Is it dangerous to drink water straight from the tap in Brazil? Understand 2s653x

It is difficult, for a Brazilian abroad, not to be suspicious when someone delivers a glass of fresh water straight from the tap. After all, around here, we are used to drinking mineral water or filtering and/or boiling water before consumption. But is our tap water really that dangerous? 2w6u1

The first point you should consider before quenching your thirst straight from the tap is where your water comes from. If it comes from the public supply and goes through pre-treatment, you can be a little more relaxed (but not so much, as we will explain in the next paragraphs). On the other hand, if it comes from wells or collection points without undergoing treatment, you need to be more attentive.

Water, whether surface (such as rivers and lakes) or underground (captured through artesian wells, for example), is subject to contamination. This contamination can be human-caused, such as from pesticides, or it can be natural, as in some places where the region has toxic substances (such as arsenic in the cities of Ouro Preto and Mariana, in Minas Gerais, reported by this scientific article).

So, if you collect water directly, it is recommended to carry out periodic analyzes to if the quality is adequate for consumption. Even if the region does not have any natural contaminants, any substance that has contaminated the soil (such as fuels, pesticides and others) can contaminate its water.

Regarding treated water, just take your water bill and check: it is very likely that it meets the standards of the legislation (such as the 2.914 / 2011 Ordinance) regarding parameters such as turbidity, pH, fecal coliforms and others. In theory, it should be suitable for drinking, but that's not how it works in practice.

a dangerous path 6l6i4j

Before understanding why tap water in Brazil is not so safe, it is necessary to know some details about water treatment in the country. Treatment plants are normally planned according to the quality of the water abstracted. If this water is of good quality, the treatment can be a little less complex and skip some unnecessary steps. However, if the quality is not so good, it is necessary to undergo a more complete treatment.

Treated water is constantly monitored and, before leaving the water treatment plant (ETA) and entering the distribution network, the company responsible for the treatment must ensure that it is of adequate quality. This same water is usually chlorinated to face the path ahead, which may not be so safe: the path from the WTP to your tap.

When it travels through city streets, the supply water is subject to possible contamination, either from external sources (such as a sewage leak nearby, for example), or from the pipe itself, which may be oxidized and/or dirty. When the water reaches your water tank, it is still at risk of contamination (by dirt, pigeon feces and others). Therefore, it is important to wash the box periodically and keep it covered.

Still, the pipe of your residence can also be a point of contamination. All the way from the WTP to the tap, chlorine can mitigate this risk by eliminating some pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, but it is not effective for some contaminants.

Chlorine: friend or foe? 2yp5x

Chlorine is an effective substance for water disinfection, but it also poses health risks. An example is the formation of trihalomethanes resulting from the interaction between chlorine and organic compounds (when they are present in water).

Trihalomethanes are substances formed from one carbon atom, one hydrogen atom and three halogen atoms (chlorine, bromine and iodine). They are carcinogenic and pose a major health risk, as reported by some scientific articles. Even so, because they are efficient, chlorine is still one of the main forms of disinfection used.

Is it better to drink filtered, boiled or mineral water? j5mc

The answer to this question largely depends on the situation. The act of boiling water, for example, is widely used in small communities to eliminate possible microorganisms. However, depending on the quality of that water, boiling may not solve all your problems.

Regarding filtration, it depends a lot on the process you are going to use. There are from ceramic filters (such as those present in clay filters and in some faucet filters) to water purifiers with activated carbon technologies, UV rays, nanomembranes and other technologies. The best choice depends on the quality of your water, meaning you need to figure out what you want to filter (bacteria, pesticides, iron and manganese, etc.).

Still, in the case of filtration, it is necessary to that it is not enough to buy the filter and forget that it exists. Filters require periodic maintenance, replacement of filter media, etc.

In the case of mineral water, many believe that it is always the safest, but it may not be so. You need to know where the water comes from before consuming it. In the United States, for example, a study (World Wildlife Fund International, 2019) found that bottled water there is no safer than tap water (tap water is considered safe in much of the US).

The choice c1w1a

So, all this shows that you can drink tap water in Brazil, but maybe it's not safe. Ideally, opt for an additional process for this water before drinking (such as filtration). As the choice depends on your region, you need to look for information, whether in research, talking to experts, at the supply company or elsewhere. If you choose mineral water, it is essential to know where it comes from (some data is available on the label itself).

Do you drink tap water? Leave it in the comments if there is good quality in your region!