What Happens If You Don't Filter Your Drinking Water? A Doctor Warns Of 'Tragic' Health Risks

Water! Seek out the most potent elixir of the universe and still, it won’t be able to do what this colorless, odorless, tasteless liquid does for life. Americans alone drink more than 1 billion glasses of water per day, according to the US Environment Protection Agency. However, as it falls in the form of rain and settles in the cracks and crevices between rocks, the water obviously accumulates a melange of salts, minerals, and metals deposited on these rocks. By the time it reaches the water supply and eventually, the house taps, it is already corrupted with a host of materials. For this reason, and some more, doctor Yvonne Burkart urged people to stay away from unfiltered water. While speaking to Steve Bartlett (@steven), the host of the Diary of a CEO podcast.

Toxicologist Burkart’s advice was in response to Bartlett’s question when he asked, “Should I filter my water?” She said, “Absolutely, if you live in an area where the water is fluoridated.” To know whether the water is fluoridated or not, she explained that one needs to “check the water report.” “Most municipalities have water reports. And if not, you can go to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). They have a water report database that you can check. It will tell you what contaminants are found and which ones exceed the safe limit And it’s very helpful to know,” the doctor described in the TikTok video.

Bartlett asked whether it’s a good option to use those “plastic filters.” Burkart explained that most of the low-cost filters don’t do so well in removing the fluoride from the water. It’s not just fluoride that makes unfiltered water dangerous. Adding to it, she revealed that there’s a whole bunch of contaminants in tap water. Depending on where one lives, some are worse than others. “Tap water is a source for hormones, endocrine disruptors, pesticides, heavy metals, fluoride if it is added to the water, agricultural runoff,” she said.  

Calling out the dangers of these invisible contaminants, the doctor shared “There have been tragic instances of high levels of lead because of the lead piping that water is transported through, so we have got to be careful with the water that we’re using to drink and cook with.” According to the US News & World Report, nearly a tenth of America’s drinking water is supplied through lead piping lines that snake through the households of the country. An estimated 9.2 million lead pipelines run through the system to supply water to the house taps of Americans. Most of these pipes are concentrated around the Rust Belt states in the Great Lakes region with 50% of pipes built across Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Texas, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Meanwhile, Burkart’s advice attracted comments from hundreds of people, with many people dismissing the idea that fluoride in water could be dangerous to health. “Fluoride is a natural element. You get more fluoride in tea, fruit, and even oatmeal,” wrote @bones. @ravsta88 said, “All UK water contains fluorine. It helps prevent tooth decay.” @iamgranstan even went on to say “No filter removes fluoride.”

@Lazydrip, a licensed plumber, suggested using Waterdrop Filters and warned that EWG might not be the best source for checking water reports. “Check your city report,” they added. Others said that her advice is valid for Americans as Brits usually don’t face the problem of contamination. “At this point, we just have to live in a bubble,” sighed a TikTok user, @dr.awuraama.

You can follow Steve Bartlett (@steven) on TikTok to watch more informative expert advice on his podcast.