There is good reason to be wary of drinking tap water, no matter in which country you live, even though most first world countries like the US and UK say that the tap water is well within all limits set down by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and local authorities for tap water.
If you, like me, do not like drinking tap water because you can smell and taste chemicals in it, you are not wrong – and there may be far more than just chemicals used in making the water potable to worry about.
What Dangerous Toxins Could Be in My Tap Water?
Various international studies over the years have discovered the presence of toxins in tap water that are dangerous and could cause various health problems, including bone cancer, lung cancer, and bladder cancer:
Chlorine
Chlorine is added to water to sanitise it, but chlorine can also destroy vitamin E, damage arteries, and kill the ´friendly bacteria´ in your intestinal tract. Chlorine can also oxidise other contaminants in the water to produce free radicals, or even combine with them resulting in the formation of chloroform, chloramines and other toxic carcinogenic by-products. Trichloroethylene (TCE) for example, is formed when chlorine combines with increasing levels of pollutants in the water, and has been linked to child leukaemia, kidney cancer and a number of other illnesses.
Fluoride
Fluoride is an equivocal carcinogen, specifically the sodium fluoride used in the drinking water in many countries including the UK, which is a by-product of the aluminium industry, and therefore often becomes contaminated by heavy metals such as aluminium and arsenic. Fluoride has been proven to damage the immune system, inhibit thyroid function, linked to osteoporosis (bone cancer), especially in young boys, and it is medically contra-indicated for formula-fed infants, pregnant mothers, individuals with kidney impairment, and diabetics.
Parasites
Parasites that have become immune to chlorine have been found in 20% of the water in the UK and 82% in Carolina.
There are many more dangerous toxins in tap water that we are not aware of, such as oestrogen, nitrates and nitrites, heavy metals, and cocaine. I for one will not be drinking tap water any time soon. I have invested in a Living-Water Executive POU water cooler which is plumbed directly into my main water line, has a Living-Water Triple Activated Carbon Filter fitted and serves up great-tasting cold, ambient or hot water whenever needed, so I can even make my tea, coffee or hot chocolate with pure filtered water.
Rent a water cooler in London and cheap water dispensers from Living-Water.