Finding Clean and Pure Water: Navigating Tap, Filtered, and Bottled Options

What is the best type of water to drink? Obviously, we need to drink water free of contaminants and that is clean and pure. While tap water meets safety standards set by government agencies, some tap water does contain fluoride, lead, arsenic and chlorine. Filtered water is generally free from contaminants but even this varies widely depending upon the type of system used. Home reverse osmosis units tend to be the best systems available and even these vary widely. In general, they remove 1000’s of contaminants including mercury, sulfur, arsenic, lead, and fluoride. They also remove bacteria, parasites and viruses. Studies show a 93% higher cancer rate in those individuals who drink chlorinated water. No matter how well the water is treated by the municipality, it still needs to be transported through pipes that often reintroduce harmful contaminants. Also, contaminants from the environment, including pesticides creep into the water supply creating further concerns. Bottled water has become extremely popular, but is not the most environmentally friendly way to proceed. While most bottled water comes from natural springs or undergoes RO treatment, it may contain harmful chemicals , like phthalates, from the plastic packaging. Finally, I know many taught the value of alkaline water, however, to date, there is limited scientific evidence to support these claims…soooooo just some water for thought….