What's in our tap water in the US?

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.

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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.