There is one chemical that can be thanked entirely for life on Earth; Water.
Without water, every life form on this planet would shrivel up and die a very thirsty death.
Humans consume water in large quantities and at a rapid rate.
And the most convenient way to quench your thirst is by turning on the tap and pouring yourself a glass.
But is your tap water safe to drink? Should it be trusted?
This thirst has forced us to develop clever methods for distributing water.
We’ve accomplished this monumental task via a complicated array of pipelines and plumbing.
We’ve also devised ingenious ways to recycle our gray water to mitigate unnecessary losses.
But that spirit of ingenuity may be causing us more problems than expected. Otherwise known as the law of unintended consequences.
When a complex system like water distribution becomes widespread, serious obstacles inevitably arise.
Maintaining high water quality standards may be engineers’ most challenging problem. And the safety of your tap water depends upon its success.
Human Water Cycle: Wastewater
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How Water Gets From Source To Tap
Water travels from the source (i.e., lake, river, reservoir) to a filtration treatment plant. Once treated, it is routed through miles of pipelines before running out your tap.
And between the water source and your glass, there’s a lot of room for contamination from eroding pipes, chemical additives, and inadequate treatments.
The consequences of consuming tainted water vary. The type of toxins ingested causes different illnesses. But elevated levels of any toxins in your water will cause health problems.
From nausea, loss of consciousness, and even death in severe cases.
So Is Tap Water Safe To Drink?
There are a lot of competing answers to that simple question.
Local municipalities claim it’s safe and nothing to worry about. But that’s like asking a politician if they’ve ever lied…
They claim to be trustworthy and would notify you immediately if anything was ever amiss. But as we’ll discuss shortly, being highly skeptical is in your best interests.
Those who are more independent-minded and skeptical in nature refute their “safe” assertion. Instead, we believe filtering tap water before consumption is in everyone’s best interest. Otherwise, we risk our health by putting our faith in an imperfect system.
So this article aims to answer the question: Is tap water safe to drink? Using historical examples, facts, modern context, and scientific evidence.
Study finds chemicals in drinking water in 43 states
WHEN IN ROME…
It was perhaps the greatest empire of all time.
At its height, Rome blanketed all of Europe, parts of Africa, and the Middle East. Romans were well known for their art, fabulous architecture, brilliant military, and rich culture.
They philosophized, politicized, sexualized, and influenced the history of humanity.
Then Rome fell.
After half a millennia of unhampered progress and prosperity, it broke into a thousand pieces. Why?
There are many reasons why this once great monument to human refinement collapsed like a circus tent. But it is widely believed severe water contamination had much to do with it.
At the time, the Romans had a very advanced water distribution system. They built out extensive lead-lined aqueducts and lead piping for dispersal and distribution.
How did Roman Aqueducts work?
And in case you missed it in grade school chemistry, Lead consumption is very bad for humans.
In fact, it’s dreadfully poisonous.
It can kill quickly if regularly consumed (even in small doses). The Romans knew this. They were well aware of lead’s poisonous qualities.
Heck, they even had terracotta piping they could have used as an alternative, but they did not.
Instead, they kept their lead aquifers and plumbing because lead was powerful and masculine. A metal closely associated with the Roman God, Saturn.
Today, Rome is no longer an empire.
How Lead (Maybe?) Caused the Downfall of the Romain Empire
This is important to us for two reasons:
- First, it illustrates how essential maintaining a high water purity level is.
- Second, it proves even the most well-established societies can be brought to their knees by contaminated water.
A Water Crisis In America
Undoubtedly, America is currently one of the greatest nations on Earth.
Like the Romans, we are a prosperous society supporting millions of citizens. So by necessity, we also have an extensive water distribution system.
We are powerful, wealthy, and well-established. But we are not without our own water problems. Some were every bit as serious as those the Romans had.
Fracking
America requires a lot of energy, and we have an extensive reservoir of natural gas energy trapped in the ground beneath our feet.
Fracking is new drilling practice that yields huge quantities of natural gas. Fracking often releases natural gas that’s completely inaccessible using conventional extraction methods. But the fracking extraction technique has drawbacks.
Many communities located near fracking operations complain of contaminated water.
The concern is the gas released by fracking activity ends up in the groundwater. This groundwater is the source for local communities. Then this contaminated groundwater eventually comes out of the taps in their homes.
The severity of this pollution varies. But in many instances, people can light their tap water on fire. This is due to the highly flammable nature of natural gas.
Water On Fire from Fracking Gas Drilling
Needless to say, such water would be harmful to consume.
