has flourished in much of the western world. People buy their bottled water in the hopes that this will be better for them than drinking tap water. It is now being discovered that the xenoestrogens contained in the plastic of the bottles are doing harm to growing children and adults alike. These weak estrogen mimickers have the effect producing too much estrogen in both men and women.

Clearly tap water is a lot more complicated than if first appears. To mitigate the effect it has on the human body a lot of individuals are now buying tap water filters and steam-distillation units. These devices remove a lot of the debris that would normally remain in the tap water even after the water treatment it receives at the municipal plant. Boiling water certainly removes a lot of remaining pathogens but does not get rid of the heavy metals or chlorine in the tap water.

Others who read this, also read Water And Your Health Are Connected, Top Reasons to Conserve Drinking Water, Tap Water Can Be Controversial, The Biggest Causes of Water Pollution, Top Reasons to Carry a Water Bottle, Water Nutrition Benefits of Drinking Water or The Untold Truth On Bottle Water.