Let’s talk about water. It’s essential to life and we’re so lucky to have water available in our homes at the twist of a tap. What you might not know is that tap water lacks the minerals from natural water sources and also contains chemical residues (like chlorine) from water treatment processes. In bottled water we have the minerals, but the chemicals from the plastic bottles leave a question mark about how healthy it really is.
Why our “clean” water isn’t always so clean:
Recent research revealed that billions of people globally could be drinking water contaminated by plastic particles which raises problems for our health because our bodies aren’t designed to digest plastic. According to scientists, MAP bacteria in water are highly resistant to chlorination, and could possibly be responsible for up to 8,000 new cases of Crohn's Disease every year. On top of this there is also the issue of many pharmaceuticals contaminating our water supply, which can contribute to a host of risks for our health. In the UK, our tap water is considered safe to drink, but a number of chemicals can be found in it, including: chlorine, fluorine, hormones, nitrates, pesticides, and more.
What can we do to clean our water?
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Granulated Activated Charcoal Jug Filters: These reduce chlorine, but they don’t get rid of heavy metals, hormone disruptors, or fluoride.
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Charcoal Sticks: An easy and inexpensive way to purify water, just fill up a jug or bottle of water and put a stick in it. The toxins bond with the charcoal so this is a good alternative to a jug filter.
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Distilled water: Uses heat to turn the water into steam and then cools it. It’s a great way to remove a large proportion of chemicals, but it can be expensive.
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Solid Block Carbon Filters: These are one of the best ways to remove chemicals like herbicides and pesticides.
Some of our tips, tricks, and tools for healthier drinking water:
What we use:
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Reverse Osmosis (RO) Filtration. This technique uses a membrane to remove many contaminants from water. You can pair it with a granulated activated charcoal filter to remove chlorine. It’s pretty easy to mount it under the sink with a holding tank. This system filters everything out. The final water is very clean, but it doesn’t contain those all important minerals so we use the iSpring 6-Stage Under-Sink Reverse Osmosis system, which also includes remineralisation.
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It may sound like a lot of work, but the peace of mind knowing that the water you’re drinking is as clean as nature intended is definitely a worthwhile pursuit. As a minimum you should invest in a filter jug. We have the LifeStraw Carafe Jug at the office because it offers the most thorough filtration and protects against bacteria, parasites, microplastics and heavy metals. You can add mineral drops like these from Trace Minerals for a pretty complete and relatively inexpensive solution.
