You’ve likely heard the phrase “don’t drink the water” in relation to travel within Mexico, which is notorious for its high bacterial levels.
But did you know that you may also be at risk for bacterial illness as a result of drinking tap or well water in the US?
Waterborne Bacterial Illness
Tap water causes an estimated 18.4 million cases of stomach illnesses in the US each year. Most of these illnesses are caused by pathogens such as bacteria and viruses that escape water treatment efforts, while sewage leaks and flooding also contribute to the problem.
While an upset stomach is the most common symptom of a bacterial waterborne illness, flu-like symptoms and even death may result, such as in the case of the brain-eating Amoeba bacteria.
Additionally, one study on illnesses associated with tap water showed that serious diseases including cancer, diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune dysfunctions can occur weeks or even months after a stomach illness and is known as chronic sequelae.
Those with an increased risk of pathogen-born illnesses include the elderly, pregnant women, young children, the chronically ill and those undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, which makes up about 25% of the US population.
UC Berkley conducted a tap water study among 988 Sonoma County residents over age 55. Although the water met all federal and state water quality standards, researchers found a 12% decrease in self-reported gastrointestinal illnesses in those who filtered their water versus those who did not.
Bacterial Water Filtration
While some recommend UV light as a bacterial treatment for water, that method has many flaws. If the UV bulb gets even the slightest haze on it, the UV light becomes ineffective at killing bacteria, and you may not know when the bulb stops working. Additionally, the speed at which the water flows past the light makes it difficult to be effective. Most disturbingly, after a UV light kills bacteria, the bacteria still remains in the water for you to consume!
But both the Chanson Nano Filtration System and new NANO2 easily traps and removes 99.9% of all bacteria due to its .0001 micron size (most bacteria is .02 micron). We recommend it for anyone who would like antibacterial protection. Protect yourself and your family from bacterial waterborne illness today!
References:
Chronic sequelae associated with waterborne pathogens: A definition and review of human evidence Rebecca T. Parkin, John O. Davies-Cole, and John M. Balbus. Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, George Washington University
The Sonoma Water Evaluation Trial: A Randomized Drinking Water Intervention Trial to Reduce Gastrointestinal Illness in Older Adults Colford JM Jr., Hilton JF, Wright CC, Arnold BF, Saha S S, Wade TJ, Schott J, Eisenberg JN. Am J Public Health. 2009