Importance of Water Quality and How to Stay Hydrated
Learn about quality water, contaminants, hydration, water filters, and more!
This is the backyard of our old apartment. This is called Kiamesha Lake in New York State and this is the lake where the majority of the town’s water comes from. These hills are an understatement of the Catskill Mountains we lived in. New York was a very big part of my adult life and where I blossomed into who I am today. I miss it every single day.
I grew up in a suburban area in Southeastern Wisconsin. We drank water from the tap and everything was fine until I got into my teens and realized the ice cubes I would put in my drinks always tasted weird. I thought it was the ice tray but even cleaning the trays didn’t do anything, the ice was still cloudy and tasted like salty pool water. The more I grew up the more I requested bagged ice from the gas station and bottled water. I moved to New York State back in 2016 and that’s where my water quality obsession took off. I remember drinking from the tap in our NY apartment for the first time and thinking “Wow, this tastes delicious!” This water was still filtered and treated as the water report states but it still tasted DAMN good! Just tasting the differences made me very curious about why water could be so different in just two states. Being back in Wisconsin, I am faced with the same water problem as when I was a kid- nasty, smelly water out of the tap. Thank goodness I have a filter on my refrigerator because there is no way I could tolerate the water in my tap now!
WATER’S PURPOSE FOR THE HUMAN BODY
Water has many purposes in our body, and why about 75% of our body weight is from water. Its purpose is significant to the human body, even down to a cellular level, such as hydration for cells, chemical reactions, and even keeping our DNA’s double-helix structure nice and strong. Water also keeps our whole body hydrated, remain at a perfect temperature, and acts as a lubricant for organs, muscles, and nerves. But water can’t hydrate your body on its own- we need plenty of electrolyte minerals to help our bodies absorb water into the body. These minerals include potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium, chloride, phosphate, and bicarbonate. Nature already provides us with mineral-rich water from mountaintops that flow into our rivers, lakes, and streams. But now with modern-day contaminants, drinking from these sources can be harmful to our health.
WATER CONTAMINANTS
There are many reasons why thousands of chemicals, toxins, and other harmful contaminants are entering our water. Agricultural pesticides & fertilizer runoff, pharmaceuticals, industry runoff, snow salt runoff, and microplastics are just a few. The Wisconsin DNR recently conducted a study in my neighboring town and found highly toxic amounts of chloride (from snow salt use) in water sites they tested. This test proved that you can live in rural areas and still see the effects of harmful contaminants entering water from urban areas. There is now a big PFA (polyfluoroalkyl) crisis due to the global use of plastics and other toxic items. They can even be found in fish and dairy products. PFAs are called “forever chemicals” by some scientists and it is such a problem that laws are being changed throughout the country such as the 2022 update to Wisconsin’s Safe Drinking Water Statute that now adds new standards for the detection of newly found PFA’s in drinking water. You can find more on PFAs in the U.S. here.
HOW TO TEST YOUR DRINKING WATER
Just because your tap water might taste clean doesn’t mean it is. The majority of contaminants are tasteless and odorless. It is always a good idea to get your water tested to see what specific contaminants you have and then plan accordingly. Here are some resources to find out what is in your water:
The EWG
The EWG (Environmental Working Group) is a non-profit organization that focuses on finding toxins in everyday items such as food, body care products, water, & household items. They provide information on toxins and harmful chemicals and have wonderful recommendations for removing toxins from your home. Their website can be found here. They also have a beneficial convenient app ⬇️
HOW TO REMOVE CONTAMINANTS FROM YOUR DRINKING WATER
There are so many different options to remove contaminants from your drinking water. There are water bottle filters, under-the-sink filters, sink filters, refrigerators, and countertop filters. You can also find filters for shower heads and bathtubs because your skin can absorb toxins and contaminants- a study found here. Now any filtration system is going to be better than nothing at all! Here are my recommendations for some wonderful water filters:
Water Bottle With Filter: 20oz & 32oz- This water bottle filters 220+ contaminants, including chlorine, lead, and fluoride. The bottles are stainless steel & BPA/BPS/Phthalate free.
