Drinking water

Pippen33
Pippen33 Posts: 235
edited February 2008 in Health, fitness & training
I've been working for a water company, United Utilities for the past 9 months, but I've only just realised what the water goes through before you actually drink it...

" Water treatment technology must deal with a number of potential perils resulting from the movement of water from its source to our tap. Mountain springs might flow through sulfur, zinc or arsenic-laden formations. Groundwater can pick up contamination from fertilizers, septic tanks, mine drainage, naturally occurring minerals, industrial chemicals and metals such as arsenic and chromium. Rivers and streams sometimes carry harmful microorganisms from animals or humans, presenting a risk of disease. Storm drains can carry polluted runoff from cities into rivers and streams."... and from the website from which this is coped, this is just the beginning.

This is from a city reservoir. Though, luckily, mine comes directly from the lake district, Ennerdale Lake, to be precise.

And
spammer

Comments

  • Will Snow
    Will Snow Posts: 1,154
    cant say i really care. been drinking it all me life, and im not dead yet...
    i ride a hardtail
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    I'm a rower, the water coming out of my tap is the least of my worries...
  • Good old water eh..

    Luckily its treated after all that, otherwise it wouldnt be fit for consumption.
    Do it.
  • Luckily its treated after all that, otherwise it wouldnt be fit for consumption.
    Ours isn't, until it's been through a Brita filter to get rid of the metallic taste...
    Even if the voices aren't real, they have some very good ideas.
  • Will Snow
    Will Snow Posts: 1,154
    i think the meattalic taste probably comes from your tap :D
    i ride a hardtail
  • strodey
    strodey Posts: 481
    I'm sure the ammount of money i pay thames water means its safe!
    All that chlorine left making that funny taste must mean my camelbak is less likely to start smelling too :lol:
    Carbon is a mans best freind
  • Will Snow
    Will Snow Posts: 1,154
    lol how many people do you know who have died from drinking water??? :lol: well... sensible amounts of water, am sure someone actually managed to drown themselves by drinking pints and pints of water... but that doesnt count.
    i ride a hardtail
  • hastings
    hastings Posts: 206
    well if you drink like 14 liters of water in a short time (i.e. a day) you will die. This is because your cells absorb water and when they absorb too much, when they enter your brain they will compress your brain in your head and it'll 'explode'
  • Will Snow
    Will Snow Posts: 1,154
    your brain... will explode??? awesome...
    i ride a hardtail
  • hastings
    hastings Posts: 206
    well not explode but all of the major parts will become so compressed they will rupture or cease to work although if you have a weak skull it could explode :roll:
  • Hmmm... I always thought the main problem with excessive hydration was electrolyte balance or some such. Too much water can definitely be dangerous but the "exploding brain" sounds a bit like an urban legend to me.
    Even if the voices aren't real, they have some very good ideas.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    THat isn't true, your kidneys can remove water faster than your gut can take it up. You have to take something that will impair your kidney function first, like ecstacy.
  • schmako
    schmako Posts: 1,982
    Living in Scotland is awesome for the water. Especially seeing as the reserviour is up the hills, so I guess all we've got to worry about is a dead sheep upstream..
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    With exercise you can effectively dilute yourself too much and not be able to maintain ion gradients, it killed that marathon runner a while ago. But that is due to sweating out electrolytes and not replacing them.
  • what are electrolytes? are they like midichlorions? :D
    get on your bikes and ride!
  • Sikora
    Sikora Posts: 519
    Good old water eh..

    Luckily its treated after all that, otherwise it wouldnt be fit for consumption.

    I live halfway up a mountain in North Wales and my water comes straight from a spring at the top of the mountain. No artificial filtration. Its gets tested regulary and its perfectly fine for drinking. None of those nasty chemicals that the water companies put in their water.