A great deal of research into the health-related effects of drinking tap water has enabled me to write this article, and provide you with all the information that I have obtained. There are many people in this country who refuse to drink pure tap water, and so they use water filters to eliminate the taste of Chlorine. I am hear to tell you that neither the taste, nor the smell of the water should be the only reason not to drink it.  You should be far more concerned about what is making it taste so foul, what that is doing to your health, and the health of your family.

Tap water in most cities contains chlorine, fluoride and varying amounts of dissolved minerals including calcium, magnesium and sodium, chlorides, sulphates and bicarbonates, depending on its source. It is also not uncommon to find traces of iron, manganese, copper, aluminum, nitrates, insecticides and herbicides. Not to mention that prescription medications have also been found in the tap water of 41 million Americans across the United States. According to the Associated Press, there was a vast array of pharmaceuticals; including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers, and sex hormones. The federal government does not require any testing and hasn't set safety limits for drugs in the water supply.

I am sure that I could go on forever discussing with the effects of each chemical that is found in the water supply, but instead I am going to focus on the most common, and most dangerous. Of course, in 2008 we do not yet know the long-term effects of ingesting random concoctions of prescription drugs for numerous years. Sadly enough, your grandchildren probably will. The main two chemicals that are extremely hazardous to human health and are intentionally added to municipal water supplies include chlorine and fluoride.

Chlorine has been known for years to both cause and worsen respiratory problems including asthma and pneumonia. As a halogen which damages enzymes, chlorine weakens the immune system upon ingestion. Chlorine causes magnesium deficiency, which can cause almost any symptom you can imagine, from migraine headaches, high blood pressure, chemical sensitivity and in severe cases: sudden death, according to Mark J. Eisenberg, MD. But that is not all. Chlorine also decreases the absorption while increasing the excretion of calcium and phosphorus. This increased loss of calcium into the urine could lead to bone-related problems including osteoporosis.

Chlorine has been known to irritate the skin, the eyes, and the respiratory system. By now, I think you probably could have guessed why the government uses chlorine as a disinfectant. It is not because it is the safest, or the most effective; but because it is the cheapest. It is very well known that Chlorine is not healthy and can cause all sorts of health problems, yet this is ignored and the Food and Drug Administration seldom acknowledge it.

In my opinion, one of the biggest problems with Chlorine is not the chlorine itself, but the by-products which are usually known as trihalomethanes (THMs). An example of a THM is chloroform, a proven cancer-causing agent. Animal studies have consistently shown an association between THMs and liver and kidney cancer. Independent studies have repeatedly accused Chlorine and THMs as being the leading causes of colon and bladder cancer, as well as diabetes, kidney stones and heart attacks.

"I once had an epileptic dog I had been treating unsuccessfully for eighteen months. One day its plastic feeding bowl was accidentally broken and replaced with a ceramic one. The fits stopped immediately."

Fluoride is the second chemical which I believe is most likely to be extremely harmful to your health. The chances are, if you live in the United States; fluoride is in your water supply. Fluoride was originally added to drinking water in an attempt to reduce cavities in teeth and to increase overall dental health. Not only does its addition to the water supply ignore your right to personal choice (especially for the poor), but there has also been very little research to support that finding. However, there is a lot of research to indicate that fluoride causes tooth decay, pitting and yellowing of the teeth in a condition known as fluorosis. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that 32 percent of American children now have some level of dental fluorosis which is a direct result of fluoride accumulating in their bodies. Spend a moment to think about the visible effects of fluoride upon the teeth, and then imagine the damage to all the other bones below the skin.

Some research shows that in the last 30 to 40 years, since fluoride has been present in the water; cavities have reduced. However, it could easily be argued that within the last 30-40 years, there have also been large changes in diet, dental care has dramatically improved, and more people brush their teeth than previously. Some other time, I will write more about this, but for now I think you should probably know that in order to eliminate yellowing of the teeth caused by fluoride, you should try some fluoride-free toothpaste. It is very revealing that 80% of countries in Western Europe have removed, or refused to add fluoride to their water. Why do we in the United States ignore the data that other countries find so important?

