Can i drink faucet water

The debate between drinking tap water or bottled water seems to be endless. Situations like a broken water line or equipment failure at the water treatment plant can lead to temporary contamination. You can also find traces of minerals and small amounts of containments at levels deemed to be safe for human health.

The mineral fluoride is added to water in the United States to help strengthen your teeth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC , studies have found drinking fluoridated water prevents your risk of tooth decay by about 25 percent. Disinfectants like chlorine or chloramine are added to drinking water to kill germs that can make you sick. For example, the CDC says that chlorine levels up to 4 parts per million are considered safe for human consumption.

Tap water contains minerals that are essential for human health. Some of these minerals occur naturally and some are added. According to a study, drinking a quart of tap water provides you with about 1 percent of your daily required copper, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. The researchers found no significant differences in the overall mineral content of water extracted from sampling locations across the United States. The taste of tap water can differ depending on the amounts and ratios of minerals dissolved in it.

For instance, high levels of iron may give your water a metallic taste. Even water considered safe can contain traces of contaminants in amounts not deemed to be dangerous for human health. The Environmental Protection Agency EPA has limits on more than 90 potential substances that may be unsafe for humans.

For example, the limit for arsenic is 10 parts per billion. According to the EPA , water can be contaminated with various types of pollutants that may make it unsafe. Tap water can contain microorganisms like bacteria or parasites that make you sick.

Cryptosporidium , E. Both human-made and natural chemicals can make their way into drinking water. Pesticides, bleach, and bacterial toxins are some of the potential things that can have harmful health effects. Other chemicals like bisphenol-A and pharmaceuticals are also sometimes detected in groundwater sources. Often these chemicals are filtered before reaching your tap. Radioactive elements chemicals like uranium, cesium, plutonium are sometimes detected in drinking water.

These elements can emit ionizing radiation that can harm cells in your body and raise your risk of developing cancer.

Other types of ionizing radiation people are exposed to include X-rays and ultraviolet light. Heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, or lead can enter your water supply through plumbing and service lines as well as through natural mineral deposits. Though copper isn't bad for you in small doses, high levels of exposure can produce health problems such as anemia and liver and kidney damage.

Chlorine is deliberately added to the US water supply to kill germs and pathogens, but when it mixes with other organic compounds it can create a few harmful byproducts. One of these byproducts, a group of chemicals known as trihalomethanes THMs , has been linked to kidney problems and increased cancer risk. Another, known as haloacetic acids HAAs , causes skin irritation and could also increase cancer risk. Low levels of chlorine in the water system can also expose people to a parasite called giardia that causes diarrhea, cramps, and nausea.

Water that smells like bleach could be a sign of excess chlorine in your local system. Water that smells like sewage or rotten eggs could contain hydrogen sulfide, a colorless gas that can naturally occur in groundwater. When this gas is exposed to certain bacteria, it converts into sulfate, which can cause dehydration or diarrhea. Fishy-smelling water could signal an excess of barium, a naturally-occurring chemical that can seep into a water supply through drilling or manufacturing.

When barium is present above the EPA's recommended levels , it could cause increased blood pressure, muscle weakness, or kidney, liver, and heart damage. Water that smells fishy might also contain cadmium, a chemical found in lead and copper ores, which often leaches into pipes through industrial waste.

Exposure to elevated levels of cadmium in drinking water can cause kidney, liver, and bone damage. One helpful way to check if your water is safe is to pour a glass from the tap and move to another room. After swirling the water around, if it still smells like fish, it could mean that contaminants are present.

Rusty pipes can release metals like iron, manganese, zinc, copper, and lead into local water supplies, giving the liquid a metallic, or salty, taste. This foul flavor helped alert Flint residents to the presence of lead in their drinking water, but in some cases it's merely a sign of a low pH.

A number of contaminants, including arsenic and nitrates, are hidden to the naked eye. In many cases, a single drinking water system will contain more than one hazardous chemical , making it difficult for individuals to evaluate the overall health risk.

DeWitt said even a reverse osmosis system — the one recommended by Erin Brockovich — can trap contaminated water in its filters. Though she uses a filtration system in her own home, she said it's mostly to remove the bad taste of chlorination byproducts. Her main advice is to know your water source and read water quality reports from your local utility — even before you smell, taste, or see something bad.

For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Finally, maintain the filter at least as often as the manufacturer recommends. Boiling tap water can be effective, but it depends on the contaminant s being targeted. In fact, boiling can actually increase the concentration of those contaminants because it causes the volume of water to decrease while the level of contaminants remains constant.

Any general advice posted on our blog, website, or app is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace or substitute for any medical or other advice. If you have specific concerns or a situation arises in which you require medical advice, you should consult with an appropriately trained and qualified medical services provider. Learn More Opens in a new window. Join today and experience primary care designed for real life, in-office and in-app.

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