Contaminants in Tap and Bottled Drinking Water

Is it worth paying for bottled water?

It is well known by now that contaminants and pollutants have been found in our tap water. This should be pretty evident by the number of bottled waters, filters and the like that are found lined up on shelves of your local grocery store. The number of selections almost takes up an entire shopping aisle.

Marketing slogans displayed on bottled water is often very deceptive, leading the consumer to believe that its quality is far more natural and purified than tap water. Beverage companies are masters of enticement. Consumers will pay the price for bottled water, convinced by the imagery and clever marketing tactics. But is bottled water even worth the price for which it is peddled? Most of us can’t differentiate between water types let alone know which brand deserves to replenish our body.

Types of bottled water

Do you know where your bottled water is sourced?

What you may not already know is there are heaps of brands that have sourced their water from our very taps. There is no indication on the labelling that this bottled water originated from tap water. Regardless of the treatments and filtration systems, the water went through before being bottled, there are still known contaminants that can not be filtered out.  Bottled water in Australia and New Zealand fall under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. This code does not require manufacturers to disclose the source, the type nor the origin of their branded water.

If you are now wondering what brands are those that treat tap water and then bottle it for mass consumption – here’s the scoop.

Regulations for tap water and bottled drinking water.
Tap water and bottled water do have different regulations to abide by in Australia. Tap water has more stringent quality criteria surprisingly than the bottled water we purchase in the store.

That being said, the Safe Drinking Water Act has numerous violations recorded every year to the tune of 20 percent from water treatment facilities. Keep in mind that the water that is tested is only that which leaves a facility, not what comes out of the taps.

The “Australian Drinking Water Guidelines” have the following guidelines in place to regulate our drinking water: “Ideally, drinking water should be, clear, colourless, and well aerated with no unpalatable taste or odours. It should contain no suspended matter, harmful chemical substances or pathogenic micro-organisms”.

This guideline for our water supply does not guarantee that the water we purchase or acquire from the tap is free from contaminants.

The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG), last amended in 2011 have noted within the guidelines the approval of 32 different chemicals which are deemed safe to add to drinking water.

Contaminants found in Drinking Water:

Do your own research. There is nothing “safe” about these ingredients. If you take your health seriously, you need to be vigilant about what you provide your body.

Are you drinking “Dead Water” or “Live Water”?Our expectation is that the water we drink, especially that which we buy in a bottle should hydrate cells and support us in life. This is only true of Living water. Living water is that which can penetrate the cells and perform all of its functions with ease. Dead water, can only do its job once it is reformed and revitalised by the body.

It has been determined by scientists and doctors, that the greater populous is drinking “dead water’ which is water that allows the cells to dehydrate. Drinking living water, on the other hand, is that which improves health and longevity.

How does water die?

Tap Water:
Water treatment plants use filtration systems and chlorine to remove contaminants from our drinking water. This process is supposed to purify our water making it “safe” for consumption. What it does however in the removal of germs and bacteria, it also destroys water’s life-giving properties.

Chlorine kills water’s life-giving properties due to a strong ionic pull that distorts water’s healthful crystalline structure.  Chlorine is also dangerous for the body, being associated with cancer, heart problems and arteriosclerosis.

When water is stored in stagnant tanks and forced to travel through pipes, it gets stripped of its natural energy and oxygen. This disruption to the hexagonal clusters means that by the time tap water hits your glass, all healthful properties are eliminated.

Filtered Water:
Some filters remove chlorine and heavy metals, but most still allow some contaminants to pass through. Radioactive chemicals are very hard to remove and remain present in many filtered water brands.

Distilled (Reverse Osmosis) Water:
Better equipped at removing harmful substances from drinking water, the process of distilling water through reverse osmosis process rids water of everything including the beneficial minerals needed for health.

Bottled Water:
Bottled water is more often than not, tap water that has gone through reverse osmosis or a carbon filtration system. There are a few companies that compensate for the loss of minerals by adding them back into the water. Natural spring water may still end up being dead water, due to the processes necessary in storing and bottling the spring water for sale.