Is Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Is tap water safe to drink? The short answer to this question is, yes. Tap water is generally safe to drink in most parts of the world. In the United States, tap water is closely regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA sets standards for contaminants like lead and arsenic. The EPA has set limits on how much of these contaminants are allowed in tap water. This is so you can feel confident that your tap water should meet their standards and be relatively safe to drink.

Potential Contaminants in Tap Water

However, just because tap water meets the EPA’s regulations doesn’t mean it doesn’t contain any other contaminants or bacteria. Research has shown there are still some chemicals that are present in trace amounts in different parts of the country. These could be such things as nitrates, fertilizers, and pesticides from agricultural runoff. If you have a well on your property for drinking water, then you’ll want to test it periodically for contamination from surface pollutants or groundwater contamination from nearby septic systems, leaking sewer lines, or landfills.

Bacterial Contamination Risk

In addition to potential chemical contaminants in your local area, there can also be bacteria lurking in your drinking water. Bacteria can enter the system through broken pipes or improper maintenance at your local water treatment plant.

The most common types of bacteria found in tap water are coliform bacteria and E. coli. Both make you severely ill if consumed and not properly treated. To make sure these bacteria don’t enter home systems, it’s important if you become infected to always wash your hands and clean countertops. Pay attention when using and flushing toilets to use antiseptic sprays to clean up any “spills” and to flush every time used.

Most municipal water supplies are by definition public water systems that are mandated to provide safe drinking water to all those hooked up to the public drinking water distribution system. These water supplies achieve their high water quality through sophisticated water filter systems and are treated with man-made chemicals to kill germs, viruses, bacteria, and parasites, and remove debris that may be present in the water.

What’s In Tap Water?

As you think about whether tap water is safe to drink, you may be wondering what is in tap water?! Have you ever wondered what exactly is in the water that comes out of your taps? The answer, it turns out, is a bit more complicated than one might imagine. Tap water contains various minerals and chemicals, some of which are essential for our health and others that might be potentially hazardous. Let’s take a closer look into what’s really in tap water.

Essential Elements

Tap water generally contains several key minerals and elements that can actually be beneficial to our health. These include calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, fluorine, and sulfur compounds as well as trace amounts of iron and other elements like manganese and zinc.

Calcium is especially important as it helps strengthen bones while also aiding in the body’s absorption of other minerals such as potassium. Magnesium helps with muscle performance, while sodium aids digestion and boosts electrolyte levels.

Chloride works to maintain optimal acidity levels in the bloodstream and keeps cells hydrated. Fluoride work to strengthen teeth enamel, which is why it’s so commonly added to public water supplies to help reduce tooth decay.

Sulfur compounds help neutralize any bad odor caused by unpleasant metals such as copper or zinc. Lastly, trace amounts of iron help with the transport of oxygen throughout the bloodstream among other things.

Contaminants

Unfortunately, there are also several compounds found in tap water from human activities that can be potentially hazardous to human health if consumed in excessive quantities over long periods of time.

These include fluoride (in large doses), lead (often from old plumbing pipes) nitrates/nitrites (from agricultural runoff), chlorine (added for disinfection purposes), and arsenic (which can occur naturally). High levels of lead are of particular concern and the cause of low consumer confidence reports in places like Flint, Michigan where pediatricians found lead in the blood of sick young children.

However, these contaminants should not be cause for alarm as they usually occur in relatively small concentrations. The water is tested and compared to safe drinking standards set by governmental agencies at both local and national levels. To ensure safety it is often recommended to use home filtration systems or specialized filters to remove these contaminants before drinking tap water regularly and assist in disease control.

It is clear that tap water contains both beneficial minerals as well certain contaminants depending on the region or town you live in. As long as you are aware of potential risks or have taken necessary precautions, then there should be no reason why tap water in your sink can’t serve its purpose of delivering safe quality drinking water supplies into your homes!

What Makes Tap Water Unsafe?

