How to Check if your Drinking Water is Clean.

(Last Updated On: February 4, 2024)

 

Raw Water versus Off the Grid Water

 

What is Raw Water?

 

 

I have written a few different posts on water, on how to reduce water consumption, and on your right to clean drinking water.

We, in the so-called industrial countries, think little about water. We expect it to be there once we open the tap. Likewise, we do not worry about where it comes from, how it is treated, and why it is chemically treated. Not only that, but we simply open a water tap and expect drinkable water to come out.

In the last few years, we have heard about the failures of our political leaders (city, state, and national) in keeping us informed about the quality of our water. Excessive levels of lead in the potable water of Flint, Michigan come to mind.

Aside from the few disastrous instances, the water treatment systems in the Western world are doing a remarkable job cleaning up surface water and producing a product that meets most regulations on contaminants.

However, in the last century, some of our water lines were made of asbestos.  We know the dangers if this inorganic mineral product but normally are unaware that it had at one time been used in our municipal supply lines. And it still may be there.  Do you know if your municipality has checked all their water supply lines?

For 2000 million people worldwide the situation is very different but that I have discussed in another post.

 

 

Raw water versus off-the-grid water

There now seems to be a trend to purchase and use “raw water”, meaning water that has not been put through a treatment system. We must delineate the difference between “raw water”, potable municipal water supply, and “off-the-grid” water. More likely, you are consuming water treated by a municipal water system.

If you live in rural areas, you may have a private water well or an “off-grid water supply”. The concept of “Raw water” is to use water directly from nature, from a spring or fresh mountain tarn.

Municipal water supplies take water from various sources (rivers, lakes, and groundwater) with varying degrees of quality and clarify/purify the water with physical and chemical processes. Then (as required by water quality regulations) purify the water so that the last point on the distribution system is free of biological contaminants.

This sometimes means that the first connection on the line has more than the desired concentrations of the disinfectant. Over-chlorination can contribute to the formation of trihalomethanes, which are suspected of being cancer-causing chemicals.

 

 

Having your own groundwater well is a great way to control your exposure to these chemicals. You are the only one that is connected to the water supply, and you trust that the groundwater you have is pure and absent of any significant contaminants. This may not be the case, as you may have naturally high levels of iron or manganese in your water.

If you live near industrial sources, you may have some very serious chemicals in your water and should get it tested. No one wants to have hexavalent chrome or polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) in their water. And that is not all you have to worry about. You may have accidentally drilled into a region with high levels of arsenic. The people of Bangladesh have been through troublesome times.

 

 

Bangladesh: A Public Health Emergency

In the first half of the 20^th century, the citizens of Bangladesh had to walk miles for freshwater or use heavily contaminated surface water for household use. In the 1970s, a well-intentioned plan by the industrialized Western nations was put in place to drill hundreds of tube wells. This plan would reduce or eliminate the potential for the spread of cholera and dysentery.

Uncontrolled diarrhea was one of the country’s biggest killers of children, taking up to 250,000 children a year. They reasoned subsurface wells would eliminate the possibility of contamination from the surface streams and the filth that was in that water.

 

 

A Bad Choice

The wells provided clear, refreshing-looking water. It looked pure, but what the Western nations had failed to do was sample the alternative source of water. They estimate that 35 to 77 million people were at risk of drinking water contaminated with naturally occurring inorganic arsenic. The largest mass poisoning of a population in history.

Well-intentioned organizations proceeded with plans without investigating the quality of the water. You must always check the quality of your water.

 

 

The Nuevo Agua

The most recent trend is to “raw water”. Some people look at raw water based on scientific reasons, and others see it more from an ethical or personal angle. The first company that coined and trademarked the term raw water was Tourmaline Spring. This company cares about its consumers and has earned praise for its quality water from analysts.

Some suppliers collect water directly from deep mountain springs and test it for purity. Then some suppliers put tap water in bottles and sell it as being natural. You have to be able to distinguish the good from the bad.

 

Who should you trust?

Each individual is responsible for the food they put in their mouth, and the same applies to water. If you get your water from the town hall, one should be able to assume it is safe, even if that is often not the case. You rely on the authorities to be honorable and responsible. Now, if you choose to get your water somewhere else, this responsibility is entirely yours.

 

 

As I mentioned before, municipal water treatment systems do a good job of meeting most regulations on contaminants. Radiation limits are one exception. Public water utilities in 27 states have exceeded the EPA’s legal limits for radium, and they estimate some 38% of all Americans drink water with this radioactive element daily.

Knowing this, I would say do not rely on the authorities, instead, do some investigation yourself.

 

Is it safe?

Raw water has gotten some bad press lately, so one should try to find where this comes from and why. The big companies of bottled water are behind this. It is the same old story all over again. Our health is not important, but money and greed are. This is like the food industry, which earns millions on unhealthy, cheap, and processed food.

If raw water is sold or provided as a service, they should check it to determine if it is safe for human consumption, but the government should not impose restrictions and say we cannot harvest our own water. Big water companies want to restrict our freedom of choice, no way!

 

 

The report of EWG

EWG has published a report confirming what I had read about and already reported. It really seems even more serious than previously assumed. If 170 million people in the US drink contaminated water containing radioactive elements, it will be no wonder cancer will be our number 1 enemy.

Taking into consideration that man-made food is already one of our enemies, now the condition of our water will even make it worse. Your chance of contracting cancer will be multifold.

 

Does the government care or not

The government does not seem to care that this poses a severe health risk to the American population. With this kind of water coming out of the faucet, pregnant women and small children will run an extreme health risk. I just wonder why our leaders knowingly want to poison our future generations.

I will stop talking now and will give you the link to the article of EWG, a hair-raising read, I promise you.

Trump’s nominee faked data to hide cancer risk.

 

Water is a special book

Water is more important than oil. It could mean the rise or the fall of an entire empire if fresh water was lacking. Today, there are many areas in the world where water is lacking, and that is one of the reasons why people are on the move. Without water, there is no life.

This book will tell you the history of water from ancient times till nowadays.

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Have a look at this special NASA video. Things look different at a great distance.

 

 

Just lately some news on a bad water situation has come to my attention, mind you, this is your drinking water out of the tap.

Kentucky water crisis

 

An afterthought

Our body is made up of more than 60% water. Water is needed on a daily basis as humans can be without food for a longer period but not without water. The quality of water you drink will have an impact on your overall health.

Before you leave, have a look at Recommendations. It is a special place where I have a selection of things you might find interesting.

 

Source: Carly Nuday, Ph.D. for NaturalHealth365

Photo source: Pixabay

 

Have you ever thought you have a right to clean drinking water? I think it is a right all humans have. Perhaps you like to read my other post on water.

 

Your Right to Clean Drinking Water