Almost every guidebook recommends similar things regarding drinking water. Drinking plenty of water leads a balanced lifestyle, promotes your health, and supports the longest possible life. But does this also apply to tap water? What exactly comes out of the tap? How good is tap water really? Are there more sensible alternatives? Many questions follow the original question of whether drinking tap water is healthy. In this article, we want to show you what tap water is all about and which aspects are of particular interest to consumers.
Is drinking tap water really healthy? - Basics of water supply
In this country, the drinking water from the tap comes primarily from groundwater or reservoirs. A smaller portion comes from springs, bank filtration, or river water. The task of local utilities is to purify the tap water, prepare it for consumption, and store it in a safe place. This includes technical availability (pressure at the tap) as well as safe consumption (no health damage from drinking it). But how clean and healthy is tap water, really?
What is in drinking water and why?
The legislature establishes a legal basis for basic suppliers. The purity and quality of drinking water are therefore comparably good and high throughout Germany. Various guidelines cover possible contaminants and limit values for certain substances and properties. Last but not least, consumers want to receive impeccable food for their money. After all, this is what politicians and suppliers repeatedly promise. Unfortunately, without these legal requirements, it is impossible to ensure that drinking water actually contains nothing more than water. But what, then, is the occasional criticism of the Drinking Water Ordinance and its ambitions?
In fact, drinking water in many regions of Europe is surprisingly heavily contaminated. This is due to human influences, as these residues are found in groundwater everywhere to varying degrees. This raises the question of whether drinking water in Germany can be healthy. It is also contaminated here with industrial waste, fertilizers, and pesticides.
And what about the actual transport to the tap? After all, it's not uncommon for water supply lines and plumbing systems in homes to need to be renovated. Modernization often occurs because the system is leading to drinking water contamination.
The effort required to treat and deliver drinking water is enormous. Suppliers estimate a per capita consumption of 130 liters per day. Most people only drink one to two liters of this. Furthermore, drinking water isn't free in this country. Does this mean that drinking drinking water without restriction is healthy?
Is drinking tap water healthy and safe?
A look at the drinking water regulations' limit values reveals that certain "critical" substances are certainly permitted. For example, lead and copper are often found in tap water, along with various chemicals. Why harmful substances are permitted at all is a matter of legitimate criticism.
The authors of the regulation claim that such small amounts of these pollutants are harmless to humans. Furthermore, the technical effort required to filter out all contaminants is too great and unnecessary. Nevertheless, there are currently no conclusive statements about the possible long-term consequences of this "regulated" pollution. Consumers criticize this attitude and demand that legislators improve the guidelines.
This also includes contamination that has not yet been recorded by law and is therefore not regulated. According to the German constitution, access to drinking water is a fundamental right for all residents of the country. It is therefore the responsibility of the legislature to implement this guarantee. However, critics are demanding significantly more transparency, for example regarding the detection of medications, novel chemical compounds, or hormone-like substances in groundwater. What actually sounds like a simple and straightforward question quickly leads to a complex and confusing answer. This is why many consumers are seeking the opportunity to monitor and improve their tap water.
How is the quality of tap water controlled?
Consumers can control and influence drinking water quality to a certain extent. However, these options are quite limited and are usually based on uncritical trust in the supplier. With ambition and some effort, consumers can send water samples to a laboratory for testing. However, this service can be expensive and typically covers only a few parameters.
Rather, even professional analyses only use standardized tests for lead, copper, nitrate, and similar substances, as required by law. These therefore cover only a very narrow range of contaminants. If residues of pharmaceuticals, aluminum, uranium, glyphosate, and more are suspected, laboratories can hardly help. Not to mention possible testing for pathogens and other pests. This test usually costs extra for a water sample or is not even available to the consumer.
Attentive consumers can only rely on their own supplier operating in an exemplary manner and in accordance with the law. But that doesn't change the fundamental criticism. Out of uncertainty, many consumers therefore turn to mineral water. The promise of a healthy and wholesome food should be tangible and available for purchase. But is this really a good alternative?
Drinking healthily – Is mineral water better than tap water?
Anyone who assumes that mineral water is a healthier and more respectable food than drinking water will be disappointed. In fact, mineral water is being criticized for several reasons. This is primarily due to the fact that tap water is continuously subject to strict controls – especially from a hygiene perspective. In comparison, mineral water has fewer such legally binding quality standards. A surprising statement that rightly annoys consumers.
Added to this is a misconception that has been widely perpetuated by clever advertising. Mineral water cannot effectively meet the human need for minerals and trace elements. Our supply comes almost exclusively from our solid food.
Even the fact that mineral water must be of natural origin doesn't protect consumers from harmful substances. It's entirely possible that even spring water contains harmful substances. Substances may be removed or added to table and spring waters—which are found alongside mineral water on supermarket shelves.
After all, mineral water has a terrible environmental footprint compared to tap water. The use of glass bottles doesn't compensate for this. PET bottles are a well-known disaster for humans and the environment. The logistics of the glass recycling system are also unsustainable.
It is clear that mineral water is not a viable alternative to tap water for several reasons. These include high costs, unreliable promises from suppliers, and dubious marketing practices, as well as complex logistics and a dismal ecological footprint.
Drinking tap water is healthy – How to improve water quality at home
Mineral water must meet lower quality and hygiene standards than tap water. Drinking tap water is healthy simply because of legal protection in this country. Despite possible contamination below the established limits, tap water is therefore recommended for human consumption with almost no restrictions. Only for babies and very young children should you find out the actual nitrate and lead content of your tap water.
Furthermore, it is possible to improve the quality of tap water without much effort. Despite the costs of supplying and collecting tap water, the financial outlay is very low. In addition, this water is, in a sense, optimized for human consumption. Individuals can also take advantage of local improvements. In addition to filters in the home and kitchen, these include applications for revitalization or swirling, if necessary.
With these relatively simple measures, you can quickly achieve excellent results. Since there are virtually no harmful or undesirable substances left, filtered drinking water offers an excellent taste. This aspect should not be underestimated in the kitchen when preparing food and drinks.
The positive consequence is that tasty and easily accessible water encourages people to drink more often. Many people suffer from the consequences of inadequate water intake. The effects of gradual dehydration can be devastating for the body. Compared to possible contaminants in tap water, this danger is much more significant. Tap water is also a healthy, calorie- and sugar-free thirst quencher.
Conclusion
We all tend to drink far too little water. As a result, many people suffer from the consequences of what is known as chronic dehydration. The symptoms are diffuse, difficult to grasp, and therefore difficult for those affected to simply associate with a lack of water. It's not for nothing that experts repeatedly advise: Drink enough! Therefore, the undisputed rule applies: Turn on the tap! Drinking tap water is healthy and, in our country, completely safe for consumption. Furthermore, perfect drinking water can be prepared with minimal effort and minimal investment.
In our shop, you'll find a helpful selection of products related to drinking water and water quality. Of course, we also offer a wide range of filters and vitalizers. These allow you to easily, effectively, and individually improve the quality of your tap water.
In Germany, the right to clean and healthy drinking water is guaranteed by law. Despite this, or perhaps precisely because of this, these laws are repeatedly criticized. In comparison, mineral water often cannot match the quality of tap water – let alone its environmental impact. Therefore, drinking tap water is recommended as a healthy and environmentally friendly measure for every consumer.
