What do we drink from the tap? Can you drink tap water?

The question of what kind of water is better to drink, people ask as often as the question of. So let's try to figure it out.

Can you drink tap water?

The simplest and cheapest option, which we are forced to use willy-nilly.

It is impossible to get poisoned by this water. However, to say that it has health benefits would also be a big exaggeration.

In our country, water is mainly disinfected with chlorine. This halogen itself is quite toxic. Much worse, however, is that disinfection by-products (DBPs) are formed when water is treated with chlorine. These are quite strong carcinogens that disrupt the functioning of the liver, kidneys and nervous system.

In addition to chlorine and DBPs, in tap water you can find:

• arsenic (carcinogen);
• aluminum (increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, provokes diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, primarily liver pathology);
• herbicides and pesticides;
• substances that mimic the hormone estrogen;
• drug residues;
• heavy metals.

The list is certainly not complete. A lot depends on the specific region and the work of water supply systems in it.

Do water filters help?

Yes, but not completely. None of the cleaning filters used in everyday life makes it possible to remove all polluting compounds from the water. However, the concentration of toxins after passing water through the filter, even the simplest filter jar with activated carbon, is noticeably reduced.

Which water is better to drink boiled or raw?

This question always comes up when discussing the possibility of consuming tap water. Is it necessary and can it be boiled?

Yes, it's better to boil. Since it protects against the ingress of pathogens.

Which is obvious.

However, some time ago there was a report that boiling water, especially twice, can be harmful to health. Many people believed it. And now they are afraid to boil.

In vain. There is no danger.

When it comes to the fact that it is harmful to boil the code, they usually mean that it should not boil away. Since if its volume decreases significantly, this will lead to an increase in the concentration of various chemicals that are always present in tap water.

Therefore, you should never drink water that has almost all evaporated from you. Also, do not add a new portion to it and boil again.

But if you just boil water, drink tea and pour a new portion into the kettle, there will be no harm from this.

Those who are still afraid to boil water again can pour only a fresh portion into the kettle each time. But in no case do not refuse to boil.

bottled water

If you think that drinking bottled water instead of tap water will protect your health, you are probably wrong.

First, according to statistics, 40% of bottled water is tap water.

Secondly, storing water in plastic is extremely harmful, as plastic releases the synthetic hormone bisphenol A into the water, which is associated with health problems such as:

• mental retardation and learning problems;
• decreased immunity;
• prostate and breast cancer;
• obesity;
• early puberty in children of both sexes.

So don't waste your money. Instead of bottled water, it is better to purchase a quality filter.

Can you drink distilled water?

Once or twice, maybe. Daily consumption of such water on a regular basis is dangerous.

Distilled water leaches electrolytes

The use of water that has undergone a similar purification procedure leads to an extremely rapid loss of electrolytes by the body. In large volumes and in the absence of the proper amount of salts entering the body, as happens with, it can lead to heart rhythm disturbance and cerebral edema. Up to death.

Of course, from a few glasses of such water, drunk from time to time, nothing will happen. But in no case should you drink it all the time.

Unfortunately, many beverage companies, both sweet and unsweetened, use distilled water.

Studies have shown that people who consume a variety of sodas, etc. regularly and in large quantities, excrete significant amounts of calcium, magnesium and other minerals in the urine. And it negatively affects their health.

The more minerals are washed out of their body, the higher the risk of early development of such pathologies as:

• osteoporosis;
• arthrosis;
• hypothyroidism;
• ischemic heart disease, hypertension, etc.

Distilled water increases "acidity"

This negative effect from the regular use of distilled water cannot be considered fully proven, since some scientists, in principle, do not agree that any food, including water, can change the pH of the blood.

However, the hypothesis that this is possible, and that distilled water strongly "enrolls" the body, exists, and therefore it is unreasonable to dismiss it.

Distilled water is free from minerals. And, therefore, very aggressive. When in contact with air, it very quickly adsorbs carbon dioxide. And this gives it acidic properties. Moreover, they are so strong that some metals can even be dissolved by it (in laboratory conditions, of course, not all metals are; you should not try to dissolve the fork and say later that it does not work).

