As more information comes to light about the possible health effects of pesticides and other chemicals that are used while farming fruits and vegetables, more and more people are choosing to opt for organic produce. What many of these people don’t realize, however, is that if they do not filter their home’s tap water, they might be cancelling out the benefits that they hoped they would get out of buying organic produce in the first place. Today we’re going to talk about the effects tap water can have on organic produce and why people who are concerned about the quality of their food should also be concerned about the quality of the water in their homes!
Why do people choose organic produce?
Before we talk about the relationship between tap water and organic produce, it’s important to first discuss why people buy organic produce in the first place. The USDA has strict guidelines for what produce can and cannot be considered organic. Some of the top reasons why people choose to buy organic produce include:
- Reducing their exposure to chemicals in synthetic pesticides and fertilizers
- Reducing their exposure to heavy metals like lead
- Improving their immune systems by consuming non-GMO crops
How is tap water related to organic produce?
Before eating produce, most people rinse their fruits and vegetables in tap water. If your home’s tap water is unfiltered, the contaminants that it contains can transfer onto the produce that you rinse.
Consider, for a moment, this partial list of contaminants that are often found in tap water:
- Fertilizers
- Pesticides
- Other chemicals
- Heavy metals (including lead)
- Cryptosporidium, PFC’s and THM’s (all linked to weakened immune systems)
As you can tell from that list, many of the very same contaminants that people try to avoid by buying organic produce are commonly found in tap water! So if you spend extra money buying organic fruits and vegetables, much of that money could be going to waste when you rinse your food in tap water that hasn’t been filtered.
If you care about food quality, you should also care about water quality
If you’re the type of person who is concerned about your food’s quality, you are likely the type of person who would care about your water quality as well. Whether it’s through drinking it, showering in it or eating produce that has been rinsed with it, unfiltered tap water can expose you to all kinds of contaminants that can have both long- and short-term health consequences.
By installing a water filtration system in your home, you can cover all your bases when you’re trying to limit your exposure to chemicals and other contaminants. Buying organic food will limit your exposure to contaminants in the food you eat, and installing a water treatment system will limit your exposure to those contaminants in the water that you drink. Best of all, you’ll ensure you’re getting the most out of the organic produce you buy because contaminants won’t transfer from your home’s water to your fruits and vegetables when they are rinsed.
If you have any questions about the effects tap water has on organic produce, or if you’d like a water system serviced or installed in your home, contact EPA Water Consultants, your water softener and water filtration system dealer in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We provide service all over the Greater Philadelphia area, including towns like Quakertown, Allentown and Hellertown.