Water Is Water. Or Is It?
How our tap water is poisoning us and what we can do about it
The other night, my pop-pop was in town, so we decided to enjoy a nice dinner outside at a local restaurant. I bring my hydro flask everywhere to ensure I always have clean, filtered water. I told him he could have the glass of water that the waitress brought us and he asked me what I had in my bottle. When I told him it was water he said, “water is just water right?”.
While I laughed, I didn’t want to go into all the intricacies of how all water is not “just water”. There’s surprisingly a lot to it, especially when it comes to our tap water. I used to never understand the people who would spend $6 more on a bottle of “flat” water for the table until I realized just how toxic tap water is. Now, I carry my own water with me everywhere, even to nice restaurants.
Toxicity of tap water
Let’s start with why tap water is considered toxic.
Fluoride
If you didn’t know, starting in the 1950s, fluoride was added to the water supply in the United States in hope of preventing tooth decay. However, there is no research proving this improves our dental health as compared to other countries. The rates of tooth decay improved in western countries regardless of fluoride being added to water. Now, they have actually improved in countries without fluorinated water. In fact, most developed nations do not add fluoride to their water supply.
I recently learned that this fluoride added to our water actually comes from the phosphate fertilizer industry, and more recently from China. The fertilizer industry once released these toxic fluoride gases into the atmosphere but realized it caused too much environmental damage. Instead, they began trapping it and eventually sold it to local water departments to add to our water. Something that was somehow too toxic for the environment is now in the water we DRINK… Does this make sense to you? As for the fluoride being purchased from China, the chemicals do not meet the same standards and regulations as chemicals produced in the United States, which is already pretty low.
Now that we’ve established that its initial reason for being added to our water is no longer relevant and the source of all this fluoride, let’s discuss the negative impacts it has on our health. Fluoride consumption has been shown to cause arthritis, damage to the developing brain, reduced thyroid function, severe bone disease in dialysis patients, and bone cancer in adult males.
Not to mention that fluoride also accumulates in the pineal gland, the control center of melatonin production. This can throw off our circadian rhythm and cause the early onset of puberty. The pineal gland is also known as our third eye, helping us reach higher awareness and consciousness. Buddhism views the pineal gland as the key to one’s spiritual awakening. No wonder we as a society are so out of touch with our intuition, experiencing more depression than ever.
For more on the harmful effects of fluoride, check out the Fluoride Action Network. And if you’re interested in a deep dive into fluoride alone, let me know by leaving a comment below.
Arsenic
One of the main types of fluoride added to our water, fluorosilicic acid, has been shown to contain high levels of arsenic. One study showed that 90% of the arsenic in our water was directly related to this acid. Despite lowering the maximum accepted arsenic levels, many places still have arsenic above the accepted level, particularly those in the Southwest and Hispanic communities.
The American Cancer Society classifies arsenic as a human carcinogen, stating it can cause lung, bladder, and skin cancer. It has also been shown to cause cardiovascular disease and diabetes, two diseases that are only becoming more prevalent in our society. While the EPA sets “safety standards” for arsenic, is any amount of arsenic really safe for our health when it’s linked to so much disease?
Chlorine
Chlorine is commonly added to different water sources in order to disinfect it from possible bacteria and algae. It was first added in the early 1900s to prevent diseases like typhoid, hepatitis, and salmonella from spreading through public water. While many people claim the levels of chlorine in our water are safe, if it’s killing all the bad bacteria, what makes us think it’s not also killing the good bacteria in our gut?
Lead
Lead is commonly leached into our water by corroding pipes and fixtures, especially in homes built before 1986. Different factors such as water chemistry, water temperature, and the wear on the pipes cause corrosion. There’s a reason lead was banned from the paint in children’s toys in the 1970s. It has been linked to nervous system damage, learning disabilities, and impaired function of blood cells. Although the EPA has set limits for the acceptable amount of lead in our water, the only way to guarantee your water is (mostly) lead-free is to use reverse osmosis or distillation. If you’re interested in your city’s water quality report, check it out here.
PFAS
If you aren’t familiar with PFAS, they are “forever chemicals”, meaning they are chemicals that can’t be destroyed (although a recent study claims otherwise). A recent review from the CDC found PFAS to be associated with cancer, asthma, kidney failure, and decreased fertility.
A laboratory test commissioned by the EWG found these in the water of dozens of US cities, meaning our exposure has been vastly underestimated. Only one city tested had no detectable levels of PFAS and all others had above the limit deemed safe for humans. And, if you thought you were safe with your bottled water, testing for PFAS is not a government requirement, meaning we really have no idea what type of levels are in there.
Pharmaceuticals
If you still aren’t convinced our tap water is dangerous, pharmaceuticals have been found in our water due to manufacturing plants, the livestock industry, and the wastewater being recycled directly from our homes. In one study, 80% of streams tested had detectable levels of pharmaceuticals. A 2010 test found antidepressants, antipsychotics, antibiotics, beta-blockers, and tranquilizers, in trace amounts in the water. While these are considered “trace” amounts, what happens when we are drinking this water every day for years, bathe in it, and use it to wash our clothes and dishes?
Don’t forget to share this with the important people in your life who you know are drinking tap water. This is important information that we need to spread to everyone!
Take action
Fortunately, there are things we can do to avoid quite literally being poisoned by our drinking supply. Here are some ways you can take action:
1. Buy a high-quality water filter
Sebastian and I invested in a Berkey filter when we moved into our new home and haven’t looked back since. In fact, we even bought another one for my parent’s home while visiting. While only there for a few weeks, we noticed a green residue left behind by the water in the dogs’ drinking bowls. That was enough to show us it was absolutely necessary.
Berkey filters are made with a carbon filter that has been tested to remove 97% of fluoride, 99.9% of arsenic, 99.9% chlorine, 99.9% of lead, 99.9% of all PFAS, and 99.9% of pharmaceuticals from the water. You can learn more about what it removes here. I love that it is stainless steel and not plastic, so you don’t have to worry about plastic leeching into your drinking water.
Make sure you buy a separate filter, along with the carbon filter, to remove fluoride from your drinking water. You can check the specific levels of different compounds such as fluoride in your area’s tap water supply by visiting the EWG’s Tap Water Database. Just enter your zip code and they will tell you the compound levels that are the most unsafe.
2. Supplementing your filtered water
With high-quality water filters, it is crucial to supplement your water back with the necessary minerals. Many of us are already eating mineral-deficient diets due to modern food. Although Berkey doesn’t filter out minerals, we can never have enough in our modern-day diet, in my opinion. I like to add them to my filtered water to ensure proper hydration and bodily function. My personal favorite way to do this is by using Trace Mineral’s mineral drops. Sebastian and I have been using these for years and they make all the difference.
Minerals are a great source of electrolytes, so not having enough can actually cause a weakened immune system, fatigue, and weak bones. When you add minerals to your filtered water, you can immediately taste and feel the difference. Without them, you may not feel very hydrated at all.
Take action: Visit EWG’s Tap Water Database to check the levels of each of these compounds in your tap water supply. Buy a high-quality water filter that filters out the most prevalent compounds in your water.
Have a great rest of your weekend!
Madison