We drink, bathe and cook with it, but how much do we really know about the water that flows out of our faucets? So before drinking up, let's learn more about what is on tap.
Tap water comes from one of two sources: surface water (including reservoirs, rivers and lakes) or groundwater (from artesian and deep wells). Before it hits our thirsty lips, most water undergoes an important disinfection process.This process destroys most harmful organisms like bacteria and parasites. Unfortunately, chlorination won't kill off every disease carrying germs, which can still pollute surface and tap water through the stool of infected animals or people. Lead and copper can also crash the party via corroded pipes. Nitrates and other chemicals from fertilizer and pesticide runoff, arsenic (via erosion, orchard runoff and industrial waste) and even rocket fuel all contribute to contamination of our water. Lastly, there are chlorination by-products, which are some of the most controversial and potentially harmful contaminants of them all.