Testing by SA Water has shown that Adelaide water supplies are significantly exceeding the safe human consumption guidelines provided by the World Health Organisation, and by their own standards of a class 3 carcinogen!
As outlined in a story on the 23rd of May 2011, in 'The Advertiser' (read the full story here) trihalomethanes are being detected at unacceptable levels. The Happy Valley reservoir failed these tests 30% of the time, and another reservoir in the Barossa Valley, north of Adelaide has registered trihalomethane levels of 3 and a half times the recommended limit!
So what is a TRIHALOMETHANE?
... and should I be worried about drinking them?
Trihalomethanes is a term used to identify chemicals that are formed during water chlorination. They are by-products of the reaction between chlorine and organic debris that is present in our water supplies.
The four most common trihalomethanes are:
- chloroform
- bromoform
- bromodichloromethane
- dibromochloromethane
These substances have been categorised by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and they have acknowledged the potential risk of these chemicals to the health of humans. Although a cause-effect relationship is difficult to define in humans, these chemicals have been shown to cause cancer in animals.
A puratap will remove over 99% of trihalomethanes from your water
The truth is, we dont know what these chemicals can do to our body. Particularly with exposure over a long period of time. The best way to put your mind at ease? Get a Puratap!
With only an annual filter change, your Puratap GI-2600 water filter can remove over 99% of these potentially cancer causing chemicals from your water.
Puratap water treatment testing for ASNZS 3497.pdf