Surely the many miles of underground pipes are a breeding ground for microbes, right?
In: 122
It isn’t. You should always use a filter. The infrastructure used to be safe but lack of proper maintenance has basically made all tap water unsafe. (With some rare exceptions)
In many situations water treatment plants get around this problem by adding more chemicals to sanitize it. Most of these chemicals and trace particulates that remain can be removed by a simple Brita type filter though.
It isn’t. You should always use a filter. The infrastructure used to be safe but lack of proper maintenance has basically made all tap water unsafe. (With some rare exceptions)
In many situations water treatment plants get around this problem by adding more chemicals to sanitize it. Most of these chemicals and trace particulates that remain can be removed by a simple Brita type filter though.
It isn’t. You should always use a filter. The infrastructure used to be safe but lack of proper maintenance has basically made all tap water unsafe. (With some rare exceptions)
In many situations water treatment plants get around this problem by adding more chemicals to sanitize it. Most of these chemicals and trace particulates that remain can be removed by a simple Brita type filter though.
I see a lot of the chemical answers here but not one that is very important to understand for people on municipal water system: water pressure. Pipe systems are under positive pressure always. This means that when there is a break in the pipe, water will flow out of it instead of contaminants leaking in. This is usually seen at pipe joints, and it allows the station(s) to monitor for leaks and find out where they are and then fix them. Why is this important? Soil bacteria. You don’t want them getting into your supply after you did all the sanitizing steps you went through. So when the water pressure drops due to a power outage or a large break and leak, the municipality will issue a boil water warning because they can’t assure you that bacteria didn’t get in after treatment. This is the real way water is kept safe in the pipes, it is not to do with residual chemicals or copper pipes or anything. Well, very little to do with it.
I live in the midwest USA and I’ve been under the impression for at least the last 10 years that it is NOT safe to drink
I see a lot of the chemical answers here but not one that is very important to understand for people on municipal water system: water pressure. Pipe systems are under positive pressure always. This means that when there is a break in the pipe, water will flow out of it instead of contaminants leaking in. This is usually seen at pipe joints, and it allows the station(s) to monitor for leaks and find out where they are and then fix them. Why is this important? Soil bacteria. You don’t want them getting into your supply after you did all the sanitizing steps you went through. So when the water pressure drops due to a power outage or a large break and leak, the municipality will issue a boil water warning because they can’t assure you that bacteria didn’t get in after treatment. This is the real way water is kept safe in the pipes, it is not to do with residual chemicals or copper pipes or anything. Well, very little to do with it.
I live in the midwest USA and I’ve been under the impression for at least the last 10 years that it is NOT safe to drink
I see a lot of the chemical answers here but not one that is very important to understand for people on municipal water system: water pressure. Pipe systems are under positive pressure always. This means that when there is a break in the pipe, water will flow out of it instead of contaminants leaking in. This is usually seen at pipe joints, and it allows the station(s) to monitor for leaks and find out where they are and then fix them. Why is this important? Soil bacteria. You don’t want them getting into your supply after you did all the sanitizing steps you went through. So when the water pressure drops due to a power outage or a large break and leak, the municipality will issue a boil water warning because they can’t assure you that bacteria didn’t get in after treatment. This is the real way water is kept safe in the pipes, it is not to do with residual chemicals or copper pipes or anything. Well, very little to do with it.
I live in the midwest USA and I’ve been under the impression for at least the last 10 years that it is NOT safe to drink
In a city in Poland, it’s (partially) because of clams. https://www.zmescience.com/science/poznan-mussel-water-plants-892524/
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