Most people take tap water for granted. You turn on the faucet, water comes out, and you drink it or use it for cooking. The belief is that, because it is coming from a tap, it’s safe to drink. After all, it’s been treated at the water treatment works.
In theory, this is correct. However, it’s not always as simple as this. While you can drink hotel tap water and will probably feel fine, you may prefer to insist on filtered water or even speak to the experts in water filters Australia to filter your supply at home and carry a portable filter for hotels.
What The Water Treatment Works Does
When it rains the ground gets wet. This water then travels on or through the ground toward rivers, lakes, and ultimately reservoirs. That’s where the water treatment plants get to work.
As the water travels through and across the ground it will pick up a variety of contaminants. Some of these are natural, such as minerals and metals. Others are synthetic, such as pest killers. It also collects debris.
The treatment plant will use filters to remove the debris. They add chlorine to kill any live organisms in the water, and they add fluoride as this has been shown to boost bone and teeth strength n your body.
The water is then sent to your home or the hotel.
The Issue With This Water
The problem is that recent research questions the effects of chlorine and fluoride on the human body. It is possible these substances have a negative effect. Some studies even show an increased risk of cancer.
But, that’s not the only issue.
Water travels hundreds of miles between the treatment plant and your home. It is impossible for the water board to track all their pipes, making it possible that one could be damaged. If this is the case then contaminants can enter the clean water and you’ll drink them.
In short, the water from your faucet or the hotel could make you ill.
This may seem an unlikely scenario. However, t has happened before. Notably, in 19989 when Sydney Water had to send out an alert regarding treated water that contained parasites and shouldn’t be drunk.
The worst part of this was that they never found out what caused the contamination, effectively highlighting the risks of drinking water from the hotel tap or anywhere else.
It should be noted that current tests check treated water for 70 different chemicals. However, there could be as many as 300 different ones in the water and the tests won’t display them.
Don’t forget, that older buildings generally have old pipes that could also be contaminating the water supply.
The bottom Line
Dealing with this issue is simple. At home, get a water filter fitted. When you’re out or staying at a hotel, insist on filtered or bottled water. This will help you to know what you are putting into your body and how to keep it healthy.
