How safe is our tap water?
Created: 2022-02-04 15:08
By: Janine Napirca
How clean is the water from the tap?
© NOVELLIMAGE/Imago
Is it safe to drink water from the tap or are there cases where you should be careful?
Many people in Germany drink water from the tap.
After all, the tap water in German households is characterized by
quality and safety
.
At the same time, you save yourself the trip to the supermarket and the lugging around if you do without water crates and instead drink water from the tap.
The
qualified chemist and water specialist
Dr.
An interview with
Nikolas Sandman .
What exactly is it that contaminates tap water from the tap?
dr
Nikolas Sandmann considers the water pipes inside the houses and apartments to be the greatest weak point.
Because
outdated pipes
can release copper or lead into the water.
But also
residues of medicines or pesticides
, which are not recorded and controlled by the so-called Drinking Water Ordinance, can contaminate the tap water.
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What is the Drinking Water Ordinance?
This ordinance is intended to test and control the quality of drinking water for consumption.
It is monitored for pollutants in order to protect human health.
The
health department
or a commissioned laboratory takes water samples in the waterworks at a specified period of time in order to check the water quality and identify possible contamination.
However, the expert notes that there are currently more than 100,000 chemical substances on the market, 20,000-30,000 of which are relevant to wastewater.
However, the drinking water ordinance only monitors 45 chemical substances.
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What can be done about contamination in tap water?
What can you do about contamination in tap water or how can you protect yourself as a private household from unclean drinking water?
Expert Dr.
Nikolas Sandmann has an answer: one should, for example ,
reduce the use of pesticides in agriculture
, but also replace outdated water pipes.
So that you can drink water from the tap at home without hesitation, it is advisable to treat the water with terminal
water treatment
devices.
These devices have UV disinfection, which works against viruses and bacteria, and activated carbon filtration against organic pollutants and heavy metals.
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How can you even determine whether your own tap water is contaminated?
The older the building and the water pipes it contains, the higher the risk of the drinking water becoming contaminated.
In addition, a
noticeable taste or odor and cloudy discoloration
can be visible indicators that your tap water is contaminated and should not be drunk.
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