I hesitate as I begin to write this week’s column because I do not want to
convey the wrong message. Drinking plenty of clean, pure water is second only in
importance to breathing. Please note that this is only about cleaning your water
so that you are more inclined to drink much more of it.
When I was researching water filtration methods several years ago I came
across a statement that got my attention. It was “The United States is a great
place to visit, but don’t drink the water!" The purpose of the article that
followed it was pointing out that water coming from our taps was not necessarily
safe to drink, and why. According to my friend Sandy Koch, head of the
Microbiology Department at Analytical Laboratories in Boise, those of us in New
Plymouth are blessed to have some of the best water in Idaho. She should know –
her department tests water from all over the state. That being acknowledged, I
still would not drink a glass of it until after it has passed through both
carbon and reverse osmosis filtration. I have noticed that when Sandy is
visiting, she also gets her water from the filtered tap rather than the city
tap.
Although a glass of water from a New Plymouth city tap is still far better
for you than pop or coffee (and, where does the water come from that goes into
those?) the minor amounts of contaminants that are in the water add to the
overall stress on the body. If we drink eight - eight ounce glasses of water
every day (as we should), that amounts to 178 gallons of water consumed in a
year. By the age of 65 we will have consumed 11,570 gallons of water. Some of
the adverse contaminants in water tend to accumulate in our bodies rather than
flush through.
Although the amount in a daily intake may be completely inconsequential, the
amount in almost 12,000 gallons becomes quite significant. Because of this, and,
because clean, pure water is the most satisfying and refreshing beverage on the
planet, I recommend that everyone install a reverse osmosis filtration system in
their homes and businesses for drinking and cooking water. You can buy one
through the Internet for a fraction of what they sell for locally, and any
handyman who doesn’t mind climbing under a sink can install one. The net cost of
bottle-quality water from a RO system runs from 1˘ to 3˘ per gallon – definitely
a bargain investment for better long-term health.
Please don’t go off on a tangent about how the municipal
systems should provide us with
pure, perfect water! To start with, you couldn’t afford the increase in cost.
Second, you want to filter out what gets back into the water in the tank and the
pipes before you drink it anyway. Third, most municipalities are already doing an
outstanding job of getting good general-use water to us. It is our
responsibility to “polish” a small portion of it before we drink it or cook with
it.
Remember, this isn’t about being afraid of our water. It is merely a way to
make it even better to the degree that you enjoy it more and naturally want to
drink much more of it. Your health will benefit greatly if you do.
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