This common mistake when drinking tap water could harm your health

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Experts warn that drinking water as soon as it comes out of the tap may put you at risk. Here’s a simple trick to protect yourself and your loved ones from harmful metals in tap water.

What could be easier than filling up a glass with fresh, healthy water from the tap? And yet there is something to consider here, too, not just the amount you drink.

It turns out that your ready-to-serve soft drink can contain a number of harmful metals – something you don’t want in your body.

Why can’t I drink tap water straight away?
The time that water spends in pipes and household plumbing contributes to it containing certain metals that can be harmful to your health in some cases. One of these metals – lead – is commonly found in older buildings and in areas where the 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. Levels of lead that do not harm adults can slow the normal mental and physical development of the growing body.

Another element is nickel—an element that is not beneficial to the body but can be toxic if ingested in high doses.

There are people who are very sensitive to nickel and for whom drinking water with a high content of this metal can lead to health problems such as the aggravation of allergies.

Therefore, it is recommended that you leave the water running for some time and not drink it immediately after opening the tap.

How long should you leave the water running before drinking it?

It is recommended that the cold water tap be run for 15 to 30 seconds to flush the pipes of a tap that has not been used for more than six hours.

Another way to tell if you have flushed the water from the pipes is to hold your hand under the water flowing from the tap until it is noticeably colder.

If you need to boil water for cooking, drinking or preparing baby food, you should always use the cold tap. Hot water can dissolve more lead more quickly.

Flushing tap water is a simple and inexpensive way to protect your health. It usually requires less than one to two liters of water.