Thus, it can be argued that the longer and more a person drinks distilled water, the more he loses the minerals necessary for life and “acidifies” his body, thereby causing considerable damage to his own.

Is water from alkalizers and ionizers safe?

Since distilled water is harmful in that it is acidic, there is a reasonable idea that water can be alkalized. And it will become more useful.

How true is this suggestion?

True, but not quite.

Firstly, most of the various alcalizers are produced by MLM companies that have an extremely dubious reputation.

Secondly, in itself regular.

It is established that such water can be consumed no more than 1-2 weeks. Longer intake leads to a decrease in the normal acidity of gastric juice, which leads to digestive problems and, as a result, to a deterioration in health.

So in the end, what kind of water is better to drink?

The purest and most healing water is found in natural mountain springs. But since this type of water is available to an extremely small number of people, it is pointless to talk about it.

Therefore, the only thing that can be advised is to use ordinary tap water, after passing it through high-quality household filters, which should be changed regularly.

It is very good to alkalize the water a little. Only this should be done not with the help of alcalizers, but by adding natural lemon juice to the glass.

Just a couple of decades ago, people thought little about the suitability for drinking tap water and widely used it for domestic needs, but today everything has changed. Many began to doubt whether it was possible to drink tap water, since the ecological situation in the world had deteriorated significantly, cases of tap water poisoning began to be recorded in medicine, and the scale left on the dishes and kettle makes you think about your health.

Is it safe to drink tap water?

Of course, the water treated at the enterprises of the city water utility meets all sanitary and epidemiological standards, but when it enters the distribution water supply network, it becomes polluted a second time. The presence of suspended solids is indicated by turbidity, colloidal compounds - by color, chlorine, its derivatives and iron oxide bacteria - by smell and taste. Pipes covered with rust and harmful compounds emit boron, lead and arsenic into the transported liquid, which often cause allergic reactions. In addition, arsenic is a dangerous carcinogen that can cause cancer, and bio-oxidable dissolved organic carbon attacks the immune system, increasing the risk of developing cancer.

Now it’s clear why you can’t drink tap water, but not only for this reason. It is no secret that drinking liquids are subject to mandatory chlorination, and although regulatory authorities claim that the concentration of chlorine in water is within the normal range and is not capable of causing significant harm to health, asthmatics and allergy sufferers experience its negative impact even in small doses. In addition, chlorine reacts with other organic compounds in water. One of these compounds is trichloromethane, and numerous experiments on laboratory animals with its participation have shown that it is the main culprit in the development of cancer in them.

Can you drink boiled water?

Those who are interested in whether it is possible to drink boiled tap water should answer that you can get rid of bacteria in this way, but not chlorine. At elevated temperatures, the concentration of volatile components decreases, but the concentration of non-volatile components increases. You can not drink tap water, and because today it is considered one of the main culprits for the appearance of stones in the urinary organs. Often, it includes painkillers and hormones that enter water tanks from sewers and farmland wastewater.

Some experts insist that running water should still be boiled or filtered.

Correspondents of the TV channel "360 Podmoskovye" decided to take part in laboratory studies in order to understand which side is right.

“Moscow water can be drunk from the tap without additional purification. It meets all regulatory requirements,” said Ekaterina Ivanova, Leading Engineer of the Water Supply Department of JSC Mosvodokanal. To confirm or deny this statement, the 360 ​​Podmoskovye film crew went to independent experts. Together with them, the correspondents studied samples of the capital's water in the laboratory.

Sergey Sysoev, the leading ecologist of the laboratory center, took some water from an ordinary kitchen for analysis. For the objectivity of the analysis, it is collected in a specially prepared container. Then the expert drained part of the water and collected it again. This was done so that there were no air bubbles. Then the container was tightly closed and sent for analysis.

When the water turned pink, and the laboratory assistant, using a special scale, determined how much iron it contained. This figure was 0.1 milligrams per cubic liter, while the allowable rate is 0.3 milligrams. So, according to the content of iron, water is safe for health. Is it still possible to drink such water without thermal or any other treatment, the film crew asked ecologist Sergei Sysoev.

