FAQ

Does boiling tap water make it pure?

The idea of boiling water originated at a time when the main danger was the possibility of disease organisms existing in water supplies. Heating water to 212° F for several minutes effectively kill harmful bacteria making it safe for human consumption in emergency situations (boiling does not always kill virus and cysts). However, modern water supplies can contain excess salts, heavy metals and numerous complex toxic chemicals from industrial and agricultural pollution and most of these are not destroyed or removed by boiling. Worse, many are actually concentrated if the water is boiled because the purer water vapor is evaporated away.



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