By PAGE Editor

Have you ever thought about the water that you are drinking? Do you know what is in the tap water? Well, it has to be “just” water, right? But often it is not just that because with it you are also drinking various unknown and harmful contaminants as well. Unfortunately, many water utilities will only be skimming the surface while monitoring for contaminants.

It is quite obvious that your water provider will not be able to appropriately test for or control all the contaminants that exist in a water supply in the town, and testing for them all not only is time-consuming, but it can also be very costly. And you can very well deduce what this means because your water supplier will not obsessively be doing this.

Although contaminated water is way more common than we realize, we have some smart ways to help you and your family in staying safe from drinking contaminated water. 

Get to Know Your Drinking Water

Water is the main component in our body and without it, we cannot hope to survive for long. So, it is imperative that you learn as much as possible about the water that you are drinking on a regular basis. If you are not receiving periodic health reports from your water supplier then consider getting a reliable filtration system in place because you cannot put this off and cannot afford to take it for granted either. 

Get the Water Pipes Checked

Before the mid-1980s, the water pipes used in the houses were usually lead-based, and such pipes would let small traces of lead leach out in the water that you and your family may be consuming. So, the first thing that you have to get checked is whether your house has lead-based pipes or not. Lead is not safe for human consumption in any quantity, so it is better to stay safe instead of regretting it later on. However, if you do have lead-based pipes in your house, then one way is to replace them all. But it is quite possible that you are not able to afford this overhaul right away and in this situation, you can take a smart step to wash out the pipes with cold water (simply let cold water run through the pipes).

It is not a long-term solution, but it does put off the immediate danger for a while. Let cold tap water run for about a minute or two, you can even wait for a full 5 minutes. Do not use hot tap water for drinking or cooking because hot water has considerably more lead as compared to cold water. Another important thing is to keep the aerator of water faucets clean. 

Finding a Filter that is Reliable

Generally, if you are using the basic carbon filters that are found in faucet-mounted devices or pitchers, it is an effective method to minimize the contaminants. However, while gathering information for ways to keep your drinking water safe, we found that people at Arizona Water Filtration recommend that a better way is to utilize reverse osmosis filters that would remove almost every harmful substance from the water.

But the biggest problem with reverse osmosis filters is that often they are quite pricey, and not everyone can afford to have one installed in their house. On the other hand, it is a cost that is worth every penny because you get to enjoy safe and healthy water. There are various other filtration methods available as well, including the ion exchange method. 

Bottled Water Is Not The Solution

Some of you may be considering bottled water as the ultimate and ideal solution, but in reality, bottled water is not an absolutely perfect solution either. One of the major reasons for this is that about 25% to 30% of bottled water is just tap water that may or may not have received the much-needed filtration treatment.

There may be various contaminants in the bottled water as well, including heavy metals, fertilizers, industrial solvents, and pharmaceuticals (acetaminophen). If you are still going for bottled water, it would be better to look for approved bottled water companies, so you can have some relief that they passed through some health inspection and commit to a certain standard. 

You have to carefully consider the available options for ensuring that you and your family are drinking properly treated water. There are various options that you can avail yourself of these days, from selecting a reliable filtration method to getting a quick fix. Because consuming contaminated water can pose various health hazards and will have serious implications on health and well-being.

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