Recent media exposés have raked up the issue of the quality and safety of tap water including the controversial fluroride debate.
How seriously should we be taking these reports as concerned, health-conscious consumers?
It seems so easy in principle. You open the tap, pour water into a glass and drink. But judging by the media outcry, it would seem that despite ongoing assurances by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, the quality of our water remains a concern.
However, Helgard Muller, the Acting Chief Director of Regulation at the Department of Water Affairs, believes that SAs water is of a drinkable quality -he and his family happily drink straight from the tap. He explains that SA has over 800 water treatment plants. “Different providers follow different processes but usually a cleaning process such as filtration and disinfection makes it safe for health.”
The water affairs department reports that the drinking water we get from our taps comes from two sources: surface water, which is rainfall and its runoff into rivers or dams, and groundwater, which is collected in underground stores or aquifiers.
The “raw” water is transported to a water treatment works where it is treated using different treatment processes. The amount and type of water treatment varies depending on where it comes from and the quality of the water.
Surface water generally will need more purification than groundwater as it’s more likely to have contaminants.
At the treatment works, the water supplier (for example, Rand Water) adds chemicals known as coagulants, which clumps the dirt particles together before they settle to the bottom of the tank.
The water then goes through a filtration process to remove smaller particles.
Chlorine or another disinfectant is used to kill bacteria and other germs to make the water drinkable. The more contaminated the water source, the more sophisticated the treatment needed.
After treatment, the water is considered by the water authorities to be safe and is stored in reservoirs or tanks before being distributed through the water pipelines to the taps in your home.
Alex Hull, an analytical chemist at SMI Analytical Laboratory services, confirms that consumers are questioning the safety and quality of the water they are using.
He says the company has seen an increase in requests for water-testing services as an upsurge in demand on water suppliers has potentially led to water that is “unfit for human consumption being inadvertendy supplied to your tap”.
According to Hull, this is often the case in those areas where river water is consumed and where there is upstream contamination due to sewerage or human use, such as the washing of clothes, all of which affect water quality.
“Many dissolved minerals, organic carbon compounds and microbes find their way into your drinking water as water comes into contact with air and soil. When pollutant and contaminant levels in drinking water are excessively high they may affect certain household routines or be detrimental to human health.”
Signs of contamination include staining of your plumbing fixtures or laundry, as well as tap water smelling or tasting strange.
“Many of these contaminants are naturally occurring and are considered more of a nuisance than a hazard, presenting no danger to your health. The presence of harmful contaminants, however, is not always obvious and such contaminated water may not cause health-related symptoms for many years.”
If you suspect your water tastes odd, you may need to investigate having a periodic laboratory water analysis done on your drinking water to ensure the health of you and your family.
‘Different providers follow different processes but usually a cleaning process such as filtration and disinfection makes it safe for health’
Fluoride
According to SMI, the mineral fluorspar occurs in many areas in South Africa, and can lead to excessive fluoride in drinking water taken from boreholes. “Chronic fluoride poisoning is manifested by weaknesses, weight loss, general ill health, joint stiffness, brittle bones, discolouration of teeth and anaemia.”
High levels of fluoride in drinking water are not considered to be a countrywide problem. In fact, government officials are driving for fluoride to be added to water, not removed from it.
The fluoride debate is an interesting one, as recently highlighted by the TV programme Carte Blanche Medical.
The Department of Health legislated regulations in September 2003 indicating that water services are obliged to fluoridate water to a concentration level of 0,7mg F-/1. Yet, to date, this has not been done. While excessive fluoride is considered dangerous to your health, this amount is essential for optimal dental health.
According to Carte Blanche Medical, tooth decay is the most chronic disease known to mankind, and drinking water containing optimal levels of fluoride has been proven to reduce cavities in many parts of the world by up to 60 percent.
Dr Jeff Yengopal, who specialises in community dentistry at Wits University and is a member of the National Flouridation Committee, told the show that evidence for the effectiveness of water fluoridation has been well established.
He admits that a high level of fluoride in drinking water can be considered toxic, but the level that is being spoken about at government level is minimal dosage that offers optimal health benefits with minimal side-effects.
