posted on Oct, 28 2006 @ 12:47 PM
The Nazi's started alot of things, does not make them all bad...
I do have some background in environmental engineering, and can tell you, atleast in the US, tap water is comparable to most bottled waters in
quality. People usually choose the taste of bottled waters because most of them do not chlorinate their water, which tends to leave an aftertaste, but
ensure aboslutely biologically santiary water from the distribution center to your home. This does not mean that bottled waters aren't sanitized, but
being that controls on tap water are much more stringent, I tend to trust it more, and balanced with the cost, tap water is my choice by far. For
instance, waters like evian, are produced by the exact same procedures as your average city. Depending on where you live, and to what level they
soften their water through ion exchange or lime/soda softening, evian's hardness and alkalinity are very similar. Waters like aquafina are distilled
to the same level as your reverse osmosis system (with a few salts added for taste afterward). But that does not make it anymore sanitary; it just
means that abolutely no or very very low alkalinity or harness are left. These process are not what make water safe for you to drink, they just make
it taste better, depending on your opinion. The last step, disinfection, is the important part. The important question is to what level are they
sanitizing your water? Is it some corporation that could be just getting by with two log (99%) disinfection (with occasional inspections by the
department of health). Or is your water being disinfected to three or four log (99.9 and 99.99) percent of pathogens killed. This is determined by
looking at the hardest to kill specimens (of bacteria: Ecoli; of protozoa: Giari Lamblia cysts). Typically your average municipality first uses
ozone, the most effective killer of pathogens, then uses Chlorine, because it provides lasting protection for the water all the way to its
consumption. Some plants also use UV radiation now. Everyone should look into their local water, the results of the municipalities constant monitering
are a matter of public record.
Just to add I wouldnt recomend reusing a bottle from bottled water for water that is not chlorinated. Once Open, pathogens increase exponentially in
bottles, and nonchlorinated water in them is just asking for trouble. Not that the ingestion of some pathogens is a bad thing, it strengthens the
immune system. The quality of our tap water here in the US is why we cant drink the water alot of other places, like mexico, because our bodies are
used to such a high level of disinfection.