What substances can be found in tap water?

Answer 1

"Tap water" is the water that comes out of your faucets. It is provided by whatever local water source you are connected to. This can be municipal water lines, springs, artesian wells, or even cisterns. The exact minerals and chemicals found in tap water will vary due to the many different methods in which water is treated to make it safe for human consumption.

Water treatment methods include filters, precipitants, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet light (UV), chlorination, ozonation, and exposure to bactericides such as metallic silver or iodine.

The taste of tap water will depend on the minerals remaining after treatment, including carbonates, silicates, and salts. "Hard" water includes substantial minerals, while "soft" water contains compartively few. City water supplies frequently add the same sort of minerals to their systems as are found in some bottled water. This, along with aeration, improves the taste of tap water. (Although obviously most of it is being used for other than drinking purposes.)

(see related link for more on what is in water)

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City tap water will differ from a tap in the country, because city tap water is "recycled" (usually from a river or lake), while sources outside a city are wells.

Another factor is that different pipes kinds of pipes are used. Alhough iron levels vary, there is generally more iron in well water.

Water used over and over, often by several areas that are downstream. Everything you flush (waste, prescription medicines, shampoos) all can end up in a public water supply, and it receives varying amounts of treatment before going back into the environment. Many treat water with chlorine on its release as well as on its intake to a water sysytem.

Tap water can be full of chemicals including chlorine and aluminum. These chemicals are not meant for human consumption but occur either naturally in water sources (due to the composition of the surrounding soil), or are added by cities and town to remove harmful bacteria or unpleasant tastes. In order to drink "pure" water, you need to either filter it or buy pure spring water.

Answer 2

Typical Tap Water Content: * Chlorine * Fluorine compounds * Trihalomethanes (THMs) * Salts of: ** arsenic ** radium ** aluminium ** copper ** lead ** Mercury ** cadmium ** barium * Hormones * Nitrates * Pesticides * WATER!

Answer 3

largely plain water of-course ! and then traces of minerals, metals like zinc, iron, salts, corrosive particles, sulphide, pottassium, chlorine.