Food and beverage trends are nothing new, especially when they’re marketed as having health benefits. Many conscience consumers are willing to spend more money on products that are organic, free-range, or free of GMOs or gluten, just to name a few. But one of the latest trends, known as raw water, could pose serious or even deadly health risks.
“Raw water” is, as the name implies, water that is collected and bottled at the source without passing through any regulatory cleaning processes. Raw water is entirely unfiltered, untreated, unsterilized, and does not contain additives like fluoride, which is typically added to tap water to protect against tooth decay.
Many consumers have praised raw water on social media as being a more natural and healthy alternative to traditional bottled water, and its growing popularity is reflected in its soaring price and relative scarcity. Companies who bottle and market raw water, which are mostly small startups, have raised prices from $36.99 to over $60 for a 2.5 gallon jug due to high demand.
But while taking a swig of pure spring water fresh from the source may be appealing to some, contamination –both natural and manmade- has experts concerned that raw water may expose consumers to serious health risks.
“There are many sources of water contamination, and some of those sources are naturally occurring,” said Vince Hill, chief of the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch of the Centers for Disease Control in an interview with Live Science. “Spring water and mountain stream water may look pure, but it can be contaminated with things like bacteria and viruses, parasites and other contaminants that you can’t see.”
Mukhande Singh, founder of the raw water startup Live Water gave his opinion of professionally treated water in an interview with the New York Times:
“Tap water? You’re drinking toilet water with birth control drugs in them,” he said. “Chloramine, and on top of that they’re putting in fluoride. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but it’s a mind-control drug that has no benefit to our dental health.”
It’s worth mentioning here that there is no medical research to back up Singh’s claim that fluoride is a “mind-control drug,” however the science that it’s beneficial for healthy teeth is strongly established.
Naturally-occurring substances like arsenic, radon, and countless types of bacteria can easily seep into groundwater and cause severe illness in large doses. And with groundwater pollution cases continuing to make headlines, trusting the purity of spring water simply because it hasn’t been professionally treated may be a grave mistake.
Wexler Wallace is currently investigating claims that Wolverine Worldwide contaminated groundwater in multiple locations around Kent County, MI. If you have been affected by this groundwater contamination, contact us to discuss potential legal options.
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