Is common tap water unsafe?

[bayousoft]

I have been advised in different places online that my son who has PsA should be drinking like 2 liters of water a day.

Should tap water be avoided completely even if bottled water is not available at the time? I would think that in this case any water would be better than no water.

[elliott]

If you worry about your water and this depends on where you live get a simple water tester or send your water to a lab for a little more money. I have great tasting water in Houston, TX but some folks avoid it like the plague. The bottom line if your tap water is suspect get a filter from Walgreens or Sears otr the like. Unless you consume a steady diet of even susapect water there is no reason for concern until you get a filter.

[CaseyC]

I think it depends on where you live too. My in-laws have a well out in the country, and it is very high in minerals. They don't drink it.

We live in a big city, and have a taste filter on our refrigerator, and a reverse osmosis drinking system for our tap water. I personally don't like the way the tap water tastes in my area. But it is safe to drink. The kids drink it from the water fountains at school.

[Followell]

Should tap water be avoided completely even if bottled water is not available at the time?

Our water company puts out a yearly report - fancy, glossy, lots of words...but at the very bottom in tiny words, it says: "if you have an autoimmune disorder, consult your physician before consuming." yikes!
I drink lots of water, but I have a filter on my fridge and I buy bottled water on the run.

[Sarah29]

Given a choice, I won't drink either tap water or bottled water. I have a shower filter and drink reverse osmosis water.
Here is a quote from http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/wat...r-dry-skin.htm to explain why:

"According to recent news and reports, most tap and well water in the U.S. are not safe for drinking due to heavy industrial and environmental pollution. Toxic bacteria, chemicals and heavy metals routinely penetrate and pollute our natural water sources making people sick while exposing them to long term health consequences such as liver damage, cancer and other serious conditions. We have reached the point where all sources of our drinking water, including municipal water systems, wells, lakes, rivers, and even glaciers, contain some level of contamination. Even some brands of bottled water have been found to contain high levels of contaminants in addition to plastics chemical leaching from the bottle.

A good water filtration system installed in your home is the only way to proactively monitor and ensure the quality and safety of your drinking water. Reverse osmosis water purification systems can remove 90-99% of all contaminants from city and well water to deliver healthy drinking water for you and your family.Depending on where you live, your tap water could be treated."

If I have no access to clean water, I'll drink from the tap. There were reports that showed bottled water is actually less regulated than the water you get out of your faucet for free. Buy a reusable stainless steel bottle and fill up with filtered water.

If you can't afford a water filtration system for your home, you could get a water cooler and fill the 5 gallon bottle with reverse osmosis water offered at most health food stores.

[airway]

I'm with Sarah. Bottled water is expensive and produces a lot of unnecessary garbage. You may want to consider looking into what Pur or Brita offers as far as filters. I have Pur pitcher that I keep full of water in the fridge and also have a filter that attaches to my faucet. The one on the faucet can be turned on and off for washing dishes or whatever else you may not need the filtered water for.

Pur Site
Brita Site

I'm sure there are other brands too. These are just the two I think of.

[MadCat]

Should tap water be avoided completely even if bottled water is not available at the time? I would think that in this case any water would be better than no water.

I saw an American documentary (and if I ever remember the name of it, I will let you know) that showed exactly what goes into our drinking water.

It was enough to put you off for life.

But then of course, bottled water is no better because of the health concerns over the plastic used in the bottles. And sending plastic bottles to land fill is very bad for the environment

Some “green” companies have now brought out safer containers (i.e.) bioplastic which I believe is derived from corn and biodegrade within 100 days. Or they have stainless steel water bottles.

Otherwise buy yourself a filter. You can get filters that go over the tap and then separate jug filters that you can store in the fridge.

The difference between tap water and filtered tap water has to be tasted to be believed.

And yes, it would also depend where you live. Pure soft Scottish tap water from unpolluted springs in the glens is vastly different from downtown New York tap water.

You could also try boiling all your tap water, letting it cool and then drinking it. But this is a long-winded task to do every day.

I have a tap filter and a jug filter, plus I sometimes buy water in a cask that says it is 100% free from chlorine, bacteria, salt, fluoride and other impurities. Obviously I don’t know for sure but it tastes really nice.

MadCat