I'm wanting to drink more water everyday but my parents (who I still live with) seem paranoid about drinking water straight from the faucet. They have this slow process of filling up pitchers with water and letting them sit exposed to the air for several hours to supposedly let the chlorine evaporate and then running it through a Brita water filter. It's an annoyance to drink water with this system because the filter takes forever and does at most 2 glasses at a time. My parents have all these weird notions about the effects of fluoride and chlorine and whatever else they use in modern water systems in the US. Knowing that my parents are steeped in pseudoscience and conspiracy theories (creationism, homeopathy, alternative medicine, contrails, etc) I'm suspecting that this water filter ritual we do everyday is just another unnecessary procedure brought on by scientific ignorance and fear.

They also think the filtered water tastes better but I can't tell any difference.

So, do water filters provide any substantial health benefits? Would I be harming myself or putting myself at risk in the long run to drink water straight from the faucet?

You can drink piss and survive it. In fact, if it is all you have you'll do so gladly.

You can also drink filtered water and then walk outside and get hit by a bus.

They seem a tad obsessive.

Here in South Australia,our tap water often turns an unattractive shade of rust in summer and has always been 'hard'*

However our water remains potable.(safe) I can't be bothered with filters and refuse to pay thousands of percent markup for bottled water which does not have the same guarantee of potability and is not flouridated.. Some country towns here have begun recycling sewerage for drinking water.


*My sis lives in Melbourne. which has 'soft water'.Once,when visiting, I used the same amount of shampoo I would use here; filed the shower recess with suds. I kid you not.

If in doubt, get your tap water tested. Chlorine / chloramine and flouride at legal levels are not a health risk. You may have other impurities that you would prefer to not drink in your tap water, however.

I don't filter my tap water and it tastes fine and has few impurities. I know people who do filter, and I won't drink their water straight from the tap. Nasty.

The whole 'filtered water' concept is one huge marketing campaing so people can sell filters and bottled water. There are distinct differences between hard and soft water, but this no real impact on health.

I recall me and my brothers playing any manner of sports at the local fields. We built up a thirst quickly in Florida. The other kids used to run home, but we used to drink from the spinkling system supplied by a well. There was a high sulfer content which made the water smell like ass (or rotten eggs if you prefer). The smell was a bit to overcome, but the taste wasn't much different.

Well, the amount of fluoride, chlorine, and hundreds of other chemicals contained in tap water varies from one place to another. While I won't deny that these chemicals may cause certain health problems if consumed too much, I think that the effects are pretty minor in the US and not something to worry about too much. I could be wrong, though.

That being said, I think that filtering your water would be better because that will make the water cleaner and fresher, but it's up to you whether or not you want to wait for the filtering process. And I'm not recommending you to do this because I don't think that filtering your water is something necessary. However, your parents letting the water sit exposed to the air for several hours to let the chlorine evaporate is a little too much and unnecessary, in my opinion. If they are that much concerned about having good water at home, then tell them to get your water tested.

One time, even I used to drink water only after filtering it through Brita after learning about how many different chemicals there are in our water in the kitchen faucet. But now I don't feel that I am putting myself at risk by drinking water straight from the faucet.

If water wasn't safe to drink straight from the tap, you would soon know about it!

I live in London where the water is hard. My tap water tastes fine and has never been ill from it. I do use a Brita filter though; but only because it tastes even better when it's filtered and I trend tho be able to drink more of it for some reason.

Bulk water is most often without chlorine or fluoride, is relatively cheap compare to sodas, and is readily available. And you can shop for taste.


I'm on a water kick right now. I buy it in gallon or two gallon containers, pop it in the fridge, and have ice cold crystal clear water in short order. The current brand I'm drinking most is purified by reverse osmosis and has minerals added to improve taste. You'll have to do your own testing to determine what waters you like best. My tap water, even ice cold, has an unpleasant taste, so I drink other things. (Mostly colas, fruit juices, and iced tea.)

I grew up next to Lake Superior, and I miss her waters immensely; that water rocked.

I like the way filtered water tastes, but I don't like waiting for my water either so I use a Pur water filter (http://www.target.com/p/pur-vertical-fau...pla&ci_kw=) mine is horizontal, but uses the same filters. When it runs out I drink straight out of the tap, but I live in Oregon and we have pretty clean water.

Quote:Two Irishmen, Patrick Murphy and Shawn O'Brian grew up together and were lifelong friends. But alas, Patrick developed cancer, and was dying. While on his deathbed, Patrick called to his buddy, Shawn, "O'Brian, come 'ere. I 'ave a request for ye." Shawn walked to his friend's bedside and kneels.

"Shawny ole boy, we've been friends all our lives, and now I'm leaving 'ere. I 'ave one last request fir ye to do."

O'Brian burst into tears, "Anything Patrick, anything ye wish. It's done."

"Well, under me bed is a box containing a bottle of the finest whiskey in all of Ireland. Bottled the year I was born it was. After I die, and they plant me in the ground, I want you to pour that fine whiskey over me grave so it might soak into me bones and I'll be able to enjoy it for all eternity."

O'Brian was overcome by the beauty and in the true Irish spirit of his friend's request, he asked, "Aye, tis a fine thing you ask of me, and I will pour the whiskey. But, might I strain it through me kidneys first?"