Is It Bad to Drink Tap Water in US?
On Instagram, it’s common to see topics like:“Is it bad to drink tap water”.People are very concerned about whether our water is enough to be healthy and safe.
But the answer can be “yes, because drinking doesn’t kill you” or “no, because it won’t do your body any good in the long run.”
The United States is so big, and the sources of drinking water in each state are different, so we mainly consider 4 factors:
1. Is the water system pipeline clean?
2. Hard water, soft water?
3. Is the water supply clean?
4. Has the water pipeline of your house been replaced or is it too old?
How to solve this problem? what is the safest water to drink?
Is Drinking Tap Water Bad For You?
Are the Water System Pipes Clean?
The water we use is the “raw water” that the water works transmits to major communities through multiple purification and filtration measures, through the intricate municipal pipeline network, and then supplies it to each family through the internal pipeline system of the family.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency EPA, 90% of the water flowing out of the American faucet has passed the inspection, and the water at this time is completely drinkable.
After the water is transmitted to various communities, the safety of water quality falls on secondary water supply facilities such as pipe networks and water storage tanks in major communities and residential areas. In fact, in short, the groundwater will be stored in a local water tower after being centrally purified, which is our common “hot air balloon”. It looks beautiful.
But the reality is that 15% of the American population (or more than 70 million Americans are drinking tap water that has been contaminated by old drains). The people most at risk of drinking this contaminated water are those living in sparsely populated townships with outdated water supply facilities.
Cities like Detroit, Newark, and Baltimore have most of their water pipes run from lead pipes laid in the last century. Under long-term use, the lead element has gradually penetrated tap water, so these cities also face serious lead pollution.
You can visit the Environmental Protection Association’s website to see if your community is under threat from this polluted water.
Hard Water, Soft Water？
Hard water contains more calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and minerals than soft water.
- Hard water is more prone to scale, and a layer of white scale accumulates after the water is boiled (whether long-term drinking has an effect on stones).
- The taste of drinking is different. Most of the water in Europe and America is hard water, which is refreshing, crisp, and hard to drink.
(When shampooing with hard water, the hair feels a lot dry, and the ends of the hair are dry, easy to dry, and tangle! OK, so hard water also causes hair loss?! Wait a minute, this thinking is too jumpy. Many people may lose hair The hair is directly blamed on hard water, but the fact is that there is currently no scientific basis to prove the correlation between the two~).
At first glance, hard water seems to have many disadvantages, but in fact, utterly soft water is not a good thing! Because the water contains minerals needed by the human body, especially calcium and magnesium ions, which play a pivotal role in the physiological functions of the human body (otherwise, why would natural mineral water be regarded as a selling point), in recent years, there have been many research reports pointing out that drinking water with a slightly higher hardness Water prevents cardiovascular disease.
So the water is not too hard or too soft.
85% of the water in the United States is hard water, and soft water is concentrated in New England, the Pacific Northwest, the Atlantic Gulf, and Hawaii.
Is It Safe To Drink Hot Water From The Tap
It is a widespread custom to use cold tap water for drinking and food preparation, while hot tap water is used for dishwashing and personal hygiene. But does it have to be this way? What if you use hot water from the tap for drinking or cooking to free up some time? Have you ever wondered if it’s bad to drink hot water from the tap? Is it safe to make tea, coffee, pasta, or rice with hot water?
Do not do this! The hot water from the faucet is absolutely not drinkable.
You should not use hot tap water to make tea, coffee, pasta, rice, etc. In general, you should not drink or use hot tap water to prepare any food or drink.
Why? Well, because the hot water in your faucet may contain contaminants. Hot water is the person in the reservoir (water storage tank), which has a lot of bacteria, is unsanitary and unsafe, is also long-term circulating water, and is not cleaned and maintained frequently. Water heaters will cause impurities, and mineral crystals, to settle in the water heater, making it impossible to drink directly.
Almost all the hot water in the faucet is stored in the water heater. After the water has been repeatedly fired, when the temperature drops to a certain level, it will automatically heat up, which is why the hot water here comes quickly.
