It is a common misconception that boiling water is sufficient to make it safe for human consumption. At 70 degrees Celsius it takes about 30 minutes to kill all pathogens and at 100 degrees they will be instantly killed. While it is true that boiling water kills most living organisms like germs, parasites and bacteria; they are not the only things you find in water that can be harmful to you.
In addition to these living organisms there are numerous chemicals found in the water that we drink that are hazardous to us. These chemicals include:
- Fluoride
- Chlorine
- Lead
- Mercury
- PCBs
- Arsenic
- Perchlorate
- Dioxins
- DDT
The current population growth rate estimates that the population change is around 80 million per year. This growing population has put our water resources under great strain as studies have shown a link between the rising number of humans and more pollution. Sources of water contamination:
- Nearly every chemical product we use ends up in the drain that includes our shampoos, toilet bowl cleaners and laundry detergent
- Industries are usually located near open water sources and tend to dump their pollutants in the water if there is no proper enforcement to prevent them.
- Farmers treat their lands with harsh pesticides which wash into lakes and rivers when it rains.
- Water and sewage treatment facilities add even more chemicals, namely chlorine, to kill the harmful bacteria in the water. Excess amounts of chlorine in the water can be harmful for consumption.
Boiling, filtering, or chemically treating water can remove or kill microorganisms, but it will not remove chemical toxins. This does not make the water completely safe to drink. The best way to avoid consumption of these harmful chemicals is to drink water from sources which are not surface water, since this is the water which is exposed directly to pollution. Water found beneath the earth’s surface is quickly becoming the only source of pure, unpolluted and clean drinking water.
An aquifer is a subsurface geologic formation that contains groundwater in sufficient quantities to be used. These are found deep in the earth’s surface and are the purest sources of water. The water that seeps into the ground is naturally purified as it seeps deeper and deeper into the earth’s surface. This kind of natural purification doesn’t involve harmful chemicals like those used in water filtration plants and thus it is much safer.
Even though 70% of the earth’s surface is covered in water only one percent is fresh water. Most of that fresh water has already been contaminated by humans and that is why protecting sources such as springs and aquifers are so important. Aquafresh mineral water comes from a confined aquifer 200 ft beneath the earth’s surface in the pristine Labugamkanda forest reserve, an area virtually untouched by humanity. To avoid depletion of the source the water is extracted according to geological reports. Aquafresh Sri Lanka bottled water is untouched by harmful chemicals and goes through a biological filtration process to bring you the safest and purest water in the island.
