“Can you believe it? I was charged for tap water at the restaurant the other day!”
“How did you know it was tap water?”
“Because it’s obvious from the taste of chlorine!
No doubt, people who are used to filtered water may find tap water unpleasant. In Singapore, where we have safe tap water, water filters seem like an over-hyped and redundant household item. According to PUB, Singapore has had safe tap water for more than five decades, thanks to our efficient water treatment system, with regular checks being conducted to ensure the safety of our potable water supply.
However, what people do not pay attention to is how water filters can help in maintaining health and saving cost:
1.Removes unwanted chemicals in tap water
Most consumers might know that various chemicals are added to our water supply as part of the water treatment process. Chlorine is added to get rid of bacteria and viruses, while aluminium sulphate and polyelectrolyte are added to coagulate impurities for easier removal from water. The list goes on.
These chemicals are added to our water to make it drinkable. It is the water that we make our coffee, wash our food and cook our soups!
Necessary as they may be, these are strong chemicals which could have negative impacts on our long-term health, if ingested over a period of time. Take chlorine for example: it is found in swimming pools and pesticides, and has possible links to cancer in research done by the Medical College of Wisconsin and Harvard University.
2. Improves the taste of water
If you’ve ever noticed a tangy taste in your tap water, that’s the chlorine you’re tasting.
It might appear that many Singaporeans prefer the taste of de-chlorinated water (Euromonitor International). A home water filtration system can get rid of the chlorine taste quickly and efficiently. Different types of water filters can affect the taste of the water. Try it and you’ll see that it is a misconception that filtered water is “too plain”. In fact, Swisspro filtered water tastes natural, as it filters out only harmful contaminants, leaving behind natural minerals that is beneficial to our health.
3. Protects us from possible contaminants in water pipes
If you live in older residential estates, you’ve got another thing to worry about- corrosion in old pipes. As mentioned in The Straits Times, many pipe leaks are a result of deterioration of pipes over the years. While “rusty water” is widely considered safe to drink, it is the iron sediments that can contaminate your water supply with trace impurities or bacteria.
4. Reduces the increasing consumption of bottled water
Despite the fact that tap water is the more economical choice, there continues to be a growing demand in bottled water by individuals as well as businesses that provide bottled water in restaurants, hotels, seminars and events. It might be a strategy of branding, but the arguments could boil down to just tap water itself. Bottled water has been identified to be harmful to the environmental and responsible for global landfill problem.
Read more: Are You Drinking Plastic?
Therefore, a water filtration system for drinking could be just what we need. Not only can they safely and quickly remove microscopic contaminants from our tap water, they can also enhance the natural taste of our water.
As water filters have increased its popularity in many Singaporean households, it is also a worthwhile investment for our long-term health. To others, it could be an economical way to get cleaner water.
What about you? Are water filters basic or luxury items?
Reference
Altman, L. K. (1992, July 01). Tiny Cancer Risk in Chlorinated Water. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/01/us/tiny-cancer-risk-in-chlorinated-water.html
