Drinking water each day is highly recommended for health since water is our body's means of flushing out toxins, and therefore a key to disease prevention. Water is also responsible for our energy level since it is used by the liver to metabolize fat into energy. In the U.S., running water from the tap is generally the freshest and best to drink on a regular basis.
Quality
Having running water in each home is a result of excellent public water systems that cleanse the water so that we can use it from the tap for drinking and cooking. Tap water may contain various natural but relatively harmless contaminants like magnesium and iron, and gases like hydrogen sulfide and calcium carbonate, which are found in hard water. Geological conditions affecting groundwater near reservoirs determine how much and which of these substances is in tap water.
Making Water Safe
Municipal systems in most towns and cities provide clean, safe tap water to our homes. Their practices for gathering and storing water are carefully regulated at both state and federal government levels. Standards for clean water are set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Water supplies come from rain, groundwater and springs as well as rivers and lakes. The water must be purified to guard against harmful bacteria and environmental pollutants. Drinking water has been purified through chlorination in most of the U.S. for over 100 years. A final step is filtering to remove leftover suspended particles. A common type of filter is sand with a layer of activated carbon or anthracite coal above the sand. The top layer removes organic compounds, which contribute to taste and odor. Then the water is stored and distributed through a clean system of tanks and pipes. Strict standards for water treatment plants and distribution systems are enforced by the EPA as well as local agencies. This includes setting specific limits on disinfection byproducts, like those from chlorination.
Drinking Water Sources
Increasingly, environmentalists are recommending the drinking of tap water over the many varieties of bottled water sold in the U.S. Many of those brands use local municipal water--the same water coming from your faucet at home. An extensive study of bottled water in 1999 by the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco, concluded that there is less regulation of bottled water than for tap water. If you feel the running water from your tap does not taste good, there are filters like those made by Brita that remove the trace metals and improve the flavor.
Outdoors--Fast-Moving Versus Slow-Moving Water
Campers debate whether or not slow or fast-moving bodies of water are best for use before purification and/or boiling. Certainly stagnant water is to be avoided.
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