Hot water systems such as tanks and boilers contain metal components that corrode over time, contaminating the water. Hot water also dissolves contaminants in pipes faster than cold water. And many pipes in your home contain lead that can seep into the water. Lead can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in young children. Therefore, the United States officially announced in the Clean Water Act of 2012 that lead-containing valves and pipes are not allowed in new construction.
The heated water can cause pipes to release harmful substances such as lead and nickel
- Cold water is fresher. Hot water stays in the plumbing system longer to heat up. Longer dead times in the system may result in higher bacterial levels.
- Hot water passes through additional
Is it safe to boil this hot water?
If you need to boil water, always start with cold water from the faucet. It is never safe to cook or drink hot water from the faucet.
Is Yellow Tap Water Safe To Drink
Drinking water in many countries and regions will be chlorinated for disinfection. The United States stipulates that the total trihalomethanes (Trihalomethanes) in drinking water shall not exceed 0.08 mg/L. This standard is the same as that of Taiwan, China, so it is not that the United States has a relatively high tolerance for chlorine content. Therefore, the chlorine smell in the water is heavier.
Chlorine: It is yellow-green under normal temperature and pressure, and has a strong pungent odor. Its density is higher than that of air, and it is soluble in water.
Fluoride prevents tooth decay, but too much fluoride can cause dental fluorosis. Affect health, beauty, and cause psychological burden and harm to patients.
At the same time, if the water in the faucet does not flow often, when you turn it on again, the water that flows out still contains rust, so the color of the water is yellow. The water is not drinkable at this time.
Is Bottled Water Safer Than Tap Water
In 2007, Americans consumed more than 9 billion gallons of bottled water, an average of more than 30 gallons per person. Why do so many people choose to drink bottled water instead of tap water? While some people prefer the taste and convenience of bottled water, others consider it safer. is this real?
- Although bottled water is much more expensive than tap water, it is not necessarily safer. Virtually all drinking water, whether bottled or tap water, can contain small amounts of contaminants. Also, unlike publicly available tap water, the purity of bottled water is not regulated by the government.
- A study published by the National Resource Defense Council tested more than 1,000 bottles of bottled water from 103 brands. The researchers found that while most of the bottled water tested was of high quality, about one-third had contamination levels that exceeded national or industry standards or guidelines.
- In addition, tap water usually contains fluoride, which can promote strong teeth and prevent tooth decay, while bottled water usually does not contain fluoride.
- There are also reports that one of the chemical components of plastic bottles (bisphenol-a [BPA]) can seep into the water when exposed to high temperatures. BPA is associated with reproductive organ damage and has adverse effects on breast tissue and prostate development.30
What Is The Safest Water To Drink
Even though water source cleanliness and hardness meet the specifications set by the EPA, But the city’s water pipes and their water pipes are not at all attainable;
When your home is 30, or 40 years old and the plumbing has never been replaced, or you live in a state where the plumbing is lead plumbing from the last century. Can you imagine how scary it is…
OK, now for the point：how to solve this problem? what is the safest water to drink?
1. Bottled Water
2. Water Delivery: Usually 5 gallons of water. Each barrel is about $3.5
3. Water Vending Machine: One gallon of water is 25cen. Generally, it needs to be boiled before drinking
4. Water Store: But it will still be boiled before drinking.
5. Water Filters
Compared with drinking tap water directly, bottled water is more hygienic, but plastic bottles are not friendly to the environment. Therefore, filtering water is the best option after comprehensive consideration.
Water Filters
The tap water has undergone preliminary physical filtration and chemical filtration in the water treatment plant to meet drinking standards, but a lot of impurities are incorporated into the city and household tap water pipelines; commercially available filtration equipment is usually physical filtration, using various pore sizes. Different filter materials use adsorption or barrier methods to exclude impurities in water.
——Water filter bottle/water filter straw
The common water filter bottle/water filter straw has three to five filtration processes, and the water purification effect is achieved in a step-by-step manner. The more processes, the more expensive the price, but the relative water purification effect is also better.
