Yes, jugs of untreated US$36.99 ‘raw water’ are the latest craze. Here’s why drinking it may be dangerously unhealthy
‘The lack of clean water kills hundreds of thousands of children a year. So this notion of raw water is crazy’
Hold your canteen under a natural spring and if you’re lucky you’ll come away with crystal clear water, potentially brimming with beneficial bacteria as well as minerals from the earth.
That’s what proponents of the “raw water” movement are banking on – selling people on the idea of drinking water that contains the things they say nature intended without the chemicals, such as chlorine, often used in urban water treatment processes. In some parts of the US, including the West Coast, it has become a top-dollar commodity – water captured in glass bottles and sold straight to you, unprocessed.
But by shunning recommended water safety practices, experts warn, raw water purveyors may also be selling things you don’t want to drink – dangerous bacteria, viruses and parasites that can make you sick.
The fact that people are worried filtration is removing necessary minerals is really an extreme case of one of these First World problems
“We’re glad people are so interested in water quality and the value they’re placing in safe water,” said Vince Hill, who heads the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. “But I think it’s also important for people to know where their water comes from, what’s in it, how it’s delivered and whether it’s safe to drink.”