Just A Glass of Water

Just a glass of water...

...or is it?  

You may not be aware but your humble glass of tap water may contain rather more than just

pure H2O. So what can be found within?

Chlorine

You might have noticed that your tap water can sometimes have a strange taste or odour. This

is down to chlorine, used in the water treatment process in order to remove any harmful bacteria

and germs before the water enters your home. Whilst there are minimal health risks associated

with chlorine, it can certainly have an impact on how pleasant your water is to drink.

Viruses and bacteria

Despite it being the law that your mains water must be routinely tested by your supplier, very

occasionally there can be outbreaks of microscopic parasites. When this has occurred in the

past, residents have been required to boil their tap water before drinking to avoid any gastric

problems.

Fluoride

As well as being naturally present in most mains water, in some areas Fluoride is added to the

water supply. Although it has been medically proven to reduce tooth decay in children, there

have been studies that found that high levels of fluoride can in fact lead to damage and

discolouration of teeth and bones. As a result, there have been no programs to add fluoride to

mains water approved in the UK for the last 20 years.

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Microplastics

The use of plastics in modern manufacturing and products such as car tyres, paint, fabrics and

cosmetics can have an impact on your tap water. Microfibres and microbeads have been found

in 72% of tap water samples in Europe and the UK. Whilst the health risks of ingesting these

microplastics are currently unknown, it doesn’t sound like something that we would prefer to be

doing if we can help it!

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Lead

Lead can be extremely detrimental to your health if it is allowed to build up in your vital organs.

Unfortunately lead can find its way into your bloodstream if you drink tap water which has

absorbed it from old lead piping en route to your home. Lead pipes have been banned from

being used in UK plumbing for over 25 years but older properties may still have these in place.

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Synthetic hormones

Although there is no evidence that there will be an effect on male fertility rates, it is still a

concern that forms of the female sex hormone oestrogen found in the contraceptive pill may be

finding their way into drinking water supplies.  

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Drugs

Whilst only at extremely low levels that are unlikely to cause any health risks, UK tap water has

been found to contain tiny concentrations of a variety of drugs such as caffeine, painkillers and

antidepressants.

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Volatile Organic Compounds

These are chemicals that can be found dissolved in water as well as in the air we breathe. We

are generally surrounded by these at all times as they are used in a variety of industries,

transport and agriculture as well as our day to day lives. An example of a volatile organic

compound is a pesticide called Metaldehyde which has been found in water supplies in the past.

Whilst the conclusion of tests undertaken at the time was that there was no risk to health, it was

found that some water supplies contained above regulation levels.

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Mineral deposits

Hard water contains high concentrations of the minerals magnesium and calcium. They sound

harmless enough but when heated combine to form limescale, the hard to remove chalky

buildup which you can find on taps, pipes and heating elements which you can find around your

home and within your appliances.

Slice of lemon

Well...it’s often found in our glass of water anyway!  

A perfect compliment to enhance the delicious taste of water filtered through a Reverse

Osmosis system.  

Reverse Osmosis?

Reverse Osmosis is a simple water filtration process which works by using pressure to force

water through a semipermeable membrane in order to remove any impurities, including all of

those mentioned above (apart from the lemon, of course!). The contaminants which are filtered

out are flushed away and you are left with clean, great tasting drinking water. Speak to your

local AIWSE member today to find out more about having a Reverse Osmosis filtration system

installed in your home and get on your way to enjoying that perfect glass of water.

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