What's Really in Your Water? What I Learned About the Water We Drink Every Day

For years, when someone told me to drink more water, I thought the answer was simple:

Drink water.

That's it.

But when you have spent years trying to understand your health, you eventually start asking different questions.

Not just:

Am I doing the right things?

But:

What exactly am I putting into my body every single day?

That question eventually led me to take a closer look at something most of us rarely question:

our water.

And before I go any further, let me make something very clear.

I'm not here to tell you that tap water is poison.

I'm not here to tell you that chlorine causes rheumatoid arthritis.

And I'm certainly not suggesting that drinking water is something you should be afraid of.

Quite the opposite.

Water treatment is one of the major reasons modern drinking water is much safer from infectious disease than untreated water. Chlorine and other disinfectants are used to kill harmful microorganisms and protect public health.

But here's where my thinking changed:

Something can serve an important purpose and still be worth understanding.

Once I started looking at my health through the lens of total exposure, I became much more curious about what was actually in the water I was drinking.

Chlorine: Important for Safety, But Not the Whole Story

Chlorine is added to many municipal water supplies because it helps destroy harmful bacteria and other microorganisms.

That's a good thing.

But the story doesn't necessarily end there.

When disinfectants react with naturally occurring organic material in water, they can form what are called disinfection byproducts.

Researchers are studying a number of these compounds and their potential effects on human health.

There is also emerging research examining how drinking-water disinfection byproducts may interact with the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal system.

That research is interesting.

But interesting does not mean proven.

We don't have evidence that drinking normally treated tap water causes gut dysbiosis or rheumatoid arthritis.

For me, the takeaway isn't fear.

It's curiosity.

What is in my water, and what choices can I make if I want to reduce unnecessary exposure?

And Then There Are PFAS

This is where the water conversation gets even more interesting.

PFAS—often called "forever chemicals"—are a large family of manufactured chemicals that have been used in many consumer and industrial applications.

Some PFAS can persist in the environment for a very long time.

And they can make their way into drinking-water supplies.

The Environmental Protection Agency has established national drinking-water standards for several PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS.

Why does this matter?

Because long-term exposure to certain PFAS has been associated with a number of health concerns, including effects involving the immune system and thyroid.

Again, I want to be precise:

I'm not saying PFAS causes your autoimmune disease.

I'm saying that if you're already paying attention to your inflammatory and immune health, it makes sense to understand environmental exposures that are within your ability to reduce.

That's a very different conversation.

What About Fluoride?

Fluoride is another ingredient that generates passionate opinions.

But I don't think fear is particularly helpful here either.

Fluoride is added to some public water systems because of its established role in reducing dental cavities.

At the same time, there are ongoing scientific discussions about fluoride exposure, particularly at higher levels, and its potential effects on health.

So instead of adopting an all-or-nothing position, I prefer to ask:

How much am I exposed to?

What does my local water report say?

Are there other sources of exposure I'm not considering?

And what choice makes sense for me?

That's a much more useful conversation than simply declaring something "good" or "bad."

Bottled Water Isn't Automatically the Answer

This was another eye-opener for me.

Many people assume that bottled water is automatically cleaner than tap water.

But bottled water isn't necessarily free of contaminants.

The FDA has found detectable PFAS in some bottled-water samples, although the levels tested did not exceed EPA's drinking-water standards.

Researchers have also detected microplastics and nanoplastics in both bottled and tap water.

But—and this is important—the FDA currently says there isn't enough evidence to establish that the levels of microplastics and nanoplastics detected in foods and water pose a demonstrated human-health risk.

So again:

Don't replace one assumption with another.

Bottled doesn't automatically mean better.

Tap doesn't automatically mean bad.

And filtered doesn't automatically mean every contaminant has been removed.

So What Can You Actually Do?

This is where I think the conversation gets practical.

You don't need to become obsessed with every possible contaminant in your environment.

You can simply become more informed.

Start with your water report.

If you receive municipal water, look at your annual water-quality report.

Find out what your local water system tests for and what has actually been detected.

Know what your filter is designed to remove.

Not all water filters do the same thing.

A filter designed to improve taste isn't necessarily designed to remove PFAS.

A filter that reduces chlorine isn't necessarily removing fluoride.

If you're going to invest in filtration, know what problem you're actually trying to solve.

Consider your total exposure.

Water isn't the only source of environmental exposure.

Think about your food packaging, cookware, personal-care products, cleaning products and other things you encounter regularly.

You don't have to eliminate everything.

You can simply start asking better questions.

This Is What Changed for Me

My health journey taught me something I wish I had understood much earlier:

You don't have to control everything to make better choices.

I couldn't control every environmental exposure.

I couldn't control what happened in my past.

I couldn't control every ingredient in the food supply.

And I certainly couldn't control every recommendation a doctor made.

But I could become more informed.

I could pay attention.

I could ask questions.

I could change the things that were within my control.

And that's ultimately what this is about.

Not fear.

Not perfection.

Not believing that one environmental exposure explains everything.

Awareness.

Because when you're living with an autoimmune condition, you already have enough uncertainty.

You don't need another person telling you that everything around you is toxic.

You need information that helps you make thoughtful decisions.

That's what I want to help women do.

Understand the bigger picture.

Learn to recognize patterns.

Ask better questions.

And become an active participant in your own health journey.

Because sometimes the first step isn't finding another thing to take.

Sometimes it's taking a closer look at what you're already putting into your body every single day.

A Note From Me

This article is educational and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Water quality varies considerably by location, and individual health circumstances matter. If you have concerns about your drinking water or your health, use your local water-quality report and speak with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.