Go ahead, sit down and drink a nice clear, pure glass of water. OK, now read this quote: “U.S. drinking water contains more than 2,100 toxic chemicals that can cause cancer.” This is a quote from Ralph Nader of the Nader Research Group. Scarey, isn’t it? Unfortunately, only about 75 of these are tested by most city water officials. Let’s example just one of these sinister invaders, chlorine.

When I was a kid, I won a fish at the carnival. I was thrilled! The first think I had to do, of course, was to buy a larger tank and fill it with tap water. Yet, so as not to kill my trophy, I had to treat water with some de-chlorinating tablets. Question: if fish will die in chlorinated water, why do we think it’s OK for us to drink it? Yet, shocking as this may seem, the acceptable level of chlorine in some water systems is above the maximum recommended for swimming pools!

Chlorine is an excellent disinfectant. We use chlorine bleach to clean a house or purify a well. Bacteria such as typhoid, cholera, or dysentery are wiped out in its presence. However, chlorine also damages the body. It produces substances called THMs (trihalomethanes). These damage the cells and are cancer causing. Chlorine can also damage the arteries making is easier for cholesterol to attach itself to their walls. At times contamination gets into a city water system and it must be purged with extra chlorine. Research shows that such times evoke an increase in bladder, kidney, and urinary tract cancers. Drinking water taken from the Mississippi River contains 63 cancer causing compounds all of which are made when chlorine reacts with pollutants such as carbon disulphide and methanol, both present in the water.

Yet chlorine does not enter the body only through drinking. In fact, a greater risk of chlorine poisoning occurs in the shower. The hot water opens the pores and the chlorine, which evaporates at a lower temperature than water, enters through the lungs. This results in the formation of chloroform, which will cause bronchitis, and asthma, and will increase the risk of cancer. The warm chlorine water may also cause skin irritations such as eczema. A simple purchase of a Berkey Shower Filter could solve this.

This is all shocking news to parents! After all, children’s bodies are much more susceptible to chemical changes as described above. What conscientious parents want to poison their child?

Many have opted for bottled water. After all, doesn’t it say, “Pure Spring water” right on the container? Unfortunately, that could be deceiving. In fact, the FDA itself said, “Companies that market bottled water as being safer than tap water are defrauding the American public.” This is because there are no regulations on bottled water across state lines. Companies have bottled tape water and labeled it, “Pure Mountain Fresh.” This may not be honest, but it is perfectly legal. Coupled with the high cost and the huge volume of disposed containers, this is obviously not the best solution.

The only safe sure way to guarantee your family is getting chlorine free water is to filter it yourself. Start by purchasing a filter that promises to remove chlorine such as the Berkey Filters. Carbon filters do this. The small investment to filter your drinking and cooking water is well worth the peace of mind that will result. Just think, units such as the Big Berkey have been filtering people’s water since Queen Elizabeth’s time so thousands of people can’t be wrong.