Tap water in England is pretty safe, but it doesn’t always taste nice, as a lot of water is chlorinated. And you can’t do anything about it. You can do what restaurants do (and just air jugs of tap water for around 30 minutes). Or use organic cordials.
Drink water from the cold tap (the hot tap is sometimes from tanks so won’t be fresh, and bathroom tap water in old houses is sometimes from tanks with rats!) Cloudy water is fine, it’s just due to trapped air in pipes or dissolved chalk. You can air it out in a jug for half an hour or use a water filter (below).
what kind of water should pets drink?
Spring and filtered water are fine, you may find health and fur improves. But vets say that (unless medically given) to avoid distilled water (removes minerals and electrolytes). Never give fizzy water to pets, as it could cause bloat. Don’t let pets drink from puddles. It may taste nice to them, but could contain remnants of bacteria, oil or antifreeze.
how much water should we drink?
We all need water to survive, keep cool, remove waste and help our joints, brain and eyes. You can get ‘extra water’ from raw fruits and vegetables, plant milks, fresh juice and herb tea. But the average person needs around 1.2 litres of water a day (more for athletes, hot weather, some medical conditions and after vomiting/diarrhoea).
So how much is 1.2 litres? Around 6 x 200ml glasses. So an easy way to assure hydration is to drink 2 glasses of water when you wake up, then another 2 glasses each before lunch and dinner. Within a couple of weeks you’ll be properly hydrated and should notice a difference in how you feel and look. The caveat is that when you drink cola, tea, coffee or alcohol, your body loses water. So for every cup of those you drink, add one extra glass of water. It’s easier to just reduce caffeine and alcohol, so you are not guzzling water all day to compensate
how our tap water works!
Our tap water is some of the safest on earth, with a quality rating of 99.96%, regularly inspected to ensure it’s free from contaminants like E.coli. Unless you live in northwest England, you likely have hard water (which makes it cloudy, due to a combination of chalk and limestone) and although it doesn’t taste as nice, it does no harm.
Most water boards add chlorine (to kill bacteria) and fluoride (Ireland has fluoridated tap water for decades with no good effects on dental health, but it’s added around 10% of England, though new schemes are rare). For old pipes, ask your water board to visit, to check there is no (harmful) lead in your tap water.
The other main issue in hard water areas is limescale, which is when heated water builds up a combination of calcium and magnesium carbonate. Again not harmful to drink, but it’s nice to remove it, especially if you prefer to drink hot water or herb teas. To descale a kettle, fill it three-quarters with equal parts of tap water and distilled white vinegar (sold in supermarkets). Boil and cool, then drain and rinse several times, until all flakes have gone. Then boil (full) and empty again, to remove vinegar taste. Adding a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda can help shift stubborn limescale.
fruit-infused tap water
Fruit-infused waters are simply a great way to make tap water taste nice, if you find plain water too boring. Ideally use filtered water, but you can still drink tap water in England, it’s safer than most places (only from kitchen taps).
This recipe offers 7 variations using local berries (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry) or herbs or citrus fruits. Infuse for up to an hour then serve with ice. Infuse fruit-infused waters at room temperature for 2 hours before chilling in the fridge, to prevent bacteria growth, and consume within 24 hours.
super-hydrating ‘watermelon water’ recipe
This super-hydrating ‘watermelon water’ (Broke Bank Vegan) is a nice alternative way to get your water intake. Watermelons are so hydrating that some raw foodists don’t even drink water, they just have this instead. Of course melons are not local, but this is kind of a Mexican recipe anyway, which can actually be adapted, say with strawberries. You simply blend the fruit with water, add optional agave to sweeten, then chill and pour over ice, with optional mint. Avoid unpasteurised juice if pregnant/nursing.
how to filter water (without plastic)
Water filters are used by many to remove teh taste of chlorine, but you have to keep replacing with plastic filters. These also can’t be delivered through letterboxes. So if you live in a village, that’s more carbon from vans to deliver filters. Phox Compatible is a refillable cartridge that fits all jugs, kettles and coffee machines that use Brita Maxtra & Matra+ cartridges. If you’re not in the market to buy one of their own jugs, this is the next best thing. It slots into your current jug and is built to last years. Just replace the filter granules every 45 days.
Sold in 3 versions (for hard/very hard water or an Alkaline pack with increased magnesium) it won’t remove chlorine (you need reverse osmosis for that). The jug takes just a few minutes to fill, then lasts 200 litres. You can put most parts in the dishwasher (not the jug base or rubber gaskets). If you go on holiday, immerse in water, remove and place in a jug of fresh water, to stop the granules drying out.
Binchotan charcoal water filters
These Binchotan charcoal water filters are made by designer brand Black + Blum. Just place in a jug or bottle of tap water to remove chlorine, and make water taste nice within the hour. Charcoal attracts and binds negative ions, and has been used for centuries in Japan to purify water.
Charcoal is harmless but due to sediments sometimes remaining in water, avoid for young children and pets unless sieved (check with GP and vet as this brand releases calcium, iron and magnesium minerals – should be fine, but note vets say not to give pets ‘distilled water’, unless for medical reasons).
To use, just (gently – it could break glass if dropped) place in water bottle. Used daily, one filter should last 3 months, then simply ‘recharge’ by boiling in water for 10 minuts to remove contaminants, to last another 3 months. The charcoal is sourced from producers who prune branches, without removing roots of the trees. At end of life, pop used charcoal in drawers to absorb smells or to draw in moisture in your fridge salad drawer. Or break it up (you may need a hammer!) to use as soil conditioner (learn how to make your garden safe for pets).
filtering impure water in developing countries
Lifestraw is a personal water filter that needs no electricity, and purifies unsafe water. Some people say this should not be used to ‘make people drink dirty water’, but it’s quick and affordable to save lives, while people wait for others to build wells.
water filters for offices & councils
Councils can install water hydration stations so that people can easily fill their water bottles for free. These are very advanced to filter out impurities and keep water at the correct temperature.
Refill lists thousands of places nationwide that offer free refills for tap water, and also lists where to find free drinking water fountains. These are popular abroad (in California, there is even a Fountain of Woof that spurts fresh water from a concrete dog’s mouth for visiting pooches!)
If you run an office or hotel, Frank Water Coolers help people stay hydrated and reduce plastic waste. These mains-fed coolers use profits to help bring fresh clean safe water to children in India.