14/08/2019
Most of us don’t think about the water we drink. We turn on a tap, fill a glass, and drink. But how much water do you really need to drink every day? Is the water you're drinking safe or would bottled water be safer? What can you do if your tap water suddenly became contaminated? Read on to find out how much you know about the drinking water in your own home.
Water Quality: Is Tap Water Safe?
You need to stay hydrated -- that’s clear -- but is the tap water in your home safe? It is considered generally safe if it comes from a public water system in the United States, such as one run and maintained by a municipality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to monitor all public water systems and sets enforceable health standards regarding the contaminants in drinking water.
The EPA has set minimum testing schedules for specific pollutants to make sure that levels remain safe. Still, some people may be more vulnerable than others to potential harm caused by water contaminants, including:
People undergoing chemotherapy
People with HIV/AIDS
Transplant patients
Children and infants
Pregnant women and their fetuse
Water Quality: Contaminants in the Pipes
Occasionally, your tap water can become contaminated as a result of breaks in the water line, although one of the biggest problems is lead getting into the water from pipes. Even ''lead-free'' pipes can contain as much as 8% lead.
The best way to avoid consuming lead from tap water is to only use water from the cold tap for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula and to let the water run for a minute before using it.
Health Effects of Drinking Contaminated Water
How contaminated water effects your health depends on the type of contaminants. For example
So how much water do you need? Enough to replace what you lose daily through urination, sweating, even exhaling. And your need for water increases:
In warm or hot weather
With vigorous physical activity, such as exercise or working in the yard
During bouts of illness, especially if you have a fever, are vomiting, having diarrhea or coughing
Water Quality and Water Filters
In an effort to make their drinking water safer, some people use water filters at home. There are four main kinds:
Activated carbon filters can remove certain organic contaminants that affect taste and odor. Some systems are also designed to remove chlorination byproducts, solvents, and pesticides, or certain metals such as copper or lead.
Ion exchange units with activated alumina can remove minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which make water hard. This is often used in combination with another filtration method, such as carbon absorption or reverse osmosis.
Reverse osmosis units with carbon can remove nitrates and sodium as well as pesticides and petrochemicals.
Distillation units boil water and condense the steam, creating distilled water.
You often hear that you need to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. The Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board recommend that women drink more than 11 8-ounce glasses (91 ounces) of water daily, and men drink more than 15 glasses of water(125 ounces) per day.
It is a good idea to track how much water you drink for a few days just to get a feel for the amount needed. You can get enough water each day by drinking water and consuming fluids like soup and drinks, along with lots of fruits and vegetables, which contain water. Keep in mind that if you’re going to do something strenuous, like playing sports or running, you'll need extra water before, during, and after.
