water testing
Drinking water testing in Ireland is based on WHO – World Health Org and EU Drinking Water Directives. Irish water testing limits are set by the EPA – Env. Protection Agency. They are checked locally by the HSE’s.
The EPA enforce water testing limits. Water that meets water testing limits is deemed potable and safe. Water testing limits are not set for any person or by size, age or gender. Water testing is based on the known harm of toxins and realistic water treatment goals. Genetic, age and health related sensitivities alter from one person to the next.
So toxins that could lead to a negative reaction can vary on an individual basis. Also nature evolved humans to survive to an age half of current life expectancies with higher immunities in earlier life. So to survive life spans in multiples of that from which we first evolved with decreasing immunities the more we age, better water quality goals need to meet the pace of our extended longevity.
Pure water does not exist in the natural world. Water dissolves almost all things it comes into contact with. Often soluble minerals in rocks. So water hides within a solution that is water based but is not all pure. This applies even to rain water. So, clean water is most often a cocktail of water and dissolved matter, but water that is safe, clear, and palatable.
Hard water has high levels of calcium and magnesium salts. The issue with hard water is that it leaves behind scale deposits. This impairs the life of heating elements. Hot beverages made with hard water tend to have scum on top.
The idea of unclean water depends as much as that of clean water. Water may taste bad and have a bad smell. Yet could be okay to drink. Or it could taste okay and appear clear, but it could be a toxic cocktail. “Unclean” water is not drinking quality.
A safe, potable water within WHO, EU, EPA and HSE water testing limits, could be hard with a sub neutral pH. Also with colour caused by tannins and fluoride, heavy metals, nitrates, sodium and with an smell of chlorine. You could drink it and be in tip top health all your life.
A toxic water failing all safe water testing standards, could be clear, odour free and with no bad taste. It could have unsafe levels of heavy metals, THM’s, virus and cysts. It may kill a person with low immunity in days or of normal health in months or those with high immunity by chronic cancers later in life. https://www.epa.ie/pubs/advice/drinkingwater
After drilling a new well, you may have water that looks, tastes and smells fine. The best advice is to carry out water testing in an approved HSE laboratory.
Water can lose purity when it combines with mediums that are unsafe to drink. Water pollution can occur at any stage of the water cycle. Through the air, when water is in vapour form, in reservoirs and pipework that supply water to your home.
Rain tank water is often not fit to drink. This is due to bacteria in water drained off roofs and faecal matter. Also organic materials fouled in gutters and algae found in rain tanks. Fresh fallen rainwater is usually safe and unpolluted. If it runs through bird droppings, gutter muck and stagnates in rain tanks, then it is not so good. Again water testing is advised.
Water is a transit fluid for nutrients (vitamins and minerals) through the body. It removes wastes from cells. Water is crucial in body temperature, digestion and lubrication of joints and eyes. It is key for skin, kidney, bowels and respiration. Less toxins in cell tissues. Making way for vital nutrients. Allows the body and its cell density to be less occupied by alien matter.
People’s daily water intake varies due to gender, age, size and activity. Water is vital for life, but it is also one of the main causes of illness in the world. Water in nature contains bacteria. This causes diseases like cholera, typhus, hepatitis, and gastroenteritis.
Water can be tainted by chloroforms, heavy metals, oil, pesticides, herbicides and trace pharma drugs. The symptoms of drinking polluted water can be felt swiftly. Or may be felt after several years. Even harmless bugs can breed in water, adding to taste and smell.
Filtered water improves the taste, smell and clarity of water instantly. Good for immunity and you may notice you get ill less often and have more energy. The benefits of drinking clean water multiplies by using clean water for bathing.
When chlorine and lime is removed from water, skin feels soft and supple, with less itching and less dryness after bathing. Skin can absorb heavy metals found in well water. Arsenic and other metals can enter the body through the skin. Water can be inhaled in the form of spray or vapour in the shower or bath. So clean drinking water alone may not be the total solution.
Cloudy or turbid water is due to insolubles. Chlorine helps off-color water taste foul. Water pipes in homes over 20 years old are reasons for tainted water. Water can have traces of heavy metals, such as lead, copper, or zinc. Older pipes may have sediments and dissolved metals. http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/water_services/water_quality.html
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