We often take for granted the simple act of turning on the tap and filling a glass with cool, refreshing drinking water. In many parts of the world, tap water is treated and considered safe to drink. However, even with rigorous public water treatment, the journey from the source to your glass can introduce a surprising number of chemicals and contaminants. The quality of our drinking water is a cornerstone of overall health, and so understanding what might be lurking in our tap water is the first step towards protecting ourselves and our family…

The Unseen Contaminants In Tap Water

While public water systems work to remove many contaminants, some can slip through or get introduced after the water leaves the treatment plant. Let’s take a look at some of the most common culprits:

Heavy Metals: Lead, copper, arsenic, and mercury can leach into our water from ageing pipes, brass fixtures, or industrial pollution. Lead, in particular, is a major concern as it can cause serious health problems, especially in children and pregnant women, affecting the brain and nervous system.
Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs): To kill harmful bacteria and viruses, water treatment facilities often use chlorine. While this is essential for preventing waterborne diseases, the chlorine itself can react with organic matter in the water to form DBPs like trihalomethanes (THMs). Long-term exposure to these chemicals has been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers.
Pesticides and Herbicides: Runoff from agricultural areas can carry these chemicals into lakes, rivers and groundwater. While the levels are often low, chronic exposure can have a range of health effects, including a disruption of the endocrine system and reproductive issues.
Microorganisms: Although water is treated to remove pathogens, breaches in the distribution system or other issues can allow microbes like Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and E. coli to contaminate the water supply.
“Forever Chemicals” (PFAS): Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of human-made chemicals that are found in many consumer products. They can contaminate water sources and have been linked to a variety of health issues, including higher cholesterol levels and an increased risk of certain cancers.
Pharmaceuticals: The widespread use of medications means that trace amounts of drugs can end up in our water supply. While the health risks of these low-level exposures are still being studied, it’s a growing concern for water quality experts.

What Unfiltered Water Does To Our Health

The resultant effects of drinking contaminated water can be both immediate and long-term, and depend on the type of contaminant, its concentration and the individual’s susceptibility to it. Let’s look into both the short term and longterm symptoms and risks of drinking tap water from our homes.

Short-Term Symptoms:

Gastrointestinal Distress: Microbes such as bacteria and parasites can cause symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever.
Headaches and Dehydration: Contaminated water can lead to gastrointestinal issues that cause dehydration, which in turn can lead to headaches and fatigue.

Longterm Health Risks:

Chronic Diseases: Longterm exposure to certain chemicals, such as arsenic and DBPs, has been associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, as well as liver and kidney problems.
Neurological Damage: Heavy metals like lead and mercury are known neurotoxins that can harm the nervous system and brain. This is particularly dangerous for infants and children, as it can impair their development.
Reproductive and Developmental Issues: Exposure to certain contaminants, including some pesticides and heavy metals, has been linked to reproductive difficulties and developmental problems.

Simple Steps To Take Control Of Our Water Quality

The good news is that you have a powerful tool to reduce your exposure to these risks: water filtration. Filtering your tap water at home is a fast, simple and effective way to ensure thyat the water you drink, cook with, and bathe in is as clean and safe as possible.

Understand Your Water: The first step is to know what’s in your water. Many local water utilities provide annual water quality reports. You can also have your water professionally tested, especially if you have a private well or live in an older home with lead pipes.
Choose the Right Filter: Not all filters are created equal. Different filters target different contaminants.
- Activated Carbon Filters: These are great for removing chlorine, improving taste and odour, and can also reduce some pesticides and lead. They are found in many water jugs and sink-mounted filters.
- Reverse Osmosis (RO) Systems: RO is a more comprehensive filtration method that uses a semipermeable membrane to remove a wide range of contaminants, including heavy metals, nitrates and fluoride.
- Distillation: This method involves boiling water and condensing the steam, which effectively removes minerals, bacteria, and many chemicals with higher boiling points than water.
- Ion Exchange Filters: Often used in water softeners, these filters are designed to reduce levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium, as well as some heavy metals.
Maintenance is Key: No filter works forever, so always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for replacing cartridges and maintaining your system, as a neglected filter can become a breeding ground for bacteria and may stop working effectively.

Investing in a quality water filter is a small change with a potentially significant impact on our longterm health. By understanding the risks and taking proactive steps to filter our water, we’re not just improving its taste, but safeguarding our wellbeing for years to come.

Milky Plant: The Watery Reverse Osmosis Filter

Something that really drew me to The Watery reverse osmosis machine by Milky Plant was the option to have fresh and clean drinking water for my entire family at the simple touch of a screen. After being flooded with adverts for under sink, jug and tap-mounted filters, the thought of changing expired cartridges every few weeks and complicating under-sink plumbing with additional tanks and fixings made my mind boggle.

I’m always happy to put in additional time and effort to research the latest technology in order to achieve maximal benefits with the least inconvenience or risk. My main concerns when seeking a suitable form of water filtration were efficacy, ongoing maintenance costs and convenience.

The Watery conveniently delivers fresh, clean and drinkable water through a state of the art 4-stage reverse osmosis system, at the simple touch of a screen. You simply scan a QR code within the instruction leaflet to view an online tutorial video which walks you step-by-step through the quick and easy setup. I chose the milky white colour way for my machine to match my kitchen, which is also available in ocean grey too. What really sold it for me, above all of its competitors, is its 97.99% contaminant removal efficacy in contrast to the shocking 15% from other brands. With each filter lasting a very impressive 12 months, it’s also far lower maintenance than other filtration options available which must typically be replaced every couple of months.

The 4-layer reverse osmosis filter within this machine is by far best-in-class for purification, removing impurities as small as just 0.001 microns as well as having a built in water quality monitor for complete peace of mind, ensuring that every last sip is as clean and pure as possible. This machine also provides instant hot water, replacing my kettle for tea, coffee, baby formula or meals. Automatically dispensing fresh water into a removable pitcher, it’s been incredibly convenient for the children and I to have pure, clean water constantly on hand; whether we’re refilling our glasses during a meal or topping up sports bottles.

Consciously low energy, with no single use plastic, it also has a reduced carbon footprint; just one machine replaces 1971 bottles in a year, saving thousands of pounds on the cost of purchasing bottled water as well as protecting the environment though no single use-plastics or cartons, as it proudly celebrates zero waste. Milky Plant also plant five trees for every purchase and give 1% of profits back to the world’s most pressing environmental issues, dear to my heart, it is a poignant stance for the children and future generations to come.

To know that fluoride, heavy metals, PFAS, antibiotics, hormones, unhealthy minerals and many more unseen nasties have been removed from our tap water allows me to feel at ease knowing that I have put the health and wellbeing of my family first. Such a small step, to switch our kettle for a water filter, can have such a monumental longterm affect on us all; I hope that every family may have access to the information necessary to understand what really goes into our drinking water, in order to make a safe and conscious, fully-informed decision for themselves and loved ones.

Use code “MWYM10RYMBXQS” at Milky Plant for an exclusive discount!

www.milkyplant.com
Facebook: /themilkyplant
Instagram @themilkyplant
Tik Tok: @themilkyplant