Photo by Andrew Ren on Unsplash
Water is a molecule and while its empirical formula is universal, the reality is that water, specifically water quality, varies tremendously. Candidly, this is something that I did not think about growing up in Mexico. It wasn’t until I moved to the United States and subsequently to Germany that the reality of variability in water quality really hit home…literally.
In 2020, I moved to Europe and I never thought I would be comparing water from different places. Is one better than the other? What does “better” mean?
I was born and grew up in Mexico City, where the water I drank for years came from water jugs we buy at a convenience store, or from five gallon water jugs that get delivered to your house. Today, new technologies have been introduced to the Mexican market and households use reverse osmosis (RO), ultraviolet light (UV) technology and granular activated carbon (GAC) to make tap water potable, and more affordable. According to Mexico's Secretariat of Health, 95% of the treated water in Mexico is potable, however, the water infrastructure is so old that it ends up being “dirty and contaminated” once it travels throughout the pipes for its distribution. Overall, you can safely shower but not drink the water.
Compare this to my experience of water in the United States.
When I moved to the United States, I was so excited to drink tap water. However, I quickly learned from friends that I should not drink tap water in certain cities, such as NYC. My question was: When can you drink it and when can you not? Since the first day I moved to Delaware, I have been drinking tap water and have not yet had any problems. I also had an activated carbon filter for my refrigerator, which made it taste “lighter”. In general, I did not feel there was a big difference between Mexican and American water, only the convenience to be able to drink it from tap in the U.S., in certain areas.
This brings us to my experience with drinking water in Germany...
Three months after I moved to Germany, I started to notice that my new electric tea kettle looked like it was 5+ years old! It had built up deposits of limescale, which you could also see on the glasses. It doesn't matter how often I clean them; the mineral deposit scale always comes back. Additionally, my lovely husband started to suffer from kidney stones (he said the same thing happened to him when drinking Florida water) due to the water quality. We started looking for solutions to improve the water quality coming out of our tap and decided to get a water filter with activated carbon technology. This seemed to have fixed the problem. We also started to buy bottled water just as most Germans do. I have to say it tastes so good but I am surprised to find myself back in the same position as I was in Mexico!
Quick caveat, I am not saying that the driver of water quality difference in Mexico is the same as in Germany. Germany's water has high mineral content – calcium and magnesium is termed as hard water. In Munich, it is mainly due to the Alpine mountains. However, the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW) says that “Drinking water is one of the best monitored foodstuffs in Germany”. While it is not harmful, I certainly do not like to see white particles floating in my water or the limescale in my pots and glasses. Also, the flavor is not as good as bottled water. It seems that the culture of not drinking tap water in Germany will be hard to change. Throughout the country, there is a norm that remains of buying bottled water and ordering it at cafes and restaurants.
Sadly, I have to admit that for many years I took water for granted and that having potable water at my disposition has been a luxury. Being able to experience the difference in water quality has made me more conscious of how precious this vital element is. I know that these differences in water are not big and cannot be compared to undrinkable water in some countries or the lack of it. However, it has certainly opened my eyes. I am fortunate to be able to drink water whenever I am thirsty.
What has been your experience with water quality? What do you think is a good solution to help everyone have better water quality?
Written by: Sandy Rivera, Recruiting Coordinator at Hunter Crown, LLC
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