subject: Tap Water Facts - What You Should Know [print this page] Water is essential for life and, for most Americans, it is available freely through taps in our homes. Despite this bottled water is the fastest growing soft drink industry in The United States. So is tap water safe to drink? Here are some tap water facts to enable you to choose the form of water you prefer for you and your family.Water is a vital part of our life. Every cell in your body needs water to function. It works by regulating body temperature, keeping your skin healthy, aiding in nutrient absorption and by keeping your body functioning by flushing away toxins. The human body can survive for some days without food but only two without water.The water supply in America is regulated by the EPA or the Environmental protection agency. They are responsible for ensuring the safety of the drinking water that is piped into people's homes. If there are any contaminants in it then it is the EPA's job to warn those affected and to clean up the supply.So how safe is drinking water from the tap? Opinions seem to vary according to different sources. In some areas in the developing world the available water source is doubtless responsible for a number of potentially fatal illnesses but in America are you better buying bottled or can you stick to tap?Bottled water is a great deal more expensive than tap and often has unnecessary vitamins added to it. In some regions tap water has fluoride in it, introduced by the government to improve public health. It may also contain some, naturally occurring and relatively harmless contaminants. The concentration of these varies from state to state.Though these contaminants are usually safe to drink, if you are concerned at all by the safety or taste of your water then there are a number of home filtration systems that are designed to remove all potentially harmful ingredients in your water. These work in a number of ways such as chemical filtration and other methods. Charcoal filtration is considered one of the most efficient.The majority of tap water in the western world is perfectly safe to drink, though may vary in taste and the level of contaminants in it. To ensure your peace of mind for you and your family you can buy a home filtration system for an economical and efficient method of enduring your water is safe and pleasant to drink.
