Last updated on August 14th, 2022 at 01:27 pm
When you hear shower water and tap water, what comes to mind? The most noticeable difference is that water comes from the showerhead in shower water, while water flows from a tap in tap water.
Most people believe tap water to be the best; to them, tap water is cleaner than shower water. But since the water comes from the same source, a question arises—is shower water tap water?
You can consider shower water as tap water. However, the water supply to a household may be from different pipes, but it still comes from the same pool, a tank. Therefore, the same water runs in the shower and other facilities in the household.
Is Shower Water The Same As Tap Water?
It is safe to assume that tap water contrasts with shower water. Tap water in most areas is primarily associated with drinking water, while shower water is mainly for baths. Tap water goes through purification, making it safe for consumption, but this isn’t so with shower water.
Tap water is safe for consumption due to strict restrictions and safety standards. These standards pick impurities, chemicals, and microorganisms existing in tap water and set a protected limit to make it harm-free to health. Shower water doesn’t serve the same purpose as tap water, so it doesn’t require strict purification.
Tap water also has the addition of fluoride designed to help with tooth decay. It passes through the ion exchange resin, an effective water treatment tool for many years. This ion resin exchange softens water and makes it beneficial for drinking by completely removing ions and minerals that make water hard.
Is It Safe To Drink Water From The Shower?
It is pretty unsafe to drink shower water. Shower water may not pose any genuine risk to well-being, but it isn’t the best source of drinking water. In addition, it may contain a few microbes found within the showerhead and chemicals.
Another reason I consider drinking shower water unsafe is the Lead contained in Lead pipes that carry shower water. Lead lines that carry water to water dispensers have been replaced after being destructive to humans. Whereas restrooms that include shower water still have lead pipes in their plumbing connection.
Lead is harmful to children, adults, and pregnant women. It crosses the placental barrier in pregnant women, leaving them exposed. It can also harm unborn babies and damage their developing nervous system.
Even though Lead affects both children and adults, it’s more on the side of the children. This is because children show signs of severe toxicity at lower levels than adults.
One painful fact is, the body can’t remove Lead through excretion and metabolism. It remains in the blood and slowly crosses into various organs. Most of it gets deposited in bones and lasts for a lifetime.
Lead as an element is so toxic. It dissolves in pipes, streams from showerheads, and passes down through the water.
The body assimilates this Lead, and it doesn’t matter if it’s being drunk or breathed in. It poses the same threat because it goes to the blood and bones. It causes:
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Headaches
- Appetite loss
- Weakness
- And in severe cases, brain damage
Most plumbers believe that homeowners don’t drink shower water. Unfortunately, this belief doesn’t include built-in filtration to shower water, making it unhealthy to consume. Dispensers containing drinkable water usually have built-in filtration.
Showerhead doesn’t interiors provide a breeding ground for some bacteria and fungi due to their moist, warm and dark shelter. When water comes in contact with this impure showerhead, it becomes contaminated and poses serious health risks. Dirty showerheads contaminate water and make it unsafe for drinking.
Is Shower Water Clean Water?
Shower water is not completely clear. Water that flows from a tank to a shower may be clean, but after passing through channels, and showerheads it may not conserve its cleanliness.
Some microbes in showerheads include legionella bacteria, pseudomonas, Malassezia, etc. These microbes affect showerheads and make shower water unclean thereby, posing a danger to the various organs of the human body.
#1. Ears
The pseudomonas bacteria present in showerheads cause ear infections and lead to a swimmer ear condition. Symptoms of this ear condition are swelling, pain, itching, difficulty hearing, and discharge from the ear.
#2. Lungs
When breathed into the lungs, aerial droplets containing legionella microscopic organisms cause an infection. Indications of this legionella illness are tiredness, cough, headache, and fever. Infections found should be treated promptly.
#3. Hair
A Bacteria/fungi called Malassezia restricta that live inside dirty showerheads causes infections of the scalps and dandruff on our hairs.
#4. Skin
Contaminated shower water causes skin infections like pimples, acne, and blackheads, among many. On the other hand, shower water filtration prevents health risks caused by bacteria and chemicals.
Is Shower Water Filtered?
Shower water is filtered. Filtration of shower water helps remove certain chemicals and microscopic organisms harmful to skin and health.
A shower filter is a piece of bathroom equipment used to decrease and remove several harmful components from water. A filter enhances the quality of the water used for baths and, therefore, lessens the chances of contracting issues relating to the skin.
Bathing without shower filters defeats the purpose of showering — to feel clean and refreshed. In addition, shower filters protect the body from health risks by eliminating chlorine and chloramine from water. Removing these chemicals makes water gentler on the skin and poses little or no dangers.
The installation of a shower filter is necessary, and here are some benefits of using it:
- Removal of chemical impurities
- Filtration of bacteria from water
- Better respiratory health
- Healthier skin
- Lower risk of cancer caused by chlorine, which is associated with the risk of bladder/breast cancer
- Improved general health
Whether it’s an in-line water filter or a filtered shower head, the shower filter removes chlorine, lessens fluoride, and chloramine from the shower water, either hot or cold.
Using shower filters doesn’t just filter out other impurities and minerals out of the water. It grasps microorganisms, bacteria, and even harmful chemicals. Using filtered shower water is beneficial for health, skin, and even lifespan.
Is All Tap Water The Same?
All tap water comes primarily from three sources— lakes, rivers, and groundwater. They are all refined, treated, and purified. Nonetheless, groundwater is the central source of tap water.
All tap water goes through four phases of treatment processes, namely;
- Coagulation
- Sedimentation
- Filtration
- Disinfection
Coagulation involves the operation of clumping small particles of chemicals into each other. Larger particles formed by this procedure make filtration easy.
When they are bound together, this forms a floc. Sedimentation happens next when the floc settles at the bed of the tank.
Once the floc settles, the water is filtered to eradicate any fine components of dust, parasites, germs, and bacteria. Finally, the water is disinfected to guarantee any remaining microbial impurities are eliminated. Similar chemicals like Flouride are added to most tap water to prevent cavities and tooth decay.
Conclusion
Water supplied to shower and taps are considered the same since they come from a similar source; a tank. Impurities found in shower water result from dirty showerheads and pipes containing Lead, making them unsafe for consumption. I highly recommend filtration because It eliminates certain chemicals and microbial contaminants in the showerheads.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_purification
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead