Why Filtered Water is Better Than Tap Water

Before the bottles and the filters, there was just tap water. Tap water is what comes from a municipal source or well. Anyone can access tap water--homes, restaurants, hospitals, schools, etc. Now, in addition to being tap, drinking water can also be filtered, bottled, purified, enriched, etc. It can come locally, be imported, or even flown in from a mountain spring.

You might be thinking that water is water, right? Water is all the same? Well, it’s not. Though there are three main types of drinking water to choose from: tap, filtered, and bottled water, we will focus on the first two. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of drinking filtered water and how it’s better than simply drinking from the tap.

Tap water usually gets a bad reputation for the way it looks, tastes, and its contents. While the first two issues are mostly personal, the last one is about safety.

For the most part, drinking tap water in the United States is relatively safe without any major risks to your health. Tap water has to meet specific safety standards that are regularly checked by the government, but these regulations are outdated and don’t address the current toxins present in our environment.

The water is heavily treated usually with fluoride and chlorine to remove chemicals, particles, bacteria, and other contaminants. While fluoride and chlorine can be beneficial for your health, in excess they are toxic. There are more than 60,000 chemicals used in the U.S. to treat water and many of them have been identified as probable carcinogens. Outdated water pipes and transportation methods usually use old metals, which can leach into the water you’re drinking.

Despite these inspections and standards, tap water can become contaminated with pathogens such as E.coli, pesticides, and even fuel by-products.

For those living outside of the city, well water is more likely to be contaminated because it does not go through the same regulated and rigorous treatments. This tap water is riskier since it could be untreated, leaving you with bad tasting, looking, or smelling water.

While drinking bottled water is another alternative, the plastic is wasteful and harmful to the environment. Additionally, many bottled water companies aren't strictly regulated, so it could ultimately be bottled tap water you are drinking.

Filtered water is preferred by most people, not only for its pristine look and taste but its safety as well. Through filtration many contaminants are removed from tap water, leaving it safe and enjoyable to drink.

Filters can remove common elements such as arsenic, aluminum, excess fluoride, and disinfection byproducts. Over time, these elements can build up in your body and cause cancer, learning disabilities, skin and liver disease, weakened immune systems and had even been linked to Alzheimer's. Especially for children, filtered water is the healthiest to consume. They provide the best water for children to drink, which is critical for their immune systems and overall development.

Drinking filtered water helps protect your body from disease, which leads to overall improved health. Using filters help defends your body against the many toxins your water municipalities may not be eliminated so that you can stay healthy. They reduce the risk of gastrointestinal disease by over 33 %, removing giardia from drinking water, which is chlorine resistant.

Drinking water is essential to your health, so you want to make sure you’re only consuming the best. Filtering water is the only way you can guarantee that your water is safe to drink, plus it tastes way better than the H2O from the tap!