Water treatment plants must meet strict safety standards when it comes to treating the drinking water that comes out of your tap.
Even though this is so, it does not mean that the water in your pipes is completely contaminant-free, just that the contaminants that are in the water are at levels that are judged to not pose any serious health risks.
That is all good and well, but I would really prefer to drink water that does not have any contaminants in at all, wouldn’t you?
Besides, accidents happen, and the drinking water can accidently be contaminated with various contaminants such as microorganisms like parasites or bacteria from animal or human faecal matter, chemicals from crop-spraying or industrial waste, or nitrates from runoff from farming land where fertilisers are being used.
Other contaminants include various minerals such as mercury or lead can also enter the water supply, either from improper disposal or from natural underground deposits.
While there are many rules and regulations in place to set minimum levels and testing for specific pollutants the ensure that levels are safe, there are some individuals for whom even these so-called low levels of contamination can be hazardous and even fatal, including:
- Children and infants
- Individuals undergoing chemotherapy treatment
- People with HIV/AIDS
- Pregnant women and their foetuses
- The elderly
- Those with impaired immune systems
- Transplant patients
Water suppliers are mandated to inform their clients immediately (within 24 hours) of any contamination that could cause immediate illness, and offer suggestions for alternative sources of safe drinking water. They also have to supply their customers with a drinking water quality report annually.
One way to make sure that the drinking water in your home or office is free of all contaminants including chemicals used in drinking water processing is to get yourself a water cooler fitted with a very good water filter. Living-Water is one of London’s top water supply companies and have a great range of both bottled and mains water coolers and use their own Triple Action Carbon Water Filter in their mains fed water coolers.
