Is drinking tap water healthy?

13

Replies

  • FreyasRebirth
    FreyasRebirth Posts: 514 Member
    Mine is occasionally brown and I haven't died yet. It is a private well system for the neighborhood so I get a yearly report telling me it is "safe" to drink (from Google, I assume it is iron). I try not to drink it when it is on the darker side but that usually only happens with the hot water, stuff settles on the bottom of the tank and gets flushed out when the tank refills.
  • FreyasRebirth
    FreyasRebirth Posts: 514 Member
    rmilms82 wrote: »
    xmarye wrote: »
    Some might or might not agree, but here's a link about fluoride in the water and ways to filtrate your water.

    http://energyfanatics.com/2012/06/13/how-decalcify-pineal-gland/

    I completely agree. Most ofthe tap water in Australia and America is fluoridated and toxic. Don't drink it unless you have a reverse osmosis filtration system.

    Reverse osmosis is actually pretty terrible, if that is your main source of fluids. As I understand it, it not only removes "bad" things but essential minerals as well. The fluid would cause cells to swell via osmosis but the body releases some minerals from 'storage' (bones, teeth) for balance. When that water is needed to flush urea, the minerals go too. If you are doing that day in and day out, you probably aren't doing yourself a favor.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    rmilms82 wrote: »
    xmarye wrote: »
    Some might or might not agree, but here's a link about fluoride in the water and ways to filtrate your water.

    http://energyfanatics.com/2012/06/13/how-decalcify-pineal-gland/

    I completely agree. Most ofthe tap water in Australia and America is fluoridated and toxic. Don't drink it unless you have a reverse osmosis filtration system.

    Reverse osmosis is actually pretty terrible, if that is your main source of fluids. As I understand it, it not only removes "bad" things but essential minerals as well. The fluid would cause cells to swell via osmosis but the body releases some minerals from 'storage' (bones, teeth) for balance. When that water is needed to flush urea, the minerals go too. If you are doing that day in and day out, you probably aren't doing yourself a favor.

    I've heard of people getting sick from defiencies after mainly drinking reverse osmosis.
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    Also depends on your country, of course. I was watching a Youtube video where a Chinese lady talked about the things that surprised her most about the US, and one of the things was that people drank the tapwater. She said that in China you would never do this, it would make you sick.
    Chinese tap water is potable if it's boiled. At least, it won't make you sick right away.

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,954 Member
    Of course, part of the answer is also "Depends how long you've been there". I might get sick drinking the tap water in Thailand or Bali, for example, but once you've built up a tolerance to the local bugs and bacteria, people can drink it just fine.
  • southernoregongrape
    southernoregongrape Posts: 117 Member
    I had to put a filter on the kitchen tap when I moved to this part of Oregon because I was getting the runs from the water here. My new Dr. here told me not to drink the water unless it was filtered. Put a filter on and my symptoms disappeared within 24 hours.
    So, I agree it depends on where you live.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    AngelaHuo wrote: »
    Is it?

    probably a question to ask your local city hall.

    but yes, unless they have advisories up to the contrary, it should be drinkable. can you imagine the headaches any municipality would have if they 'passed' water that made its whole electoral base sick?

  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    I had an aunt whose second husband got a job working for the City of Dallas, Texas water department. After he started working there, he quit drinking the city water. That was 40 years ago. Personally, I think Dallas water is the best I've experienced in the U.S.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    Unless you live in Flint, MI, the answer is almost assuredly yes. Taste is a whole different story, but tap water is safe, and has been pointed out by others, subject to more stringent rules than bottled water, and bottled water is most often filtered municipal tap water.

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    We do poop in it, we 'treat' it, and we send it to Houston.
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    edited March 2017
    Most bottled water is nothing but tapwater. It's filtered for taste, but otherwise it's the same stuff.

    If you live someplace like San Francisco, your tapwater tastes so good you don't even want bottled water. That stuff's amazing.
    DavidC1857 wrote: »
    The last place I lived (before this one) had 7 ppm of arsenic in the water and it was still probably safer than bottled. People in that town have been drinking it since the mid 1800's and they're all a pretty healthy bunch.

    Are you sure that's right? Federal standard for arsenic in drinking water is 10 ppb max. You're talking about 700x that.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    ccsernica wrote: »
    Most bottled water is nothing but tapwater. It's filtered for taste, but otherwise it's the same stuff.

    If you live someplace like San Francisco, your tapwater tastes so good you don't even want bottled water. That stuff's amazing.
    DavidC1857 wrote: »
    The last place I lived (before this one) had 7 ppm of arsenic in the water and it was still probably safer than bottled. People in that town have been drinking it since the mid 1800's and they're all a pretty healthy bunch.

    Are you sure that's right? Federal standard for arsenic in drinking water is 10 ppb max. You're talking about 700x that.

    I'm in the Sierra Nevada foothills and my tap water is awesome.
    But SF water is good too, and Sacramento itself has good water. (Some of its suburbs and nearby towns don't.) I work an hour away and I fill multiple bottles with tap water from home every day to take with me.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    I had an aunt whose second husband got a job working for the City of Dallas, Texas water department. After he started working there, he quit drinking the city water. That was 40 years ago. Personally, I think Dallas water is the best I've experienced in the U.S.

    My uncle had no problem drinking Sacramento tap water after working for the water dept there.
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    cmtigger wrote: »
    I'm in the Sierra Nevada foothills and my tap water is awesome.

    Of course. Where do you think San Francisco gets its water from?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    rmilms82 wrote: »
    xmarye wrote: »
    Some might or might not agree, but here's a link about fluoride in the water and ways to filtrate your water.

    http://energyfanatics.com/2012/06/13/how-decalcify-pineal-gland/

    I completely agree. Most ofthe tap water in Australia and America is fluoridated and toxic. Don't drink it unless you have a reverse osmosis filtration system.

