Tap Water May Not Be Such A Good Choice
Most of us think nothing of giving our cats a nice fresh bowl of cold tap water, but that may not be such a good idea, for either you or your cat.
Many pharmaceutical and personal care products are entering rivers from sewage treatment plants or leaching into groundwater from septic systems.
Antibiotics, painkillers, sunscreen, hormones, drugs and much more are routinely found in U.S. waters. In some parts of our nation, male fish are growing female parts because they’re literally swimming in hormones.
Tests have shown that American drinking water is contaminated with perchlorate – the chemical used to make rocket fuel, and pharmaceuticals have been found in the drinking water of 51 million U.S. homes. Perchlorate can interrupt the production of thyroid hormones, and lead to hypothyroidism.
Tests on U.S. drinking water routinely find the residue of legal and illegal drugs, poisons, and synthetic chemicals.
Heavy metals are also seeping into our water. These are inorganic chemical elements with relatively high density, such as mercury, arsenic, chromium, cadmium, nickel and lead.
Did you know that if you drink chlorinated water while pregnant, it can increase your child’s risk of heart problems, cleft palate or major brain defects?
Independent studies in such journals as Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; Environmental Health Perspectives; American Journal of Public Health; and Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, as well as reports published by the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that millions of Americans become sick each year from drinking contaminated water, with maladies from upset stomachs to cancer and birth defects.
One recent study showed that 62 million Americans drink substandard water. Many of the chemicals, drugs and toxins are unregulated, (meaning nobody checks to see if they’re in your water supply) so millions of people drink dangerous water that actually still meets U.S. government standards.
Water bottled in plastic is not really safer, and some has been proven to be just plain tap water anyway. Reverse osmosis filtering systems are the best bet, and a less expensive option is a high quality water filter.
February 5th, 2010 11:31 am
Bravo for denouncing this! I remember reporting it a couple of years ago, but it went unnoticed.
Recently, I found out that ice cubes served in fast food restaurants are mainly made of toilet water! Plus, the big brand sodas we consume have been found to include fecal bacteria!
No wonder we have grown resilient to antibiotics and several forms of cancer are developping everyday. But then, people don’t necessarily take the time to inquire.
Good job, Rebecca!
February 5th, 2010 2:15 pm
I will have to make sure my cats get filtered water from now on. Since we use a well, I didn’t realize there were as many dangers in our water.
February 5th, 2010 2:34 pm
Great post. I usually don’t worry about our water because we have our own well. But I think I will get one of those filters for the sink. Who knows what is going down in that well. Have a great week end.
February 5th, 2010 6:14 pm
The water in Southern California is particularly bad. I remember once coming back home after a business trip to Japan - way back in 1990 - and the flight attendants advising the Japanese vistors to not drink our water! Sadly, they had a point.
February 8th, 2010 12:37 pm
Every time I gave water to my cats, they would immediately become ill. Later I learned that the arsenic levels in the water had become dangerously high due the naturally occurring arsenic and a drought which concentrated those small amounts.
February 11th, 2010 4:51 am
Tap water has a lot of things in it, where as bottled water doesn’t, I think it has something in it, hence the ‘best bought by’ date, but I’m not sure what it is.
February 12th, 2010 12:18 am
Can i take a one small picture from your site?
Have a nice day
Dougles
February 15th, 2010 10:08 am
An commendable post ,have an excellent week end….
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