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If you drink water as soon as it comes out of the tap, you may be putting yourself at risk, warn experts. Here’s a simple trick to protect yourself and your loved ones from harmful metals in tap water.
What could be easier than filling a glass with fresh, healthy water from the tap? And yet, there is something to consider here, not just the amount you drink.
It turns out that your ready-to-serve soft drink may contain several harmful metals – something you don’t want in your body. Here’s how you can avoid the risk of health problems.
Why can’t I drink tap water right away?
The time water spends in pipes and household plumbing contributes to it containing certain metals that, in some cases, can harm your health. One of these metals – lead – is often found in older buildings and in areas where water distribution infrastructure containing this highly toxic metal has not been replaced.
Lead builds up in the body over many years and can damage the brain, red blood cells and kidneys. The greatest risk is to young children and pregnant women. Lead levels that do not harm adults can slow the growing body’s normal mental and physical development.
Another element is nickel – an element that is not beneficial to the body but can be toxic if ingested in high doses.
Some people are very sensitive to nickel, and for whom drinking water with a high metal content can lead to health problems such as aggravation of allergies.
Therefore, it is recommended to let the water run for some time, which should not be too cold in summer, and not to drink it immediately after opening the tap.
How long should you let the water run before drinking it?
It is recommended to run the cold water faucet between 15 and 30 seconds to flush the pipes of a faucet that has not been used for more than six hours.
Another way to determine if you have flushed the water from the pipes is to hold your hand under the water flowing from the faucet until it is noticeably colder.
Always use the cold water faucet if you need to boil water for cooking, drinking, or preparing baby food. Hot water can dissolve more lead more quickly.
Flushing tap water is a simple and inexpensive measure to protect your health. It usually requires less than one to two litres of water.
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