Trying to not drink tap water
 

For a long time I mocked people for saying that there is "bad" water or that it tastes different from place to place. Since 3 months ago when I started my diet, I have only drank water. I definitely have to agree with them now. Different water (especially tap) can taste quite bad.

My dietitian told me that I need to drink 2 liters of water per day. I found this difficult to keep up with so I grabbed an empty 2 liter and filled it up with water from my fridge. I only drank it when I was thirsty, and by the end of the day, I felt terrible. My head hurt and I was very spacey. I've tried this exact same thing with bottled water, and I feel nothing but well after it. I checked online for the water quality inspections for my area, and we are the worst within 4 counties.

So this brings me to my actual question. I'm trying to convince my parents to buy me gallon jugs of water. Of course they are somewhat ignorant and mock my request by answering "there is plenty in the fridge or sink". I've got them semi-convinced so far, but I just don't know what to tell them.

Any advice would be great!



Hunter

Rather than buying gallons, can you get a filter to put on the tap or the fridge?

It's much cheaper, and much better for the environment.

If you live near a store like a WalMart, they have a machine, (usually up in the front or way in the back of the store) where for 25 cents or so, you bring in your own jugs and through reverse osmosis they purify the water. If you walk in the outdoors for exercise you can probably FIND 25 cents on the ground. (I usually do!)

This is ingenious. I will definitely do this. Thanks!


Hunter

In the long run, a filter for the tap is the most cost effective and is best for the environment (no recycling needed). Also, investing in a soda stream is great too. If you make your own seltzer you will have a bubbly, sodium free alternative to plain water. I have one and I swear by it.

You have to ask them a more basic question..., is tap water even SAFE to drink?? At all?

It depends on your location, some are just plain disgusting and yellowish. Some places process it and add chlorine to clean it. But do you think putting chlorine into your body is healthy after a period of time?? Not at all.

You could give them some clear facts. U.S. Health Officials estimate 900,000 people each year become ill - and possibly 900 die - from waterborne disease.

First of all, it's pretty accepted among health affectionados that tap water is not safe. It's rife with all kinds of chemicals to kill the germs - chemicals like chlorine which are not good for human consumption. And since you can't put amounts of poisons to kill germs without rendering the water toxic, lots of germs 'slip through'. One of these, clostridium, a virulent form of one of the friendly bacteria we have in our colons, causes diarrhea and illness regularly in populations who drink tap water.

Secondly, let's take a look for a minute, at the route tap water takes. Through miles of pipes under the streets and homes of the city. Are these pipes a totally closed system? Of course not. Can germs 'seep in'? I would betcha! When it comes to your house, is that a closed sterile system? No way. You have rust, corrosion, seepage and all kinds of things getting into the tap water before you draw it out of the tap.

Third, ground water must be really treated much more aggressively than the city water plants can afford to do, due to world-wide pollution.

Fifth, some studies show that drinking tap water increases the risk for kidney stones. Indeed, when I went to the ER a couple of years ago, and they thought I had a kidney stone, that was one of the questions they asked me, i.e. did I drink tap water.

I have a 4 stage reverse-osmosis filtering machine that makes 2.2 gallons of laboratory grade II (very pure) water in about an hour. Total dissolved solids measured with a TDS meter is 0 ppm. TDS measures around 400 ppm with plain tap water. (a measure over 500 ppm exceeds the EPA maximum recommendation) There is absolutely no smell or taste with the purified water from my machine. Love it. It's the bee's knees!

My wife goes to visit her mother in the midwest and can immediately taste a difference with their tap water. She's freaked out by the weird tasting tap water and must drink bottled water there.

Investing in a filter is a good idea. It is better than even bottled water. There is a misunderstanding that bottled water is better than tap water. Depending on where the bottled water is produced the quality of the water will vary. For example restaurants have different scores. One may have a rating of an A while another may have a C.