Such precaution is required because the water entering the Moscow apartments passes through the ground. It flows from the so-called surface groundwater from the Moskva River, Volga and reservoirs. 20 years ago it was disinfected with ordinary chlorine, now it is done with sodium hypochlorite. Mosvodokanal claims that it is safer, but Tatyana Farafonova, a candidate of biological sciences, believes that without filtration, constantly drinking raw water can be harmful to health.

“When water is chlorinated, organochlorine compounds, such as chloroform, are formed, they have a very carcinogenic effect on the liver, so if you drink water all the time without additional purification, you will get cirrhosis of the liver,” Farafonova said.

At the same time, the expert called the boiled water dead. Just like the one that flows from the so-called filter systems - those that are installed under the sink.

“Some people put filters on everything, but the water turns out to be dead, there is only H2O, and calcium and magnesium are needed there, so I don’t recommend cleaning the water to zero,” said an expert in the field of drinking water certification.

Instead, the specialist recommended putting a carbon filter at home. But the main thing is not to forget to change it in time. Otherwise, ideal conditions for bacteria are created in it at room temperature and constant humidity, which are also unsafe for the human body. published

MOSCOW, 2 Mar- RIA News. Moscow is one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the world. Every tenth Russian lives here, and the area of ​​the city is 2.5 thousand square kilometers. To provide 12 million people with water, more than 12 thousand kilometers of water supply networks have been laid in the capital. Where does water come to Muscovites' homes, how is it purified, what do experts say, and what kind of water is recommended to drink - tap or bottled - in the material of RIA Novosti.

Where does the water come from

Water in Moscow comes from the Moscow, Smolensk and Tver regions. It is the rivers flowing through these regions that form three interconnected hydraulic systems that provide water supply to the capital, the required depth of navigable sections, power generation, and solve many other problems.

The resource of reservoirs is so great that the metropolis will not be left without tap water even in the driest year.

"Today, the total water yield of these systems is 2.5-3 times higher than the city's needs for drinking water, so an acute shortage of water resources is not expected in the near future," Mosvodokanal explained.

How water is purified

To make water suitable for drinking, it is passed through several stages of purification. There are four water treatment stations in Moscow.

“The stations use a classic two-stage scheme for bringing water to drinking quality. First, it is purified by coagulation, clarified in settling tanks, passed through sand filters, then disinfected with chlorine-containing reagents. If necessary, it is treated with ozone and activated carbon,” Mosvodokanal said.

The main disinfectant is sodium hypochlorite with the addition of an ammonia-containing reagent. This is a common method used in cities with an extended distribution network. For example, it is it that is used in Paris, London, Tokyo and other megacities, since chlorine-containing reagents in combination with ammonia retain their bactericidal properties for a long time. Ozone, on the other hand, quickly dissolves in water, and can only be used in small towns or at intermediate stages, as is the case in Moscow.

How is hypochlorite different from chlorine?

Mosvodokanal switched from liquid chlorine to sodium hypochlorite in 2012. This reagent is an aqueous solution that is safer during transportation, storage and use.

Chlorine and sodium hypochlorite act in the same way: they form the same compound that starts the process of microbial inactivation. Acceptance, storage and dosing of the reagent in Moscow are fully automated.

"The automated control system ensures constant monitoring of the process and management of technological modes for maintaining the specified parameters, including chlorine residues in water," Mosvodokanal stressed.

Is tap water safe

After such purification, according to Mosvodokanal, the safety of tap water in Moscow cannot be in any doubt.

"The positive impact of the centralized water supply system on the health of the population has been proven by many years of practice - for a long period in Moscow, no diseases caused by tap water have been recorded," the company stressed.

Moscow water meets the requirements of state standards in all respects, and there are no restrictions on its use.

“It is safe, harmless and completely drinkable. It does not require additional purification,” Mosvodokanal is sure. At the same time, the composition of water in different districts of Moscow is slightly different, but within the established norm. This is due to the fact that it comes from different sources. You can check the quality and composition of water in real time on the company's website.

Water quality control in the centralized water supply system of Moscow is carried out around the clock along the entire path of water movement - from the upper reaches of sources to consumer taps. This includes automatic control using special analyzer sensors, and scheduled analysis of samples taken in accredited laboratories of the Water Quality Control Center of Mosvodokanal JSC, as well as in specialized analytical centers of other organizations.

