What Chemicals Are Added To Your Drinking Water?

Do You Know What Your Tap Water Actually Contains?

Although said to be some of the best in the world, under a microscope and through chemical analysis, we find up to 2000 harmful contaminants in our drinking water (yes that's right – our clean, chemically chlorine treated / disinfected town drinking water). Most people don't realise that the process of getting “safe drinking” water into our homes and offices is a complex chemical process, so does that mean it is actually the “ideal” water source for us to drink from a wellbeing perspective?

No, it is not!

There are good things in your drinking water and bad things – which we explore below.

Ideally, you want to keep the good things and get rid of the bad things that are health hazards and will impact your wellbeing. The best way to do this is by first understanding what chemicals are in tap water and then reviewing the appropriate methods available to filter these out, without stripping the beneficial elements from the water.

What are the Possible Sources of Chemicals in Tap Water?

So, what is in tap water that could negatively impact your health? A key health hazard (chemicals) created through the water treatment process in all metropolitan (town) drinking water are called Chloroforms and THM’s (Trihalomethanes). Excessively high chlorine levels can also be found in your drinking water, which has been shown to lead to a series of negative health impacts, such as killing the friendly bacteria in your gut, increasing the risk of bladder and colon cancers, and adverse reproductive and developmental issues. 

What are Chloroforms & THM's?

Chloroforms and THM’s are created through the water treatment process when we use disinfectants such as Chlorine and/or Chloramine to kill deadly bugs (E.coli, Giardia and others), these bugs would make us very sick and potentially could be life threatening if we drank our water untreated. 

They are a breed of deadly modern day man-made chemicals created as a biproduct of disinfecting (by chlorinating) our drinking water. They do need to be removed before you drink water as studies have shown they can cause cancer! 

Chloroforms & THM’s are produced from a chemical reaction with the organic compounds naturally occurring in our disinfected drinking water (most of our drinking water is sourced from dams that gather the run off from farms, forests and rainfall before it is disinfected). The amount of organic matter (leaf litter, rust, dirt from broken water pipes and old pipes, bugs etc.) in tap water is essentially made up of decomposing vegetation, algae and dead parasites killed through the disinfectant (chlorination) water treatment process.

Other Common Forms of Contaminants and Chemicals in Water

Various other sources can introduce chemicals into tap water, including:

• Agricultural runoff, such as fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides
• Toxic, industrial waste 
• Heavy metals like lead and arsenic
• Pharmaceuticals
• Urban stormwater
• Organic matter spreading pathogens, bacteria, viruses and parasites
• Leaching from pipes and storage systems

So, water treatment is essential; however, we need to ensure the water we are eventually drinking can provide optimal cellular hydration!

Health Risks of Chemicals in Water

The presence of chemicals in water can pose various health risks. Despite this, chemicals have long been employed to purify drinking water by eliminating parasites and contaminants that inhabit it. 

For example, prolonged exposure to small amounts of chlorine may elevate the risk of cancer, heart disease, and various other health issues. Moreover, the presence of pesticides and fertilisers in water that have slipped past these treatment methods has been associated with an increased likelihood of congenital disabilities, Parkinson’s diseases, cancer and more. 

Short-term exposure to high levels of contaminants can also cause a range of gastrointestinal issues, skin irritation, and respiratory problems, while long-term exposure to lower levels of these chemicals may increase the risk of chronic health issues such as cancer, kidney and liver damage, reproductive problems, and developmental disorders. 

As such, it is vital to address these chemical hazards to minimise their impact on your health and well-being.

Removing Chemicals from Drinking Water

So, what do you need to do? You might question whether bottled water is better, but there are two key things you must do to ensure the water you drink actually supports your body’s wellness and longevity (cellular hydration) needs:

• You must filter your drinking water! … otherwise, your body is acting as the  filter and over time that can have significant health implications!

BUT that is only 50% of the answer – drinking clean filtered drinking water does not mean it is hydrating  you!

• You must ensure that your water has several other key properties so that the water you drink actually hydrates you and through that process assists to keep your body in balance, aids with an alkaline state, as well as helps reduce the heavy metal and toxin load in your body. All this supports you living a longer, healthier life.

Hydration with the right quality and quantity of water is foundational to any wellness and longevity strategy by assisting in the prevention of and recovery from disease and illness.

The zazen Alkaline Water System allows users to purify their drinking water through an advanced 10-stage filtration process, which aims to:

• Eliminate mould, spores, organic materials, microplastics, rust, and sediment
• Hinder the growth of bacteria, cysts, parasites, and other harmful micro-organisms
• Decrease chlorine (99.98%), fluoride (90%), Trihalomethanes (THM), and various other chemicals
• Capture heavy metals such as aluminium, mercury, lead and nickel

Once this is completed, the system will then:

• Engage far-infrared technology to energise the water, neutralise acidic substances, and regulate pH levels
• Infuses natural silica to support collagen production
• Introduces natural mineral stones to provide crucial trace minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium
• Amplifies magnetic energy to elevate oxygen content and generate a fluid hexagonal structure for enhanced cellular hydration

By following this comprehensive process, the zazen alkaline water produced will be optimally balanced and abundant in essential electrolyte minerals and elements that our bodies require on a daily basis. 

You can then continue to use your municipal tap water in the knowledge the water you are eventually drinking after going through the 10 stage filtration process of zazen will hydrate and enhance our bodies and our health.