Water pollution has become a major concern in the contemporary world. It is nothing but the contamination of water bodies due to domestic as well as industrial activities.
The pollutants get into the water bodies and as a result, the water gets vitiated. According to the renowned environmental campaign organization WWF, “Pollution from toxic chemicals threatens life on this planet.
Every water body and every continent, from the tropics to the polar caps, is contaminated.” It is usually the poor countries that get affected the most, however that does not mean the drinking water in your house can be guaranteed to be completely pure.
Hence it has become really necessary to be at least aware of clean sources of drinking water, if not to keep clean almost all sources of water.
In general, people depend on the same source of drinking water for a long time without meeting any bad consequences regarding their health.
However, not all effects show up instantly and some might start revealing themselves only when it is too late. Thus before you get yourself that next cup of drinking water make sure that it comes from one of the sources discussed below.
Best sources of drinking water:
Tap water:
Tap water is the type of water that comes out of our water faucets. In most nations, it is usually supplied and controlled by the local government authority.
The supply of tap water to populations belonging to urban or suburban households demands a composite and carefully devised procedure of collection, stocking, curing and distribution of water, and is routinely the job of a government agency.
The same agency is also often tasked with the function of removal and treatment of clean water as well. Certain chemical compounds are commonly removed from tap water at the time of the treatment process to bring in the desired pH or take out impurities, and sometimes chlorine is also mixed to destroy biological toxins.
Tap water is usually safe for stuff like cooking, cleaning and laundry. It is generally recommended for everyone. It is cheap, easy to access for most people and also a good source of drinking water.
Bottled water:
Bottled water is the portable and purified water that one can easily and conveniently buy whenever someone’s thirsty. It is 25% purified tap water. It is suitable for everyone, irrespective of age, gender, culture etc.
Bottled water can be divided into three categories – “spring”, “purified” and “distilled”. Although each type is a good source of water for drinking purposes, spring water is considered to be the purest.
The bottles have the type of water mentioned on their labels. A company can label its water as “spring” only if it is verified to be from a pure mountain spring.
Thus bottled water is considered as a convenient way to access clean safe drinking water. A few popular brands of tap water include Aquafina and Dasani.
Distilled water:
Distilled water is sometimes called demineralized or deionized water. It is water excluding the ions and minerals. It’s the purest form of water that one can get. This means it has no contaminants, minerals and nutrients.
It is highly pure and thus, is preferred in laboratories and factories. It is also good if one wants to drink water that is completely pure. There are no harmful risks associated with distilled water because it is very clean and almost sterile.
Hydrogen water:
This is the water that contains hydrogen molecules that act as powerful antioxidants. The claim is – these molecules are capable of helping our bodies neutralize harmful free radicals that contribute to disease development, reduce inflammation and slow down ageing.
Those who are very health-conscious can go for this option. However, it is somewhat expensive to buy.
Alkaline water:
Alkaline Water is the water that is at a pH level of 8 and above, which is higher than the pH of regular water. It is favourable because drinking alkaline water is considered to be safe.
In fact, it has become more famous as research shows that an alkaline diet is generally good for health.
The human body thrives when it is able to maintain a slightly alkaline pH. Consuming alkaline water may be helpful in this regard. But sadly, alkaline water tends to be low on minerals and nutrients.
Boiled water:
Boiling water is popularly one of the cheapest and most effective ways to purify water. This is because putting water in temperatures above 185° F (85° C) will kill most of the pathogens within a few minutes.
It is suitable for everyone. Boiled water is usually healthy to drink. It is a good way to purify water that is lightly contaminated.
Water Purifiers:
Almost every household nowadays owns a water purifier that filters pumped-up groundwater and converts it into drinkable water.
It is the same water that you are using for bathing, washing clothes and utensils, mopping etc but only filtered using RO (Reverse Osmosis) technology to make it drinkable.
The water produced is void of impurities and also tastes quite well. The filtering procedure used here involves the elimination of dissolved solids and TDS (total dissolved solids) present in the water. These water purifiers also convert hard water into soft water.
Conclusion:
Although all the aforementioned types of water are safe for drinking, the healthiest one is considered to be hydrogen water. This is due to the potential health benefits of the antioxidants it contains.
Hydrogen water or any other type of water will not be able to repair an unhealthy lifestyle though.
For instance, tap water might be pure but are the ‘pipes’ in your home or the ‘utensils’ you drink water from clean enough? Such additional factors thus play an important role in affecting the purity of your drinking water regardless of the source.
Hence from now on, since you have been educated about the best sources of drinking water, make sure that the water you drink is either tap, bottled, distilled, hydrogen, alkaline, boiled or water-purified.
The truth is, any type of water is good for one as long as it is clean and free of impurities. So stay aware and stay healthy.
Author Bio: Sachin Prajapati is an avid reader and a technical professional. His many years of experience in the field of health, fitness and home improvement has rendered him the knowledge and skills to write at Dianalindesign.
