Last Updated on October 20, 2021 by
Drinking water from the tap of the bathroom is never a safe option for an individual. Most people connect the taps of their bathrooms to the local water supply line. That water is not recommendable for drinking anyway. However, the local municipality monitors the supply of water in your area. Every municipality holds the responsibility of supplying purified water to every house. But that can’t be an assurance for you at all. While passing through the pipelines, the water can get contaminated at any time.
There are times when you run out of drinking water or your water purifier might not be working. At that moment, you don’t have any other option than drinking water from your bathroom tap. But that activity is full of risks. While some houses connect their taps to local water supply lines, the others store water in storage tanks. Whatever source the water of your bathroom taps is coming from, that’s not a safe option for drinking purposes. Be it a storage tank or direct supply line, the water is likely to get contaminated.
How Does The Water Of A Storage Tank Get Infected?
Many people have storage tanks in their houses and their bathroom taps are connected to those tanks. If you have the same arrangement in your house, never drink tap water from the bathroom. While you store the water in the tank, different types of germs and substances get mixed with the water. An uncleaned tank contains germs and other harmful particles. Your local municipality releases chlorinated water so that the water doesn’t get infected. Chlorine and chloramine are highly effective as a disinfectant. But when the chlorinated water gets exposed to air inside the tank, the impact of chlorine reduces. Then, the water gets infected with invisible germs and bacteria easily.
How Can The Water Of Your Local Supply Line Be Infected?
Municipalities supply water to houses through pipelines. Most of those pipelines are old and contain lead as the main components. As you know, lead is a toxic element that can make the water unsafe for drinking. Most of the municipal water supply pipes are not renovated and still contain lead elements. That’s why water from direct supply lines is not always safe for drinking. Especially, if you have a kid at your home, never allow him/her to drink water from the bathroom tap.
What Can Happen If You Drink Bathroom Water On A Regular Basis?
If you’re drinking tap water from the bathroom for a long-term basis, you might face numerous health hazards. From kidneys to the skin, contaminated water has a worse impact on your important body parts. Moreover, the chances of waterborne disease become higher while you drink tap water from the bathroom.
1. You might have an encounter with waterborne diseases like- cholera, typhoid. Such diseases can appear in severe forms and can sustain for a prolonged period. Such diseases occur due to the presence of germs and bacteria in the tap water.
2. The water of your bathroom’s tap can contain nitrates that have a negative impact on human bodies. Those nitrates turn into nitrites when they reach your intestines. Nitrites interrupt the normal oxygen flow through blood in your body. Kids and infants are more likely to suffer from this problem as they have lower resistance power. Once your kid gets diagnosed with such an issue, it will take a long time for him to recover.
3. The presence of unknown pathogens can cause critical gastrointestinal ailments in children and adults. Indigestion and gastrointestinal dysfunction are more likely to happen due to the regular intake of unfiltered tap water.
4. Numerous skin diseases are also possible if you drink tap water without filtering that. There are several skin diseases that are caused by intaking contaminated water.
5. It’s not favorable for you if lead particles get inside your body with the water that you drink. That can most possibly happen when you’re drinking water from your bathroom’s tap. That affects your kidneys directly and causes high blood pressure as well. Kidney diseases that happen due to lead can’t be cured easily.
6. Sometimes, your bathroom tap’s water might contain minerals in excessive amounts. Excessive amounts of minerals get stored in your kidney during excretion. That can lead to serious kidney damage.
These are the main problems that can happen if you drink water from the bathroom tap frequently. If you want to prevent these unfortunate diseases, stop drinking water from your bathroom tap.
Is Bottled Water A Safe Option?
Bottled water can definitely be a safer option than tap water in your bathroom. But not all people can afford to drink bottled water regularly. The economic factor comes in front in terms of drinking bottled water. Moreover, you are not free from risks, even if you’re drinking bottled water. The water-containing bottles are mainly made of plastic. When such a bottle gets filled with water, the water comes in touch with the plastic substance. Researches have clearly shown the presence of microplastics in bottled water. As you know, plastic is never a good material for your body. Microplastics can affect the human body in a worse way than other contaminants do. That’s why bottled waters also haven’t got clean chits from the scientists and health experts.