Mountaintop Removal
A surface mining method, popular on the east coast of America, involves literally blasting the tops off of mountains in the Appalachians to access the coal beneath.
Like fracking, this method of resource extraction is renowned for contaminating nearby water sources.
High levels of mine-derived chemical constituents have been found in many community water sources. This has led to increased numbers of adult hospitalizations for varying health issues. Complications include pulmonary disorders, lung cancer, and chronic lung, heart, and kidney disease.
Their health has been at the expense of this devastating mining method.
Mountaintop Removal: An American Tragedy
Colorado’s Animas River
This year in Colorado, a mine near Durango sprung a violent leak. The leak was so toxic it stained an entire river with a nasty, glowing shade of orange.
The spill was deemed unintentional and unstoppable (although not unpreventable).
Thousands of gallons of water contaminated with extremely dangerous cadmium, manganese, lead, copper, and arsenic were blasted from the side of a hill and mixed with the once-freshwater of the Animas River.
This catastrophe choked off water downstream. Poisoning0 and drinking water supplies for several towns and the entire Navajo Nation.
And this crisis is still far from over…
Why Did The Animas River Turn Orange?
Flint, Michigan.
It will go down in history as one of the biggest and most devastating instances of drinking water pollution in the United States ever.
The city decided to switch water sources to save $100 per month! After all, the cheaper, the better – right?
Shortly after the switch, complaints started pouring in. People were concerned about their funny-tasting, weird-smelling, and strange-looking water. Soon those complaints turned into real cases of developing rashes and unnatural hair loss. And before the city council could say “Oops,” President Obama declared Flint, Michigan, a State of Emergency.
It will cost them roughly 1.5 billion dollars to resolve this problem. Which, on a $100 per month payment plan, the city could resolve in 1,250,000 years.
But what will it cost the families of Flint, Michigan? They are paying for this government betrayal with their deteriorating health.
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What Is In Tap Water? Even More Tap Water Contaminants
While these cases are frightening on their own, you may think they are rare and isolated. However, I assure you that drinking water contamination comes in all shapes and sizes.
The instances listed above illustrated what some real worst-case scenarios look like and how the “blunders” of state officials and private businesses can affect your health in a serious way.
But the full list of contaminants that’s been turning up in American drinking water is far more frightening.
Not just because of how extensive the list is but also how widespread it is.
We’ve got drugs!
If you live with chronic pain, your doctor might prescribe you hydrocodone. They might tell you to take ranitidine if you’ve got acid reflux. And if you are experiencing congestive heart failure, you will probably get some hydrochlorothiazide.
But you might not realize getting a prescription to fill these medications is not always necessary.
According to a national study, drugs are detectable in our water in higher doses than previously imagined.
These meds are released into our water systems through human urination, poor disposal practices, and accidental loss. Because most water we consume is recycled, chances are good when you turn on your tap; you pour yourself a diluted pharmaceutical cocktail.
These medications have been researched comprehensively and are known to affect animals and aquatic life.
Drinking water contaminated by excreted drugs
Nitrates or nitrites?
Both, actually. These chemical compounds occur naturally in food and water. But can react with other additives to form cancer-causing substances.
Nitrates and nitrites are both used as fertilizers for non-organic farming and are introduced to water systems through natural runoff.
These chemicals are known to be especially toxic to children (including the unborn). Consumption by minors can result in what is commonly known as “Blue Baby Syndrome” (when a child unexpectedly stops breathing).
These symptoms are shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of consciousness, and even death.
The Nitrate Dilemma: Major Cause Of Water Pollution
Fluoride.
This chemical is intentionally added to many water sources in the US. It’s added to “decrease the number of cavities in American children.” This chemical is also found in both toothpaste and mouthwash.
Why?
Because it’s great for scrubbing enamel and getting rid of pesky plaque, but it is not meant for ingestion.
Fluoride is helpful when applied to teeth, not when it is run through a human being’s digestive system. The government adds this chemical to our water consistently and without our consent.
On top of this, numerous studies have proved fluoride added to water has not been effective. It’s not clear it’s preventing tooth decay as intended. While animal studies have shown fluoride consumption linked to brain damage.
In total, there have now been over 100 animal experiments showing that fluoride can damage the brain and impact learning and behavior. – By Paul Connett
New filters are available that can purify your tap water from this additive.
Fluoride in Our Water
In total, there have now been over 100 animal experiments showing that fluoride can damage the brain and impact learning and behavior. – By Paul Connett
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