Gravity-Fed Countertop Water Filter: 1.5 Gal, 2.25 Gal, 3.25 Gal, 4.5 Gal,& 6 Gal This filtration system is stainless steel and very easy to use. *I recommend also getting the Flouride and Arsenic attachments. This water filter also includes a stainless steel spigot.
Sink Countertop Filter: Stainless Steel with Remineralization & Alkaline
Reverse Osmosis Countertop Water Filter: With Remineralization & Without Remineralization. This filtration system reduces 1000+ contaminants including PFAs and includes a glass pitcher. *Reverse Osmosis is an excellent way to purify your water but you need to remineralize it because it filters minerals out as well.
Shower Head Filter: This filter is third-party tested and is availible in beautiful colors- Brushed Steel, Gold, Jet Black, Modern Chrome, & Vibrant Red. *Removing contaminants such as chlorine and heavy metals can do wonders for your hair and skin health.
Mountain Valley Glass Bottled Spring Water: Mountain Valley has delicious natural mineral water from the Ouachita Mountains, USA in plastic, glass, and aluminum bottles. You can find them in most health food stores or online— 1 Pint (12 pk), 1 Liter (12 pk), Aluminum Cans 750 mL 12 pk. *Mountain Valley also delivers to your home! They offer 2.5 gal & 5 gal bottles that fit many dispensers. Find out if they deliver in your area HERE.
*Remember to replace filters out based on producers recommendations. Filters do not last a lifetime.
HOW TO ADD MINERALS TO YOUR WATER
If you are choosing a reverse osmosis filter or just want to add more minerals to your water for hydration there are some great options out there! These options are also good for people who just hate plain water and breastfeeding moms! You can simply add a pinch of mineral salt or herbal mineral drops to your water or another option such as:
LMNT Flavored Electrolyte Packets - This is one of the higher-quality flavor packets. This brand has added minerals and is sweetened with stevia and natural flavors with no added colors or artificial flavors. They have great flavors like Citrus, Grapefruit, Mango Chile, Orange, Raspberry, Watermelon, & Unflavored.
REDMOND Flavored Electrolyte Powder: This brand is another higher-quality brand. No added colors or artificial flavors. This option is a bit more affordable than the first wihtout taking away quality. They have great flavors like Lemon-lime, Mango, Mixed Berry, Piña Colada, Watermelon Lime, Strawberry Lemonade, & Unflavored.
Herbal Liquid Minerals: This is a great way to add your daily vitamins and minerals with whole herbs into a glass of filtered water, tea, or juice. You can get rid of those synthetic vitamins in your cabinets- study here.
Portable Glass/Stainless Steel Water Bottle: This is a wonderful on-the-go bottle free from plastics- micro plastics in water bottles study. It includes a beautiful sleeve and strap for easy carrying. They also have a stainless steel lid that is a much better option than glass bottle with bamboo lids that mold very easily. It includes a stainless steel strainer as well for cold brewed tea and fruit infusions for added minerals (fruit contains lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants). *It is not a filtering bottle, you would add your already filtered water to this bottle.
—Good quality water can make such a differnce to your overall health. I hope this information helps you make better decisions for your families wellness. Please let me know what you think or if you have any questions in the comments section! Please share!
—RECIPES featuring filtered water:
Hydrating Citrus “Soda” made with mineral rich sparkling water and fresh citrus!
Nourishing Chicken Bone Broth -3 ways!
Sources Other than In-Text Links
Berman, J. (2023). Electrolytes. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Found here.
Moody, J. (2019). Options for Drinking Water Filtration. Weston A. Price Foundation. Found here.
Sargen, M. (2019). Biological Roles of Water Why is it Necessary for Life? Harvard Medical School. Found here.
*This post may contain affiliate links.
