Is it OK to drink tap water everyday?

Although it's true that the water in some cities contains trace amounts of pollutants, most healthy adults can still safely drink from the tap in most areas—and, in fact, tap water remains the most cost-effective, convenient way to stay hydrated.

onemedical.com - Is it Safe to Drink Tap Water? - One Medical

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If you’re in a high-risk group or you live in a city where water quality is compromised, there are alternatives:

Bottled water

Bottled water may be a good temporary solution if your tap water is contaminated, but only if you choose a brand of verified quality. The FDA regulates bottled water as a food, which means it requires identification of the source and regulates allowable levels of contaminants, requires good manufacturing practice standards for boiling and bottling, and regulates labeling. However, the FDA doesn’t have the ability to oversee a mandatory testing program like the EPA does with public water suppliers; it can only order a recall once a problem has been found—so there is no guarantee that every bottle sold is safe. In 1999, the NRDC conducted 1,000 separate tests of more than 100 brands of bottled water and concluded that bottled water isn’t necessarily any purer or any safer than city tap water, and some brands even contained elevated levels of arsenic, bacteria, or other contaminants. In addition, bottled water costs hundreds or thousands of times more per gallon than tap water, so if you’re going to make the investment, choose a trusted brand. The International Bottled Water Association links to major brands’ quality reports. You may also want to consider the environmental impact a long-term bottled water habit can have: Aside from the energy and fuel involved in manufacturing bottles, about 75 percent of bottles end up in landfills, lakes, and oceans, where they fail to decompose. If your tap water supply is not in danger, consider purchasing a refillable bottle instead. Note: If you prefer carbonated bottled water but are concerned about its reputation for inhibiting calcium absorption, don’t be: There is no evidence to support this claim.

Filters

Filters and bottled water are about the same in terms of safety and cleanliness. There are four main types:

Activated carbon, which can remove certain organic contaminants

Ion exchange units, which can remove minerals like calcium and magnesium that make water hard

Reverse osmosis units, which can remove nitrates, sodium pesticides, and petrochemicals

Distillation units, which boil water and condense steam, creating distilled water

If you invest in a filter, choose one that removes the specific contaminants you’re concerned about. Also be sure the filter is independently certified by the Public Health and Safety Organization or a similar organization. Finally, maintain the filter at least as often as the manufacturer recommends. Note: If you want to filter all contaminants from all of the taps in your home, you’ll need a “point-of-entry” filter. Otherwise, a “point-of-use” filter on the kitchen sink will do.

Boiling

Boiling tap water can be effective, but it depends on the contaminant(s) being targeted. High temperatures can kill germs, but can’t affect lead, nitrates, or pesticides. In fact, boiling can actually increase the concentration of those contaminants because it causes the volume of water to decrease while the level of contaminants remains constant.