Many people seem to believe that drinking distilled water is a safe alternative to drinking tap water, but it may not be as safe as you think. You would probably be surprised at how lax the regulation is when it comes to bottled water. The rules that these companies must follow are much less strict than those that water treatment facilities must comply with.

The reason people are turning to using bottled water is the ever-increasing level of contamination in our reservoirs. There are approximately 80,000 chemical agents in use today that find their way into our groundwater system through mishandling, improper disposal, and faulty storage. Pesticides and herbicides are some of the worst offenders, and they are prominent in our water.

Of all the chemicals we need to worry about, there are literally over two thousand that have been identified as carcinogenic. Every time you turn on the faucet, you are exposing yourself to at least one carcinogen, since the chlorine and chloramine used to disinfect water are carcinogens. Drinking distilled water may not protect you from these chemicals.

The fact is, while water treatment facilities may not allow E-coli or confirmed fecal coliform bacteria, there is no such ban on bottled water! There is actually a certain amount of coliform bacteria that can be in bottled water. Consumption of these bacteria can lead to gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, and neonatal meningitis. And, certain strains cause inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.

Water treatment facilities are required to filter and disinfect our water, but there are actually no federal requirements for the filtration or disinfection of bottled water. There have been many recalls of bottled water over the years due to high levels of contamination. This means that drinking distilled water may not mean that your water is free of any of the harmful chemicals that are present in tap water.

It really wouldn’t matter whether or not your bottled water has gone through the strictest possible filtration and disinfection process, because it’s still going to contain carcinogens. There are chemicals like phthalates that leach from the plastic into the water. There is no such thing as “pure” bottled water, no matter what the bottlers say.

Instead of drinking distilled water, you should install a high-quality water purification system in your home and bottle your own water. A home purification system is capable of removing 99% of all contaminants present in our water, which is much purer than you can expect from pre-packaged water, as you have learned. If you want to ensure your family the healthiest water possible, then one of these systems is the way to go.

Bottle your own purified water in a sealable glass container or food grade stainless steel canteen. You must forget about drinking distilled water, because it is not what people think it is.