Well Water vs. City Water

[Alexi]

I am trying to find out how water from a well compares to city water (meaning to shower with, drink, brush teeth with, etc.) in terms of health concerns. I have showered with well water (from a lake) and it was...kind of unsettling (and the soap would NOT leave my skin), but is 'mountain' water from a well perhaps a different story? I've heard that it could possibly be better for you than normal city pipes/channels.

I hear so many things on which type of water is best to drink that I doubt I'll get consistent answers on this, but I am just curious for your thoughts.

[Brutha]

It depends on the city and the well.

The city water in Berlin is excellent while the water in Bejing probably isn't.

I have showered with well water (from a lake) and it was...

Water that's in a lake doesn't count as well water by any meaningful standard for well water.

[firenexx]

As Brutha said, it depends on where the well or city is.

In general,
City water has chemicals added, such as chlorine and fluoride, that aren't good for you at all. Also there is often contamination from old lines that need upgrades.
Well water can be clean or it can be dirty. It can contain agricultural runoff such as fertilizers, pesticides, etc. It can contain jet fuel and other chemicals, from "fracking" (sp), a process used in drilling for natural gas. Many areas with wells also have septic tanks, which have leach fields. They are starting to find Prozac and hundreds of other medications in well water. Because when Johnny has ADHD, they bring him to the doctor, who gives him meds, and Johnny pees them out, and they go into his family's septic tank, and exit through the leach field, and eventually enter the water table. Same thing for his Dad's heart meds, his Mom's anxiety meds, and his sister's birth control.

So neither is really that great for you unless you live in the Garden of Eden or something.

Oh and when you take a shower, your skin absorbs all the chemicals that are in the water. Don't put anything on your skin that you wouldn't eat, because it's ending up in your bloodstream anyways.

Even in newer houses with copper plumbing, the solder used to connect the pipes contains lead. This also gets into the water, in trace amounts. The question is, how much of "trace amounts" of dozens of harmful chemicals can we take?

[Alexi]

Thanks for the replies.