Water covers a vast majority of our planet, yet only around 3% of the Earth’s water is drinkable by humans. Thanks to modern water treatment processes however, we are able to transform undesirable water into fresh and healthy water to be delivered on demand to our homes. It is estimated that the average daily household uses around 350 gallons of water for bathing, cooking, drinking, and cleaning purposes. Understanding our relationship with water as a species can help ensure that we are all getting enough water and that the water we consume is healthy, clean water that promotes wellness.
Water and Our Bodies
Since around two-thirds of our bodies are made of water, it makes sense that cleaner and healthier water is vital to our health. Most of us fail to get the recommended amount of water every day as each person should drink approximately two liters of water every day. Studies showed that those who drink a few glasses of water before a meal felt fuller and were able to cut down on the amount of food they consumed — in this respect, water can help people lose weight and curve appetites. In a study on headaches, participants who drank around two cups of water experienced total relief from their headaches within a half hour of drinking the water; this suggests that dehydration and headaches are linked in some way. Finally, a separate study found that those who stayed hydrated had a 45% decreased risk of developing colon cancer, a 50% decreased risk of developing bladder cancer, and a potential reduction in the risk of developing breast cancer as well.
The Problem With Tap Water
While it may be no surprise that water is good for us, it may be surprising to learn that your tap water is filled with a number of harmful chemicals and contaminants. Modern water treatment processes are able to take unsanitary water and make it potable by removing contaminants — unfortunately the process is unable to remove many contaminates and many treatment plants actually add additional chemicals like fluoride to strengthen teeth; too much fluoride could have negative impacts on one’s health however. Many of these treatment plants actually use chlorine to neutralize waste water, making chlorine removal a necessary for those desiring healthy, safe water. In addition to potential contaminates compromising one’s water supply, homeowners ought to also be concerned about hard water which affects up to 85% of all American households. Hardness is measured in grains per gallon as calcium carbonate; at around 7 grains of hardness, homeowners may begin to see the negative impact of hard water on their appliances which may break down with increased frequency due to hard water — installing a water softener for your whole home could reduce this risk and put less strain on your plumbing.
Better Water for Your Home
Many households have invested in a whole home water filtration system to ensure that their water is cleaner, healthier, and tastier. Many of these systems utilize a reverse osmosis process; reverse osmosis filtration can turn salt water or other contaminated water sources into fresh water by forcing the water through a semi-permeable membrane. Many reverse osmosis whole house filtration system utilize other water purification methods such as filters to remove bacteria and other potentially dangerous contaminates. For cleaner, better tasting water in your home, consider installing a whole home filtration system that utilizes reverse osmosis to keep your appliances and your body healthier.