Fluoride has been directly related to osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, and fluoride consumption among young children will result in a reduced mental work capacity and a significantly lower IQ. Fluorinated water affects the hormones in the body, and is thus frequently debated as a leading cause in growing infertility rates and underweight or premature births. If you have any doubt about the danger level surrounding Fluoride, take another look at your fluoride toothpaste label. The FDA forces toothpaste companies to print the following label on all products that contain Fluoride:

"If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a poison-control center right away."

On a mouthwash from the UK I read:

"Do not swallow this product, if accidentally swallowed seek immediate medical attention."

There is something rather warped about placing a poison in your mouth for several minutes, knowing that swallowing it could be life-threatening, and that chemical compounds are absorbed through the cheeks directly into the bloodstream.

These examples show us that the dangers of fluoride are known, and yet we are repeatedly placed at risk of poisoning. I have only provided a detailed analysis of two main toxins found in the water supply, and I have not even began to mention the dangers of heavy metals; but I do provide a full list of all the chemicals that have been found in North Carolina municipal water supplies and I strongly encourage you to do some of your own research in addition to this article. For those of you that filter your own water, I am sorry to tell you that you may not be as safe as you believe. There is only one type of water filter that I know of that can remove fluoride, and it cannot be found in grocery stores. Most water filters do not even attempt to remove the chemicals that go through it, they merely aim to masking the taste. I advise either purchasing bottled spring water, drinking well water, or purchasing a Berkey water filter which are available at preparedplanet.com. Masking the taste of chemicals does not remove them. The list, courtesy of the US Environmental Protection Agency, is below:

1) 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane
2) 1,1,2-Trichloroethane
3) 1,1-Dichloroethane
4) 1,1-Dichloropropene
5) 1,2 Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)
6) 1,2,3-Trichloropropane
7) 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
8) 1,2-Dibromoethylene
9) 1,2-Dichloroethane
10) 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene
11) 1,3-Dichloropropane
12) 1,4-Dioxane
13) 2,2-Dichloropropane
14) 2,4,5-T
15) 2,4,5-TP (Silvex)
16) 2,4-D
17) 2-Hexanone
18) 2-Nitropropane
19) Acetochlor
20) Aldicarb
21) Aldicarb sulfone
22) Aldicarb sulfoxide
23) Alpha-Lindane
24) Aluminum
25) Ammonia
26) Aniline
27) Anthracene
28) Antimony
29) Arsenic
30) Atrazine
31) Barium
32) Benzene
33) Benzo[a]pyrene
34) Beryllium (total)
35) Bromate
36) Bromide
37) Bromobenzene
38) Bromodichloromethane
39) Bromoform
40) Bromomethane
41) Cadmium (total)
42) Carbaryl
43) Carbon tetrachloride
44) Chloroethane
45) Chloroform
46) Chloromethane
47) Chromium (total)
48) cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene
49) Cyanide
50) Dalapon
51) Di(2-Ethylhexyl) adipate
52) Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
53) Dibromochloromethane
54) Dibromomethane
55) Dicamba
56) Dichlorodifluoromethane
57) Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)
58) Dieldrin
59) Dinoseb
60) Endrin
61) Ethylbenzene
62) Ethylene dibromide (EDB)
63) Heptachlor
64) Heptachlor epoxide
65) Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
66) Isopropylbenzene
67) Lindane
68) m-Dichlorobenzene
69) Manganese
70) Mercury (total inorganic)
71) Metolachlor
72) Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenzene)
73) n-Butylbenzene
74) n-Propylbenzene
75) Naphthalene
76) Nitrate
77) Nitrate & nitrite
78) o-Chlorotoluene
79) o-Dichlorobenzene
80) Oxamyl (Vydate)
81) p-Chlorotoluene
82) p-Dichlorobenzene
83) p-Isopropyltoluene
84) Pentachlorophenol
85) Picloram
86) Radium-226 & Radium-228
87) sec-Butylbenzene
88) Simazine
89) Styrene
90) Sulfate
91) tert-Butylbenzene
92) Tetrachloroethylene
93) Thallium (total)
94) Toluene
95) Total haloacetic acids
96) Total trihalomethanes (THMs)
97) Toxaphene
98) Trichloroethylene
99) Trichlorofluoromethane
100) Vinyl chloride