The filter core of the water purification equipment is the key to water purification. Depending on the material, it can eliminate particulate impurities such as sediment, rust, bacteria, etc. to different degrees. The order from low to high is:
The water purifier bottle has 4-Stage filtration process, which can filter 99.9999% of parasites, pests, heavy metals, chlorine, and other pathogenic substances.
A water purifier water bottle is the perfect substitute for bottled water when you’re out hiking:
Water bottle purifier travel can directly filter water from natural water sources such as lakes, rivers, and pools into clean and safe drinking water. Waki’s water purifier water bottle has a backwash design, which is convenient for rinsing and storage and can be recycled. This makes most long-distance field trips not have to carry too much water, effectively reducing the weight of the backpack and the best water purifier bottle.
When you are at home or sport, the water purifier water bottle is the perfect substitute for a water glass or tap water:
Filtered water glasses are not only suitable for outdoor activities, but also perfect for everyday use. After the tap water is connected to the bottle, it can be directly filtered while drinking. If filtering is not required, take out the filter element and use it as an ordinary water cup.
filter water bottle for travel is environmentally friendly:
- One water filter element can provide about 396 (gallons) ≈ 1,500 liters of water. The price is $23.99, and it can be used for about 6 months.
- Currently, the most convenient bottled water on the market is a 250ml bottle, priced at $1 a bottle.
- Therefore, using a filter straw is equivalent to reducing 3,000 disposable plastic bottles, saving $2,600.
water purifier bottle compatibility:
- The filter can be compatible with cola, bags, and used alone.
The taste of water purifier water bottle filtered water:
Activated carbon particles have many micropores and a huge specific surface area.
The product also has a strong adsorption capacity. Part of the oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface can therefore adsorb part of the organic matter. More importantly, activated carbon can further remove the residual organic matter and floating matter in the water, and reduce the residual chlorine content in the water. Improve the taste of water.
Regardless of the type of water purifier, the filter element should be replaced regularly and tore often the area with poorer water quality. By the way, there is also an ion exchanger with a resin filter that is also installed by many people, but it is not recommended for patients with cardiovascular disease. As for those electrolyzed water and active water that claim to have curative effects, there is no scientific basis at all, so don’t be easily deceived. water source cleanliness and hardness.
How Much Water for Hiking: 1-5 Days’ Trip in Grand Canyon
If you plan to hike, camp, and complete a long trail for days, you won’t be able to carry enough water with you because it will be too heavy. So you need to calculate How much water to hike, for how long, and the best way to take it.
Why Does My Water Smell Like Rotten Eggs?-How to Remove It?
Plumbing and water treatment companies often face complaints about unpleasant odors emanating from the water, which are often compared to rotten egg smells. The smell problem can cause many problems for residents. There are the reasons why water smells like rotten eggs and what can we do about it.
Is Purified Water The Same As Distilled Water or Filtered Water?
s pure water the same as distilled or filtered water? We always mixed them up, actually, they are not the same thing. Distilled water and filtered water belong to pure water, but their purification process and purification purity are different, also differences in use. Continue reading this article to learn how to distinguish between purified water, filtered water, distilled water, and mineral water.
Can You Drink Lake Water When Camping, Traveling, Or In A Survival Emergency?
As we all know, when camping, traveling, or in survival emergency, you cannot drink water directly from a lake, pond, stream, or river. Even if the water looks clear and tastes clean, it may still be polluted. Water contains a large number of pathogenic bacteria, parasites, and bacteria (such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia, Aspergillus flavus, Escherichia coli, and amoeba/amoeba).
What Is The Role of Activated Carbon In Water Treatment?
The main function of activated carbon filters for water treatment is adsorption, which can absorb the bad smell and odor in water to improve the taste of water.
How To Avoid Drinking Contaminated Water During A Travel?
Celebrate the brightest Christmas and enjoy the most romantic winter.
The charming beach, the heaven of waves, the exciting motor boat, surfing, alluring snorkeling, and relaxing sea fishing, all of them are calling you to go out for a wonderful vacation. When you plan to go out, please don’t forget to factor in one important thing, safe drinking water, because there are no more painful things than getting sick on the trip. Today, I would like to talk about a very serious thing with you guys: How to avoid drinking contaminated water during a journey?