What Kind of Water is Safe to Drink?
Tap Water
Most municipal water is drinkable. The best source of specific information about the water quality in your area is your local water supplier. Water suppliers are required to send their customer an annual water quality report.
Contact your water supplier to get a copy, or see if your report is posted on line. It is important you know your local sources of water quality, and the quality of your local drinking water.
Filters and Filtered Water
It is always wise to get a filter if you are not sure how safe your tap water is.
There are many water filter products on the market at many different prices. To shop for a good filter, you need to know what a filter actually reduces, or removes, and what it costs.
Ideally, you want water that has been filtered via a reverse osmosis. This process removes:
- Chemicals
- Pesticides
- Heavy metals
- Chlorine
- Fluoride
- Bacteria
- Viruses
How do you choose a good filter? It is important you do your own research – ask your local health food store, do on-line research and check Consumer Reports for product evaluations and prices.
Bottled Water
Bottled water’s biggest advantage is convenience. Most bottled water is simply tap water put through conditioning filters to make it taste better. Bottled water is safe to drink if it meets the standards. There are indeed many kinds of high-quality bottled water that come from great natural water sources:
- Spring water
- Glacier water
- Mineral water
High-quality bottled water may be a desirable option for people with special health needs and those who can afford the price. Just make sure your choice of water does not become a limiting factor to drinking it.
If you are drinking less water because of the cost of bottled water, supplement your bottles with reusable bottles or just fill up a previously used bottle with H2O from the tap.