"Samples for analysis are taken at more than 250 points in the city," Mosvodokanal added. "A total of 186 physical, chemical and biological indicators are routinely determined." State control over water quality is carried out by the Moscow Department of Rospotrebnadzor.

What the experts say

The purity of water in Moscow pipes is confirmed by independent experts. Andrey Mosov, head of the Roskontrol expert direction, told RIA Novosti that the organization's experts repeatedly checked the quality of water during tests of household filters, and all samples met the quality requirements.

According to him, regularly published monitoring data show that the water in the Moscow pipes has "ideal microbiological, satisfactory organoleptic (appearance, smell, taste, etc. - Ed.) and good physical and chemical indicators, indicating a high level of water treatment at waterworks".

The expert noted that water sometimes acquires a slight smell and taste of iron at the “terminal” (that is, the most remote from the source) sections of the water supply network.

"Perhaps the only significant drawback of tap water is the volatile organohalogen compounds resulting from chlorination (and it is still impossible to refuse it), the content of which nevertheless does not exceed the permissible standards," Mosov emphasized. He noted that household filters, settling and boiling can easily solve this problem.

Is there any benefit

When asked if tap water can be useful, the expert replied that its mineral composition cannot be called complete.

"Any river water does not have a high content of fluorine, magnesium, calcium and other biogenic elements. Purification does not affect the mineral composition much," Mosov said. He advises Muscovites to be sure to use fluoridated toothpastes, and also not to consider water as a source of calcium and magnesium in the diet - the lack of these elements is best compensated for by foods rich in them.

At the same time, the representative of Roskontrol noted that tap water is by no means inferior to bottled water, especially when compared with the waters of the first category that prevail on the market.

Water is our everything. Without her, we simply wouldn't exist. That is why providing people with life-giving moisture is the first necessity, which is why every modern house, every apartment has access to this liquid.

But is all water useful, suitable for human use? Isn't the substance from our taps fraught with secret, imperceptible at first glance, dangers? Why more and more people decide buy water filter and not to feel anxiety for yourself and your loved ones?

Difficult questions to which, nevertheless, there are answers. Of course, tap fluid is not ideal. That is why it is popular reverse osmosis filter, which is why clean new water, safe for everyone, becomes the goal of our man.

So, we bring to your attention 10 facts about the dangers of tap fluid, the knowledge of which will give answers to all questions.

Fact number 1. Water contains chlorine, which negatively affects the stomach, esophagus, causes increased pressure, cardiovascular diseases. Respiratory organs and skin are also affected.

Fact number 2. Tap water contains nitrates. They gradually lead to oxygen starvation, negatively affect the nervous and cardiovascular systems, interfere with the normal development of embryos, provoke caries and gum disease.

Fact number 3. Ukrainian water is rich in iron. Its excess leads not only to a deterioration in the appearance of the liquid and its taste, but also to the occurrence of kidney disease.

Fact number 4. The liquid contains aluminum. It accumulates in the liver, in the most important parts of the brain, which can lead to disruption of the CNS (central nervous system).

Fact No. 5. When using water with chlorine, hardness salts, the skin suffers, namely, it dries up, turns red, various rashes and allergic reactions may appear.

Fact number 6. Excess hardness salts, petroleum products, and again chlorine - impurities that are often found in tap fluids, make our hair dull, dry, lost volume and healthy shine.

Fact number 7. An unrefined tap water substance worsens the taste of food that is prepared on its basis.

Fact number 8. The water may contain bacteria that can harm the body. Of course, water treatment services fight microorganisms, but the fight is not always effective.

Fact number 9. It is the liquid, which contains a lot of dissolved iron, that causes ugly brown-orange stains to appear on sinks and bathrooms.

Fact number 10. Impurities that are contained in water from the water supply have a negative impact not only on humans, but also on pets, plants, and household appliances.

As you can see, there are many reasons why it is necessary to purify water for drinking, washing and using for other domestic purposes. Therefore, we recommend that you play it safe and get one of the filters. Thanks to this, you will receive an exceptionally pure liquid for your purposes.