Tap water has become an indispensable part of modern life, providing us with an easy and readily available source of clean drinking water. However, despite the technological advances in water filtration systems and delivery infrastructure, tap water is still not always safe. Certain elements can contaminate it and make it potentially hazardous to drink.

Poor Infrastructure

In some parts of the world the infrastructure for delivering safe drinking water is either inadequate or outright non-existent so access to clean running water is a privilege rather than a right. In countries such as India, almost 70% of the groundwater from underground aquifers used for public consumption contained levels of fluoride higher than acceptable health standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Such situations are especially worrisome due to the potential long-term health effects that could result from the continued consumption of contaminated tap water. By the way, it is NOT recommended in India to drink tap water.

Do you remember the Flint, Michigan lead issue? As mentioned above, it wasn’t until a pediatrician questioned why so many kids had lead poisoning in that city. Flint Michigan Department Attorney Governor

Every year in Utah, we hear about contaminated water in various cities. The thing that is disturbing to me is that we often don’t hear about the “bad” water for a few days when a boil water directive is issued. Please don’t count on that water heater in your home for fresh water, in case the water in your city becomes contaminated. Here is a story from The Deseret News.

There are so many instances of water quality issues it would take me hours to post them. Please keep on top of your water supply. You can use reverse osmosis for daily water purification in your home. A Big Berkey, or another water purifier can be used as a stopgap until the local water system proves to be safe. The prevention of short and long-term health issues is a real concern and you don’t want outside sources prompting you to worry about prevention all the time.

My Personal Experience

Please note, I lived in a small town in northern Utah back in 1983, and the water had a peculiar taste. The color of the water was yellow, yes, you heard that right, yellow. I took a white container to the city filled with yellow water and asked them why it would be yellow and not clear. They said that our water is safe and we didn’t have to worry about the water.

I didn’t believe it, I immediately ordered water to be delivered to our home every two weeks in 5-gallon bottles. We would rotate the bottles and use them in a water dispensary unit.

A few years later after living there, we started noticing cancer rates in our town higher than in the rest of the state at that time. Next, we gathered several neighbors and walked around the neighborhood, and to our surprise, in every third house, someone was being treated for cancer or had died from cancer. Was it from the water, we will never know.

After we moved to Southern Utah, we invested in a reverse osmosis unit, yes it removes all the minerals, but it also removes 99.99% of all the bad stuff. It cost us about $100.00 a year to replace the filter cartridges and have the unit cleaned and serviced. It was worth every penny. We have never looked back. You can get one at Costco fairly cheap, not sure about Sam’s Club.

More Tips for Storing Water

• Water Storage: How Much Do You Really Need?
• Creative Water Storage Solutions for Emergencies 
• How To Store Water-Pros And Cons
• Bottled Water: Is It Safe to Drink?

What is the Safe Water Drinking act of 1974?

As quoted from the website www.epa.gov: “The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was established to protect the quality of drinking water in the U.S. This law focuses on all waters actually or potentially designed for drinking use, whether from above ground or underground sources.

• The Act authorizes EPA to establish minimum standards to protect tap water and requires all owners or operators of public water systems to comply with these primary (health-related) standards.
• The 1996 amendments to SDWA require that EPA consider a detailed risk and cost assessment, and best peer-reviewed science, when developing these standards.
• State governments, which can be approved to implement these rules for EPA, also encourage attainment of secondary standards (nuisance-related).
• Under the Act, EPA also establishes minimum standards for state programs to protect underground sources of drinking water from endangerment by underground injection of fluids

Final Word

It’s clear that while tap water offers many practical benefits, there are still certain threats associated with its consumption due to unforeseen contaminants or infrastructure shortcomings. The best way to ensure you are getting safe drinking water is to stay informed about your specific local situation and take necessary precautions if required. This could mean something as simple as installing home filtration systems or purchasing bottled alternatives when necessary. Let me know in the comments below what your personal experience, both good and bad, has been with your local water system. May God Bless this World, Linda