water question

[wdawson]

with all the food related allergies,does anyone know if there are issues with tap water......right now i only use r\o water from the water cooler. what does every one else give? just wondering

[Cymba's friend]

Unless the water is coming from a well and may have substances or bacteria in it which can generate a reaction, I would say that normal treated and clean water should not result in any allergies. However during a long phone consultation that I had with Dr Beltrand (Blair's animal hospital, which is both traditional and homeopathic medicine), he told me that the chlorine in the treated water actually exacerbates inflammation. That means if you have a dog who has arthritis, or if he has an ailment which later turns into arthritis (e.g. my dog has elbow dysplasia), then he told me that investing in a GOOD water purifier that actually gets rid of substances like chlorine is a worth while investment (for the dog and the family). Of course really good water filters can be expensive... so for now I admit we have held off, but ideally the purer the water and the less substances like chlorine in particular, the better, for them and for us. Hope this helps!

[domesticzookeep]

For me...tap water straight or run thru a britta (carbon) filter.....I drink it, so do all my critters...

Hamilton (city) tap water is pretty good & the Cl levels are relatively low (ie. in comparison to Burlington -which u can smell when u turn on the taps!).

Bottled water is only tested under "food regulations" which are not as strict as the requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act (regs that govern ALL drinking water systems in ON) wrt both the paramters tested for and the frequency of testing.
..... I'll take city water over most bottled water anyday! Studies show water quality is VERY inconsistent in bottled water (even within the same brand) - and often does not meet the same quality standards as municipal (tap) water. (Exceptions would be the "RO" type brands, which typically take tap water and run it through a reverse osmosis unit.) And don't get me started on the $$ and environmental issues caused by the bottles

Obviously water from a private well, is another issue altogher....

Purely RO is NOT good for you - the process removes many of the trace minerals your body needs. Most "RO" bottled water actually adds some of them back in.....but it also depends on your system.

Home filter units / coolers - if they are not cleaned / changed regularly or the water maintained at the proper temperature, the water quality can actually be WORSE than tap water - bacteria will grow in the nozzles / hosing or in the water if it's kept at room temp. That's not to say they are not worth the $ (esp for medical / taste/odour issues, etc) - but if they are not maintained properly - well, u may as well just haul a bucket out of the lake

Best way to remove chlorine in water is a carbon filter (such as the britta ones) - but again, if u don't change them, it becomes a haven for bacteria! It will also help remove any trace metals.
Alternatively, fill an open jug of water & keep it in the fridge - the chlorine will 'evaporate' & be gone in about a day.

All municipalities in ON w/ > 10 000 people are required to publish an annual "drinking water report" on their website. If you go to the City of Hamilton's site, u will see all of the water quality results under, I think under the "Public Works" dep't???

C.

[wdawson]

thanks for the input

[Prin]

There was a girl on my rugby team who was allergic to tap water. She was also allergic to nearly every kind of tree and grass too... I don't think it's that common. They're still basic minerals, which most bodies absolutely need, albeit not in such huge quantities.

I just give them straight tap water...

[OntarioGreys]

I don't know about water being link to causing allergies but I also know of someone you is allergic to water,

As mentioned chlorine can be harmful, also flouride has been connected to causing bone cancer in boys http://www.organicconsumers.org/food...ride071505.cfm

Since dogs only drink water, it possibly may explain the rising number of osteo sarcoma deaths. Unfortunately Brita water filters does not remove the flouride but will help to remove chlorine

[Prin]

Not all municipalities add fluoride though.