Why “clean” water isn't clean

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of not having typhoid, cholera, dysentery and all those other lovely diseases that are associated with polluted drinking water and poor sanitation. I am old enough to remember periods even in the UK when we had to boil our drinking water to make sure it was safe. I know the history across Europe whereby everyone drank weak beer because the water killed you, and I'm fully aware that the lack of clean drinking water is one of the biggest health problems for the developing World. Can you hear the “but” coming? Well, here it is. There is a gulf of difference between clean, safe drinking water and the chemically treated “clean” water that comes out of your taps in the US, UK and across Europe. The water that vast quantities of us drink every day is sanitised using a combination of Chlorine, Iodine and Sulphur, and is the enhanced by the addition of Fluorine, ostensibly to prevent tooth decay. If it makes water clean, thats a good thing, right?

If that is the case, I have a couple of questions. The first comes from my background as a camper and outdoorsman, capable of being self reliant in situations where I have had to made water safe for drinking and source and prepare food safely. I know how to make a rudimentary water purification system and I have done, one that worked for six months, and that didn't involve any bleaching chemicals at all. Just to give you the picture, these filtration system are built using layers of gravel of decreasing size to filter out macro-particulate contaminants, and a layer of activated carbon, essentially powdered charcoal to remove chemical and microscopic contaminants including bacteria. This system works well, and as it is used over time develops a bacterial mat within the gravel that acts as a biological cleaner further purifying the water passed through it. It is a system that has been used for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and is perfect for making river and lake water, as well as rainwater safe for drinking.

What is interesting is what happens if you pour chemically treated “clean” water through it. The chemicals in the water destroy the bacteria mat, ruining the effectiveness of the filter system. So, if chemically treated “clean” water does that to the biomass of a filter system, what does it do to the microbial fauna of your digestive system? Our bodies rely on our gut flora and fauna for effective digestion, and having these damaged every time we have a glass of water might give you some idea why bio-enhanced yoghurt has become so popular. But that is just the chemical bleaches, what about the fluorine itself? There is anecdotal evidence that fluorine is implicated as a carcinogen, and has implications for fertility in both males and females. These are both interesting in the context of population control, but it also effects several neuro-transmitters and receivers which in turn influences mood. The suggestion is that Fluorine is one of the causes for the rise in mental health complaints in the West. This suggestion comes discoveries in Nazi German when fluorinated water was used to supply concentration camps and it was found that internees began to be affected by schizophrenia and psychosis. This is a slightly questionable origin, since the fluorine used was produced as a waste product of the aluminium factories that were located nearby to make use of the slave labour.

Whatever the background of, or excuses for the chemical treatment the best advice I can give you? Make yourself a filter, treat yourself to some charcoal and start drinking rain water. You'll feel strangely better.