Let me tell you about two instances that makes me believe that the water supply we already have is not all that bad.
When I got a reverse osmosis water purifier installed in our home the company that installed the system is also obligated to check the current water supply for bacteria like E. coli and other contaminants. The sample is sent to the labs for testing and the results come back in a month or so. In my case it came back negative for the presence of any dangerous bacteria and pathogens. Unfortunately, it did not tell me anything about other contaminants like heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride etc.
The second point is that the help in the house such as the gardener and other people working outdoors routinely drink the water from the garden hose without any adverse effect on the health. Not to mention that we ourselves use the tap water for everything else apart from drinking such as washing utensils, brushing teeth, showering etc.
It's true that people in India have developed a high immunity towards various pollutants around them. This includes some of the bacteria that is present in the drinking water that comes in the tap. Someone from the western world would probably be at a greater risk of falling ill from drinking this water.
However, the fact still remains that the water that was tested in my home was potable and I suspect it is the same in all major urban cities in India.
I still nevertheless installed a reverse osmosis system at home because someone in the family was having health issues and the quality of water was suggested is as one of a possible causes even though there was no evidence for it. So just like one does everything they can to safeguard the health of the family and loved ones, I installed the reverse osmosis water purifier.
The thing is that once you get used to it, you will always feel uncomfortable going back to drinking water that has not been similarly filtered. Before the installation of the reverse osmosis water purifier we used to use UV water filter along with the sentiment and activated charcoal filter which served the need amply for many years.
The TDS was on the high side though still within drinking norms. It is 400 and goes up to 450. I have a hard water supply so most of the TDS is Calcium and Magnesium salts. Unfortunately, there was no way to tell how much other harmful contaminants contributed to the TDS such as arsenic, lead, chlorine, pesticides etc. This is the confusion I face till today. TDS upto 500 is deemed alright for drinking by Indian standards. But not if the TDS contains toxic materials.
According to WHO TDS is an aesthetic factor for drinking water. In other words its more about what TDS ‘tastes’ the best rather than how it affects the potability of the water. It reports TDS upto 300 is excellent.
Similarly, in the US TDS is considered a secondary factor, the primary being lack of bacteria and pathogens.
In conclusion, the only way to determine whether the water coming through the taps is safe for drinking is to send it to the water testing labs. And then keep getting it checked regularly because things can change according to seasons. Also, in India it is a good idea to use some kind of a water filtration system because water born diseases are a reality here.
Today, there are domestic water testing kits available that allow you to do your own testing. You can test for common water based bacteria like E.Coli and Coliform, for metals like lead and iron as well as toxins and other chemicals like arsenic, fluoride etc.
But that doesn't mean that you need an expensive RO water purifying system. A gravity based membrane water filter or a UV water filter with sediment and activated charcoal cartridges could also serve the purpose very well.
When I got a reverse osmosis water purifier installed in our home the company that installed the system is also obligated to check the current water supply for bacteria like E. coli and other contaminants. The sample is sent to the labs for testing and the results come back in a month or so. In my case it came back negative for the presence of any dangerous bacteria and pathogens. Unfortunately, it did not tell me anything about other contaminants like heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride etc.
The second point is that the help in the house such as the gardener and other people working outdoors routinely drink the water from the garden hose without any adverse effect on the health. Not to mention that we ourselves use the tap water for everything else apart from drinking such as washing utensils, brushing teeth, showering etc.
It's true that people in India have developed a high immunity towards various pollutants around them. This includes some of the bacteria that is present in the drinking water that comes in the tap. Someone from the western world would probably be at a greater risk of falling ill from drinking this water.
However, the fact still remains that the water that was tested in my home was potable and I suspect it is the same in all major urban cities in India.
I still nevertheless installed a reverse osmosis system at home because someone in the family was having health issues and the quality of water was suggested is as one of a possible causes even though there was no evidence for it. So just like one does everything they can to safeguard the health of the family and loved ones, I installed the reverse osmosis water purifier.
The thing is that once you get used to it, you will always feel uncomfortable going back to drinking water that has not been similarly filtered. Before the installation of the reverse osmosis water purifier we used to use UV water filter along with the sentiment and activated charcoal filter which served the need amply for many years.
The TDS was on the high side though still within drinking norms. It is 400 and goes up to 450. I have a hard water supply so most of the TDS is Calcium and Magnesium salts. Unfortunately, there was no way to tell how much other harmful contaminants contributed to the TDS such as arsenic, lead, chlorine, pesticides etc. This is the confusion I face till today. TDS upto 500 is deemed alright for drinking by Indian standards. But not if the TDS contains toxic materials.
According to WHO TDS is an aesthetic factor for drinking water. In other words its more about what TDS ‘tastes’ the best rather than how it affects the potability of the water. It reports TDS upto 300 is excellent.
Similarly, in the US TDS is considered a secondary factor, the primary being lack of bacteria and pathogens.
In conclusion, the only way to determine whether the water coming through the taps is safe for drinking is to send it to the water testing labs. And then keep getting it checked regularly because things can change according to seasons. Also, in India it is a good idea to use some kind of a water filtration system because water born diseases are a reality here.
Today, there are domestic water testing kits available that allow you to do your own testing. You can test for common water based bacteria like E.Coli and Coliform, for metals like lead and iron as well as toxins and other chemicals like arsenic, fluoride etc.
But that doesn't mean that you need an expensive RO water purifying system. A gravity based membrane water filter or a UV water filter with sediment and activated charcoal cartridges could also serve the purpose very well.
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