May's Drinking Water Month: Quench Thirst with Quality H2O

May is Drinking Water Month, a good time of year to think about the water you’re drinking and consuming in general. That means not only the water you pour into a glass, but the water you use in tea, coffee, for cooking, etc. It all comes from the same place in your home and could be harmful to ingest on a regular basis. There are many reasons why safe water is important.Contaminated TapTap water can potentially contain as many as 84,000 kinds of chemicals and impurities. While water in certain areas may be more contaminated than in others, there is always a possibility of something making its way into your water that you shouldn’t be ingesting. Main water supplies are treated to kill contaminants before they reach your sink, but in some cases, those disinfectants become contaminants themselves when they react with natural materials found in water. Low contaminant levels are usually considered acceptable, but higher levels raise the cause for concern. Industrial products, human and animal waste, and improperly-disposed of chemicals are other possible sources of pollutants that can end up in your tap.Health Effects from IngestionContaminants in water have been associated with a wide range of health effects including kidney, liver, and lung disease and skin and bone damage. Arsenic, mercury, and fluoride are a few common and potentially dangerous chemicals linked to such health issues and diseases.Is your Water Safe?A water test can detect for certain kinds of contaminants in your tap so you know what you’re dealing with and can determine the best solution for your health and home. You can also visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s website to track down your neighborhood’s water supplier and request a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) from your water company.Once you know what you might be consuming on a daily basis, you can easily do something to improve the quality of your water. Water filtration and reverse osmosis systems help to eliminate contaminants for safe drinking as well as better taste and smell. You can choose a system specifically for your kitchen sink or a whole-house filter that works with your main water line and interior pipes to filter water throughout your home. That way, you can safely drink and use water from every sink and faucet. And, when you have access to purified water at your fingertips, you can cut down on the use of bottled water- or stop altogether. That puts some extra dollars in your pocket and helps the environment. Start drinking better, safer water today!