It’s in the water
Just heard about 2 friends finding out they are pregnant. I’ve heard people say, “It must be in the water!” lol Of course, we all know THAT isn’t in the water, but do you really know what IS in your water?
We need water, every day. If you are trying to lose weight, drink more water. If you’re dealing with an illness, be sure and drink more water. Have a headache? Drink water. The lack of water can contribute to all sorts of ailments. We can go up to 40 days without food, but only 3-5 days without water. The average person’s body is composed of approximately 70% water. Drinking a full glass of water can quickly ease an anxiety attack, food intolerances, “acid stomach” and heartburn, muscle & joint pain, headaches, hot flashes and other discomforts. But what about the quality of the water you are drinking? Could the water you’re drinking actually be CONTRIBUTING to your health concerns? How would you know?
TAP WATER
Tap water generally comes from either surface water (run off from ponds, creeks, streams, rivers and/or reservoirs) or ground water. Ground water has been filtered through the ground to the water table and is extracted via a well. Approximately half of the tap water in the U.S. comes from surface water sources.
You may feel that the water coming out of your facets is safe, I suppose it depends on your definition of “safe”. Tap water is vulnerable to a number of different types of impurities and may be full of harmful chemicals and inorganic material. Some of the things that might be in your tap water include: arsenic, iron, lead, copper and other heavy metals, fertilizers, asbestos, cyanides, herbicides, pesticides and industrial chemicals (they may leach into ground water through the soil or from plumbing pipes). Many of these chemicals have been linked to cancer and other illnesses. We can’t forget to also mention the possible biological contaminants such as viruses, bacteria and parasites. Water companies add all sorts of things (chlorine, carbon, lime, phosphates & aluminum sulfate) to public water supplies to kill bacteria, adjust pH and eliminate cloudiness. Even if the levels of your public water are within acceptable limits, the total of all contaminants may still be harmful to your health.
“EPA’s research on chemical contaminants focuses on comparing the risks from microbial pathogens in our drinking water against the risks of creating disinfection by-products. Scientists are also looking at emerging chemical contaminants. They may be currently unregulated. They occur at low levels, enter the water from multiple sources. These chemicals are considered a long-term issue (not an issue that requires emergency action). Some of these chemicals may have harmful effects on both wildlife and humans.” (http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/wswrd/dw/contaminants.html)
BOTTLE WATER
Bottle water has to be safe, right? I won’t spend a lot of thought on the impact the abundant empty plastic water bottles are leaving on our environment – even recycling them leaves behind toxic by-products, but that’s a different post.
According to Natural Resource Defense Council they answer the question “Is bottle water safer than tap water?” – “No, not necessarily. NRDC conducted a four-year review of the bottled water industry and the safety standards that govern it, including a comparison of national bottled water rules with national tap water rules, and independent testing of over 1,000 bottles of water. Our conclusion is that there is no assurance that just because water comes out of a bottle it is any cleaner or safer than water from the tap. And in fact, an estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle -- sometimes further treated, sometimes not. “ – (http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/qbw.asp)
So what are we to do? What are the options? Basically there are two options – reverse osmosis or steam distilled. The one my family is investing in, is a home Steam Distiller. Distillation involves vaporizing water by boiling it. The steam rises, leaving behind up to 99% of the bacteria, viruses, chemicals, minerals and pollutants from the water. The steam is then moved into a condensing chamber, where it is cooled and condensed to become distilled water.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates public water supply, allows for a TDS (total dissolve solids) maximum contamination level (MCL) of 500 PPM (parts per million). The average tap water in America contains approximately 350 ppm of TDS although it is not uncommon for municipal or local water supplies to exceed this. If TDS levels exceed 1000mg/L, however, it is generally considered harmful to human health and should not be consumed. (http://www.tdsmeter.com/education?id=0018) Reducing TDS levels to 50 PPM or less not only ensures the safety of your drinking water, but it also improves the appearance and taste. There are some pretty neat gadgets you can buy fairly inexpensively to test your water to see how pure it really is. On Amazon.com, you can get a TDS-EZ Water Quality TDS Tester for less than $16 to find out for sure.
I just got my TDS-EZ Water tester in today.
Our tap water had a TDS reading of 180 – pretty good for public water.
The distilled water I bought from the store today had a TDS reading of 0.
The distilled water from my home distiller had a TDS reading of 04.
Pretty happy to know what we are consuming and cooking with – excited to have learned about my options, too! :)
Bottom line, water is essential to survival. Everyone has to have it. The quality of that water will directly impact the health of your body. If that’s important to you, then you will have to be the one to do something about it.