what about the water available in your community?
Tap water
provided by the authorities in developed countries is usually continually monitored and is treated to make it safe for drinking and washing, most commonly by using chemicals such as chlorine to kill bacteria which might be present in the water reservoir (although chlorine does not destroy viruses and cysts). While this chlorination is necessary, and is largely responsible for having eliminated cholera and typhoid from the western world, it can produce an unpleasant taste and smell and leave undesirable organic residues. Additional chemicals may be added by the Public Health authorities, for example, fluoride compounds to reduce tooth decay and aluminium sulphate to stabilize sediments. Some people are very sensitive to these additives and often object to their presence.
Bore water
from the underground aquifers varies enormously in quality but is generally characterized by having a very high mineral content which can often make the water “hard”. Sometimes it is potable but more often the mineral concentration is too high to safely drink or even wash in, because of its inability to lather with ordinary soaps.
River water
is very likely to contain chemicals from agricultural fertilizer run-off together with bacteria and viruses such as cryptosporidium and giardia arising from contamination by animal faeces.
Rain Water Stored in Tanks
is often considered as superior to tap water, however just looking inside some tanks and finding dead birds and rotting leaves can certainly dispel this belief. In addition to visible imperfections, tank water may contain dissolved chemical matter from the surfaces over which the water has flowed on its way to the tank and from the tank itself.
Bottled water
for example often obtained from underground mineral springs, is a rapidly growing market, fuelled by often grandiose advertising. This water usually contains large amounts of salts and minerals which the bottlers promote without proof as “health giving”. This water has not necessarily been submitted to all the health checks carried out on basic tap water.
