Water is vital to life. Not one living thing on
the planet can survive without it, so naturally, we should be
concerned about what is in our tap water and whether or not it
is safe to drink. Our bodies are made up of over 60% water and
every muscle, bone, tissue and cell contains it. Every vitamin,
mineral, metal, toxin and chemical in our tap water ends up in
our tissues, organs and cells, so healthy tap water is
essential.
Unfortunately, almost every water source on the planet is
contaminated with chemicals, toxins, metals, or other
harmful substances. There is a finite amount of water on
the planet – what is here is all we get. No new water is
produced. The water that is in our oceans, lakes, rivers
and streams evaporates into the air and returns as rain or
snow. The cycle goes on indefinitely, so what we have is
what we have to use.
The entire experience completely outpaced many of our outlook.
The water that ends up being used as tap water
is usually treated, if it comes from a municipal water supply.
Unfortunately, the water treatment cannot possibly remove every
contaminant that is in the water, and in fact, the chemicals
that are used to treat the water are harmful themselves.
Water treatment plants use chlorine to kill the
bacteria and parasites in the water, but did you know that
chlorine itself is a known cancer-causing chemical? Is it just
coincidence that cancer rates have risen from 2% fifty years
ago to 50% today? That same coincidence is that is when we
began chlorinating our water.
What about fluoride? Most cities in the US
still add fluoride to the water, saying that it strengthens
tooth enamel and prevents cavities. Perhaps that is true, but
to what cost? Fluoride is known to damage kidneys, heart,
lungs, nervous system, bones, gastrointestinal tract,
cardiovascular system and teeth. Some studies suggest that
fluoride may be a contributing factor to the development of
ADHD and other cognitive disorders. Interestingly
enough,fluoride was also given to prisoners at Nazi
concentration camps during WWII.
Do you think they were concerned with the
dental health of the prisoners? No,it was because it causes
neurological damage that made them more docile and
submissive.Studies done by the Ralph Nader Research Institute on American
tap water found over 2100 different chemicals in the water,
many of which are know to cause cancer and other deadly
diseases. Another study found 50 different drugs in the tap
water. Who knows what the long term effects of ingesting all
of those chemicals and drugs is, not to mention what the
effect of having them all mixed together in a potentially
deadly soup that we call tap water!
Many of the chemicals that are in our tap water
are trihalomethanes or THMs, which are known to cause cancer.
Ingestion, absorption and exposure to THMs cause bladder, bowel
and colorectal cancer.
Much of the water contamination comes from
industrial waste, farm run-off and herbicide and pesticide use.
Many industrial facilities still dump toxic waste directly into
the water despite warnings and fines. Others, such as
commercial farms and some industries, end up contaminating the
ground water by improper disposal of waste. The toxins from the
waste seep into the ground and end up in our groundwater, which
can end up in nearby wells and water sources.
The levels of heavy metals in our tap water are
also dangerously high. Chlorination and other water treatment
procedures are not able to remove metals from the water. Only
certain types of water filtration systems are able to do so.
Lead, mercury and asbestos are commonly found in all water
sources, including our tap water. Lead is a toxin that
continues to build up in the tissue over time, particularly in
brain tissue. Allowing children to drink water with lead in it
is particularly dangerous as it leads to permanent brain
damage. Adults who consume lead are at a high risk of
Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Since many older homes have
lead pipes, the pipes begin to corrode over time and the lead
seeps into the water.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral in
serpentine rock. In areas with this type of geology, or in
houses that were built in the 1950s that often had
asbestos-lined pipes this is a problem. Asbestos is a known
carcinogen and should be avoided at all costs.
Now that you know what is in our tap water, you
probably should consider a tap water filter for your home.