Take a look at this documentary, Tapped: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/tapped/

The documentary touched base on how many pollutants there are in our bottled water, including pharmaceuticals.

And unfortunately our tap water is no better. It’s been widely known and accepted for a while now that ALL tap water on this planet, every last drop is contaminated.

How they get in there is pretty simple. A lot people flush their unused drugs down the toilet or in the sink. Any medical creams you use on your body gets washed off in the shower and anything you take orally comes out the other end. All the water coming from the shower, sink and toilet makes its way over to a treatment plant.

The Environmental Protection Agency did the largest study of the treated water coming out of wastewater treatment plants. They took samples from 50 of the largest-sized treatments plants in American and tested them for 56 drugs that included oxycodone, ibuprofen and blood pressure medication. More than half of the samples tested positive for 25 of the drugs.

This ‘treated’ contaminated water then makes its way out of the treatment plant and into our environment affecting our wildlife.

Estrogens from these drugs cause male fish to grow eggs in their testicles.

In Asia, vultures were dropping dead out of the sky after eating the corpses of cows that had been dosed with diclofenac. Populations of the vultures fell by over 90%.

A lot of the time the sludge from treatment plants (which still contains these pharmaceuticals) is used as fertilizer which in turn gets into our food supply.

There have been studies done arguing the fact that the amount of these drugs in our tap water is so minimal that it’s harmless… Let’s look at this issue in consideration of our children.

A grown man is recommended to drink 1.5 liters of water a day.

A child aged 1 – 3 is recommended to drink 1.3 liters of water a day.

That child is drinking almost the same amount of water as a grown man 5 times their size! That means the child is getting 5x the dose of the pharmaceutical drugs along with whatever else is in that water.

Take toothpaste as an example. If a child swallows more than a pea sized drop of toothpaste, you need to call poison control.

Our children are especially susceptible to these chemicals. Their bodies are still growing and their brains are still developing, but these pollutants are potentially disrupting the process resulting in a number of learning disability, behavioral problems, and the early onset of puberty.

If all the contaminants in your water were visible to the naked eye, it would look like a soup of disgusting sludge. Yet we have this innocent notion of believing that if it looks clean it must be clean.

You’re probably wondering “Okay, so what do I do?”

There are a few ways to prevent yourself from drinking contaminated tap water. If there are contaminants in the pipes, a good option to avoid consuming contaminants like lead from your tap water is to only use water from the cold tap for drinking, cooking, and other uses. It’s best to let the water run for a minute before using it as well.

Some choose to opt for water filters. There are different kinds of filtration systems, so if you do decide to install one with your water system, it is ideal to get your water tested by a certified laboratory first to find out what’s actually in your water. By knowing what’s in your water, you can install the best water filtration system to optimize your water and health.

Of course, it is important to note that your home water filter won’t protect you from water that has been declared unsafe. When questioning the cleanliness of your water, it’s always best to go straight to your local water authorities and seek their advice when dealing with such a situation.

We hope these small tidbits of information and tips have kept you more wary of your water and health.

Happy Drinking!

References

E. (2016, August 16). EPA’s Study of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources. Retrieved November 02, 2016, from https://www.epa.gov/hfstudy

Konkel, L. (2016, February 3). Why Are These Male Fish Growing Eggs? Retrieved November 02, 2016, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/02/160203-feminized-fish-endocrine-disruption-hormones-wildlife-refuges/

M. (2014, September 5). Nutrition and healthy eating. Retrieved November 02, 2016, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256?pg=2

Safe Drinking Water: Tap Water, Bottled Water, & Water Filters. (n.d.). Retrieved November 07, 2016, from http://www.webmd.com/women/home-health-and-safety-9/safe-drinking-water?page=4

State of the world’s birds. (2016, February 11). Retrieved November 02, 2016, from http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/156

Top Documentary Films. (2009). Tapped. Retrieved November 02, 2016, from http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/tapped/