What Are The Differences Between Bottled Water And Tap Water?
| Bottled Water | Tap Water |
| Usually, bottled water doesn’t contain chlorine and fluoride. Therefore, bottled water is a safer option. | Tap water contains chlorine mandatorily for preventing contamination. Often, you will find fluoride in tap water that is the main reason for fluorosis. |
| Additional minerals and flavors are added sometimes in bottled water for taste. | You won’t find additional minerals apart from chlorine and fluoride. |
| The Food and Drug Administration regulates the supply of bottled water, and bottled water is an expensive option. | The Environmental Protection Agency regulates the supply of tap water, and tap water is way cheaper than bottled water. |
How Do You Understand If The Tap Water Of Your Bathroom Is Safe To Drink Or Not?
There are a few ways that can indicate if the tap water in your bathroom is safe or not. You must check those factors before intaking the water.
1. Pure drinking water isn’t supposed to contain a taste or smell. If the water of your bathroom tap doesn’t have a different taste or smell, you can drink that without any doubt. You will only get a different taste or smell from the water if that contains any other substance.
2. You should never drink a glass of water that looks cloudy or color is greyish. That indicates the presence of unsafe chemicals or compounds. Pure drinking water has to be transparent. If you’re getting cloudy water from your bathroom tap, quit drinking that as soon as possible.
3. If you’re feeling that the water output from the bathroom tap is getting harder than before, stop drinking that. Water gets harder due to the presence of calcium and magnesium in it. Many people don’t differentiate between normal water and hard water. You can detect hard water while washing your clothes. You will need more detergents when you’re washing clothes with hard water.
Basically, minerals like calcium and magnesium leave precipitations. If you leave a glass of hard water for some time, you’ll notice a small layer of precipitations at the bottom of the glass.
1. If you find a bluish or light greenish tinge in the water of your bathroom tap, it’s not safe for drinking. It can be a signal of the presence of copper in the water. Copper intake in an excessive amount can be threatening to your health.
2. Do you get a smell of bleaching powder from the tap water of your bathroom? It can be due to the excessive chlorine that is mixed into the water. Don’t drink the tap water if you get such a smell as excessive chlorine can lead you to cancer.
3. The presence of additional iron particles can give a metallic and salty taste to the water. Those particles can cause serious ailments as well. Therefore, you should refrain from drinking tap water if you get such a taste.
4. Components like barium and cadmium particles can produce a fishy smell when they get mixed with water. You should observe if you are getting such a smell from the tap water or not. If you’re getting such a smell, don’t take the risk of drinking the water. Cadmium is a mineral that is a leading reason for all forms of cancer.
Can I Purify The Water Of My Bathroom Tap By Boiling?
Some people are bound to drink water from their bathroom taps as they don’t have other choices. Boiling the water before drinking is a good option for additional safety. But that can’t give you complete protection from the diseases. When you boil the water, the germs and bacteria will get eliminated. But the minerals and inorganic substances will remain intact. So, you can’t get rid of all types of impurities of the water by boiling that.
How Can You Make The Water Of Your Bathroom Tap Drinkable?
If you have no other choice than to drink tap water, you should install a water filter. A high-quality water filter will be the best option to eliminate all the impurity of the water. A water purifier with advanced features will provide fresh and pure water that you can drink without any hesitation. You can install an instant filtration system in the main supply pipe of your house as well. That also can help you to get pure water.
Bottom Line
It will be a wise choice for you to refrain from drinking tap water from your bathroom. If you can’t afford to buy pure water every day, a water purifier will definitely help you. You must filter the tap water before you and your family drink that. Otherwise, try your best to avoid the tap water in your bathroom.
