Boiling Water - Or Preferably Mineral Water?
In adulthood, the human body consists of about 70% water. At birth, it is even about 95%. No wonder water is the number one essential food. To stay healthy, one must replenish their reserves daily. Therefore, it is crucial that the available drinking water is safe and of high quality. Many people use their tap water to prepare baby food. Tap water in Switzerland is of very good quality everywhere and can be used as drinking water, provided there are no lead-containing pipes in the house. The quality of tap water is regulated by the EDI Ordinance on Drinking Water and Water in Publicly Accessible Baths and Showers. The cantons are responsible for water supply.
However, limit values can indeed be exceeded under certain conditions, such as:
- Old pipes and plumbing
- Medication residues
- Legionella or other bacteria
The question then arises, is it worthwhile to boil your water in such cases? Not too long ago, the answer would probably have been a simple "yes," especially for people preparing baby food. However, the current understanding has changed, and one must differentiate when boiling water. While boiling water kills viruses, bacteria, or fungi, heavy metals and other substances remain. These must not enter baby food in large concentrations and can also cause serious illnesses in adults.
Boiling Water or Not Boiling Water - Scenarios
Families with babies are often faced with the task of boiling tap water, as it must meet the highest standards. Unfortunately, we must state that boiling water only helps babies to a limited extent. This is because, for example, Legionella enter our bodies through the respiratory tract. If the baby is bathed in water that is likely not boiled, it also poses a potential risk.
If you generally do not feel healthy from consuming tap water at home and often have headaches or are preparing baby food, you should consider a water test and test your drinking water.
Bottled Mineral Water - Pros and Cons
With mineral water, you can generally be sure that there are no medication residues, heavy metals, or other substances in the water. However, there is an environmental balance where bottled mineral water performs very poorly. Did you know that the eco-balance of bottled mineral water is up to 1000 times worse than tap water? This is mainly due to the high costs of transport, bottling, and packaging. Bottles available in retail stores often have long transportation routes behind them. Therefore, tap water is very attractive and, above all, should be preferred for the sake of the environment if it is safe. However, you should not risk your health for this.
Conclusion
If you choose tap water, make sure it is safe, especially if you have a baby at home and need to prepare baby food. In such cases, a water test is not a luxury but highly recommended. This is the only way to identify and fix problems in the home water installation. It is often better to address the cause of contamination rather than just treating the symptom with expensive filters. Boiling water can kill dangerous bacteria, but consumers cannot be sure as other contaminants are not removed this way. Therefore, when it comes to making drinking water, you are somewhat caught between a rock and a hard place with the question "boiling or mineral water?" Both options have risks and drawbacks. The best step is a water analysis to identify and then solve a potential problem. This way, you will have safe drinking water at home in the long term.