or are you one of those that always pays extra to drink bottled water?

It can be confusing trying to figure out if there are things in your water that might

be harming you.

Well, let me break it down for you, because I'm talking all things...

Tap water.

While complaining about water quality seems like a first-world problem to many Americans,

the issue of water contamination should be a top concern for everyone.

The tragedy in Flint, Michigan is just one example of

how insufficient water treatment and old pipes led to

many Flint residents being exposed to high levels of lead.

Sure, that's one extreme, but how about regular metropolitan tap water,

like the one here in New York City?

You have to look at the source.

The best way to gauge whether your water is clean

is to understand the route along its way to your faucet.

Many chemicals, like chromium-6, mix into our drinking water from agriculture

or manufacturing.

Which is why it's important to know your city's contamination levels.

The easiest way to find them is by going on the Environmental Working Group's

independent testing website.

Or, if you don't trust them, by calling your public water utility.

Hello?

I have a question regarding the safety of my drinking water.

I searched my zip code and found that there were 6 contaminants above health guidelines

like chloroform and bromodichloromethane, both of which are known to be carcinogenic.

But does that mean we should ditch the tap for the bottle?

Nope.

The whole bottled water racket is mostly marketing.

Of course it sounds wonderful that your water came from

an aquifer deep in the Arrowhead mountains untouched except by fairies and unicorns,

bottled by hobbits in Central Valley, California.

But most bottled water is exactly the same as tap water.

Except you're paying a premium for it...

and wasting plastic.

The only time I'd suggest drinking bottled water

is if you don't trust your water source.

This can include traveling, reports of pipe bursts nearby,

or after a natural disaster.

Bottled water is regulated by the FDA, which doesn't require these companies to

reveal testing results,

but tap water is regulated by the EPA,

which regulates more than 90 contaminants

and must meet the standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

However, more and more counties are being caught

with tap water safety violations every year.

So… what's the best way to drink water?

Get a filter for your tap water.

And do your research when it comes to those, too.

Some get rid of surface level chemicals that affect

the taste and smell of water.

But others can filter out a lot more harmful contaminants.

Here's what you need to take away from this.

Bottled water is not as harshly regulated as tap water,

and tap water sometimes contains contaminants that are above the safety standards.

Do your body a favor and get a good filter.

They last a while and you can chug water down

without thinking twice about what you're putting in your body.

Stay hydrated!

Is this tap wat...!