Tooth decay is experienced by more than 90 percent of children in this country, Yengopal explained.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring iron, he added, and the water in certain parts of SA contains optimal amounts. “The rest of the country is not as well-endowed.”
Less than one percent of water is utilised for drinking purposes and the Department of Water Affairs argues it doesn’t make economic sense to add fluoridation as this is a costly affair.
When interviewed on the show, Muller said that while he was not refuting the statement that fluoride is good for teeth, he does question why it needs to be added to the water supply.
He explained that the Department of Water Affairs has a list of top priorities, which includes basic improvement of services, such as drinking water quality, the treatment of effleuent and acid mine drainage, amongst others.
He added that these issues took priority over improving the levels of fluoridation in the current water supplies.
Despite both being government entities, it is interesting to note that the Department of Health has no jurisdiction over the Department of Water Affairs. The debate continues.
The Blue drop report:
In 2008, the Department of Water Affairs initiated an incentive-based regulation programme called the Blue Drop Report. This was considered necessary due to the public lack of confidence in water quality. According to the 2010 report, issued earlier this year, 94 percent of country’s water supply systems were analysed. Of the 787 that underwent this monitoring process, only 38 systems were considered to be excellent in quality.
“Our country’s drinking water is regarded as adequately managed by world standards due to the high levels of compliance that have been recorded against the set national standard. We do however acknowledge that the odd incidence of failure does occur, this clearly being the exception not the rule,” explains the Deputy Minister of Water Affairs, Rejoice Madudafhasi.
Magic water
Proponents of remineralised and purified bottle water, such as Robyn Maclennan of SoulSole and Bruce Cohen, CEO of Absolute Organics, the distributors of Happy Water, believe there is more to water than simple H20. “Living water resonates with vibrational energy and reveals exquisite crystalline structures reflecting its vitality. It also contains a wide variety of minerals and trace elements. Water that is pure, energised, alkaline and minerally balanced can play a vital role in promoting health,” explains Cohen. He adds that, “recycled tap-water typically passes through several different people’s bodies before you drink it. And when excreted into the municipal treatment system it can carry hormone and drug residues from contraceptives, antibiotics, antiretrovirals, tranquillisers, and so forth, which mix with heavy metals, pesticides and other industrial pollutants as well as disease-causing micro-organisms.” He explains that tap water has to pass through kilometres of pipes under unnatural pressure which can destroy the structure of the water. “Chlorine is typically used to disinfect our water supply and to kill the viruses and bacteria that cause diseases such as cholera and typhoid. Effective? Mostly, but chlorine also reacts with organic matter in the water to form disinfection byproducts, which have been linked to damaging effects to heart, lungs, kidneys, cancers and even birth defects.” Cohen says that with this information, it’s not surprising that health-conscious consumers are turning to home filtration systems and bottled water.
“Ever wondered why, when you are thirsty and you drink tap water, it doesn’t quench your thirst?” asks Maclennan.
She maintains: “The treatment process of water leeches out all the goodness of your tap water. The reason you are still thirsty, despite drinking, is because you are still dehydrated.”
Cohen and Maclennan agree that your body needs between 60 to 84 trace elements and minerals to be fully hydrated. Part of this process relies on adding salt crystals from pristine areas such as the Himalayan mountains or, as in the case of Happy Water, Kalahari crystal salt.
Both of these stimulate the natural process by which water absorbs minerals and trace elements from the soil and restores both health and vitality.
Have your say: Do you drink straight from the tap? Or do you prefer filtered or bottled water? E-mail kim@longevitymag.co.za or visit www.longevitymag.co.za to leave your comment.
The top 10 safest drinking water spots in SA
- Peddie, Eastern Cape
- Beaufort West, Western Cape
- Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape
- Nature’s Valley, Western Cape
- Kurland, Western Cape
- King Williams Town, Eastern Cape
- East London, East London
- City of Cape Town, Western Cape
- City of Johannesburg, Gauteng
- City of Tshwane, Gauteng
(Source: the 2010 Blue Drop Report)
Text by Kim Bell. Article taken from the October 2010 edition of Longevity magazine.
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