    The Australian Medical Association just called Pete "Paleo" Evans out on his bullshite regarding fluoride in water. Study after study proves that it is not only safe, it is beneficial. As someone who grew up on non-flouride water in Australia, I only wish my teeth were as good as people who grew up on flouride water. That link is also full of woo and ridiculousness of the highest order.

    Did you watch the interview on Sunday night @Alatariel75 ? He came across a tad creepy, and i thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head a few times lol

    OP we have a puratap fitted in our kitchen sink. After having that for a few years, i can't go back to drinking straight unfiltered tap water.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,954 Member
    rmilms82 wrote: »
    xmarye wrote: »
    Some might or might not agree, but here's a link about fluoride in the water and ways to filtrate your water.

    http://energyfanatics.com/2012/06/13/how-decalcify-pineal-gland/

    I completely agree. Most ofthe tap water in Australia and America is fluoridated and toxic. Don't drink it unless you have a reverse osmosis filtration system.

    The Australian Medical Association just called Pete "Paleo" Evans out on his bullshite regarding fluoride in water. Study after study proves that it is not only safe, it is beneficial. As someone who grew up on non-flouride water in Australia, I only wish my teeth were as good as people who grew up on flouride water. That link is also full of woo and ridiculousness of the highest order.

    Did you watch the interview on Sunday night @Alatariel75 ? He came across a tad creepy, and i thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head a few times lol

    OP we have a puratap fitted in our kitchen sink. After having that for a few years, i can't go back to drinking straight unfiltered tap water.

    He makes me facepalm so hard.

    I can't drink Adelaide water unfiltered, it's like drinking pool water. Melbourne water is fine, though.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    rmilms82 wrote: »
    xmarye wrote: »
    Some might or might not agree, but here's a link about fluoride in the water and ways to filtrate your water.

    http://energyfanatics.com/2012/06/13/how-decalcify-pineal-gland/

    I completely agree. Most ofthe tap water in Australia and America is fluoridated and toxic. Don't drink it unless you have a reverse osmosis filtration system.

    The Australian Medical Association just called Pete "Paleo" Evans out on his bullshite regarding fluoride in water. Study after study proves that it is not only safe, it is beneficial. As someone who grew up on non-flouride water in Australia, I only wish my teeth were as good as people who grew up on flouride water. That link is also full of woo and ridiculousness of the highest order.

    Did you watch the interview on Sunday night @Alatariel75 ? He came across a tad creepy, and i thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head a few times lol

    OP we have a puratap fitted in our kitchen sink. After having that for a few years, i can't go back to drinking straight unfiltered tap water.

    He makes me facepalm so hard.

    I can't drink Adelaide water unfiltered, it's like drinking pool water. Melbourne water is fine, though.

    Haha yeah you can smell it before you get the glass to your mouth. I heard Melbourne water is good.
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
    rmilms82 wrote: »
    xmarye wrote: »
    Some might or might not agree, but here's a link about fluoride in the water and ways to filtrate your water.

    http://energyfanatics.com/2012/06/13/how-decalcify-pineal-gland/

    I completely agree. Most ofthe tap water in Australia and America is fluoridated and toxic. Don't drink it unless you have a reverse osmosis filtration system.

    The Australian Medical Association just called Pete "Paleo" Evans out on his bullshite regarding fluoride in water. Study after study proves that it is not only safe, it is beneficial. As someone who grew up on non-flouride water in Australia, I only wish my teeth were as good as people who grew up on flouride water. That link is also full of woo and ridiculousness of the highest order.

    Did you watch the interview on Sunday night @Alatariel75 ? He came across a tad creepy, and i thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head a few times lol

    OP we have a puratap fitted in our kitchen sink. After having that for a few years, i can't go back to drinking straight unfiltered tap water.

    He makes me facepalm so hard.

    I can't drink Adelaide water unfiltered, it's like drinking pool water. Melbourne water is fine, though.

    Haha yeah you can smell it before you get the glass to your mouth. I heard Melbourne water is good.

    Yup, it took me several years to tolerate the taste of Adelaide water - I got there in the end though. It is always safe to drink, but doesn't taste good. I don't have a problem with city water anywhere else I've been in Aus though.

    OP, if you have concerns about the water coming out of the tap in your house, then check with your local council or ask your GP. No one on the internet can possibly give you an answer to such an open ended question.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    ccsernica wrote: »
    cmtigger wrote: »
    I'm in the Sierra Nevada foothills and my tap water is awesome.

    Of course. Where do you think San Francisco gets its water from?

    Farther south of me. Hetch hetchy :(

    Davis water and yuba city water are gross tasting. Safe, but they taste awful.
  • BlueSkyShoal
    BlueSkyShoal Posts: 325 Member
    I used to visit St. Paul MN in the summers and their water has fluoride . . . I don't remember if it tasted different, though.

    Bottled water doesn't taste good to me. I'm trying to think of how to describe it . . . You know how normal soda tastes, but if you leave it in the fridge a while after opening it, it goes flat? To me bottled water tastes like the "flat" equivalent of tapwater. It's just unpleasant.

    But the final blow is that my dentist always gives me a bottled water after an appointment, so I associate it with going to the dentist. Yeah . . . that's like the opposite of good product placement. That's "please don't buy my product" placement.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    When I lived in FL, it was okay smelled a little nothing bad enough I wouldn't drink it. When I lived in Houston it was horrible smelling and tasted bad. I live in NC now and while it's not the greatest smelling and has some taste to it. I'll use it for some cooking, but in things like smoothies I use bottled water.