By Nancy L. Pidutti RN, PhD.

One of the leading questions of our time relates to whether our water, from whatever source, is fit to drink. Gone are the days when it was "safe" to eat snow or suck icicles hanging from roofs or bushes.

Scientific studies show mercury build-up in fish is escalating which causes increasing levels of concern. It's in the atmosphere for a number of contamination reasons, and it's even present in fish taken from seemingly pristine lakes in remote places.

The problem is serious enough that pregnant women are urged to eat very little fish because the toxic metal passes from the mother's placenta into the baby she carries. Mercury has been implicated in a number of serious birth defects, including mental retardation, balance problems and seizures. (webMD)

Mercury is not the only problem with our water supply. Let's look at some ways our drinking water gets contaminated. Fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and other chemicals sprayed or applied to farmland, commercial property, or even homeowner's property. Wastewater from certain manufacturing plants. Poor sanitation practices from industrial animal farms.

What about bottled water? There are several problems. Some big water bottling operations buy up clean springs and by use of damaging extraction processes they contaminate the water which they will later "purify," and leave the water sites in very compromised states. (theguardian.com)

Research showed unclean techniques in some bottling plants led to bacterial contamination. In an effort to raise profits, some companies use or switch to lower-grade plastics which are cheaper. Some are not biodegradable (PET) and PVC will leach toxic chemicals into the water it holds. Have you noticed the slightly strange smell or taste that comes from some plastic containers? That may be a strong warning to ditch that bottle. (Water bottles frozen or left in high heat such as a car in the sun will leach contaminates into the water.)

Some people use water purifiers. Most rely on carbon in their filter system to remove contaminants. Some use UV light to kill microorganisms. These work well but may not improve the taste or smell. Reverse osmosis removes contaminants, but will only kill pathogens if a chemical is added to the system. Some systems use silver in a carbon block which does a superior job of killing bacteria, as well as "cleaning" water of contaminants.

Did you know that early settlers often put a silver coin or so in a keg of water on board their ship to keep it "pure"? We are told that even the astronauts have a silver-based water purification system.

For most people, using silver is a good alternative to drinking water coming from their faucet. However, long time use may create allergies for susceptible people.

Many years ago, we purchased a unit and began to drink the smoothest, cleanest-tasting water we had experienced in years. However, after a year, I became highly allergic to my pierced earrings and well-worn watch band. My wrist and ear lobes broke out in intensely itchy, oozing rashes.

I searched for an answer. Then I began to see a connection between the rash and the nickel used to make stainless steel ear-posts and the watch-band. Although nickel is used in the body in certain vitamin B6 processes, some people develop allergic reactions to it such as a rash. Since no one else in the family developed problems, I stopped using the silver-based unit and went to commercial bottled water.

Vitamin C has often been used to cleanse the body of accumulated lead, so I thought it might clear mine of excess silver. Although I have no clear evidence that vitamin C was my champion, in a number of months,I could again use my watchband, if I cleansed it with alcohol and a cotton ball and switched the wrist I wore it on from time to time. It took longer to comfortably wear steel-post earrings.

The body can use tiny amounts of silver in certain body processes, but for me, silver in the water system created an overload. Don't let this discourage you from hunting for your own clean water source. Most communities have reputable methods of cleansing water.

Water distillation has become as popular as reverse osmosis. In water distillation, you basically drink condensed steam. In reverse osmosis, a membrane acts as a filter for many common pollutants. Both result in clean-tasting water.

Don't neglect to give your body plenty of water. Your brain acts like a battery and needs water in order to keep nerve messages flowing freely. Water helps dilute and remove toxins and is also needed in body cells to help with energy production.

You can set your phone with a water app that will tell you when it's time to get another glass of clean, pure, water.

Be healthy!