We are certainly lucky to have some of the best drinking water in the world when it comes to its quality, but we are still far from perfect.
London’s main tap water supplier is Thames Water, and according to them over sixty per cent of people in the United Kingdom live in hard water zones which can leave a rather bitter taste in your mouth after drinking from the tap.
Aside from not tasting that great, hard water can bring us trouble for just about everything from personal hygiene to cleaning.
Tap water in London, in terms of quality, is among the best in the world. However, it does not always taste that great and hence Londoners have been mislead recently to believe that it might be unhealthy. The risks are lead from old pipes as well as microplastics. For anyone concerned about taste an affordable water filter might be a great option.
What exactly is the difference between hard water and soft water and are both of them safe for us to drink and use? Here is what we should know:
London’s water is hard, because it has a relatively high level of calcium as well as magnesium, hence causing limescale.
Hard water can be found in areas like London but also in Kent, which have a limestone geology.
According to Thames Water, more than sixty per cent of people in the United Kingdom live in hard water areas.
No, hard water is not really a health hazard. In fact, experts say that drinking hard water contributes to the amount of calcium and magnesium needed in people’s diet.
However, it can wreak havoc on our skin as well as hair, not to mention leaving our kitchens totally covered in limescale.
Since hard water contains relatively high amounts of calcium, it does not properly dissolve cleansing products and soaps. This means that whenever we bathe with hard water, it leaves a thin film of soap curd on the skin, and this can make it difficult for dirt and bacteria to be removed.
Hard water contains minerals that can dry out your skin, clog pores and lead to skin conditions like acne, dermatitis and eczema.
When you wash your hair with hard water, you will notice that it leaves your locks lacklustre and dull. Hard water can cause dandruff-like build up on your scalp.
The tap water in London is supplied by Thames Water. Out of this, seventy per cent comes from reservoirs collected from the River Thames. The remaining thirty per cent comes from boreholes that bring up groundwater. Both sources are clean tap water that is completely safe to drink and meets the European water quality standards.
London tap water is safe to drink because it meets the European water quality standards.
It must be said, though, that over the last years people are concerned over oestrogen being present in our tap water.
The oestrogen hormone is present in the contraceptive pill and when it is excreted it makes its way to our sewage. Whilst the treatment process is effective in filtering out almost all harsh chemicals and harmful substances, it is more difficult for oestrogen to be broken down, and thus traces of it can end up in our drinking water.
Nonetheless, tap water in London is safe to drink as it meets the necessary water hygiene and quality regulations. At worst, some Londoners do not like the taste of our tap water, so perhaps consider buying a water filter to help purify your tap water.
