This debate has been ongoing for years, even decades now. Is Malaysian tap water actually safe for consumption? Jeng jeng jeng!
When we watch Hollywood films and see people on screen drinking water straight out of the kitchen tap, we often think to ourselves, “yuck! Is that safe?” Well, for them it usually is. What about us Malaysians? Do we really need to constantly boil our water before drinking, or invest in expensive water filters before our water is safe for consumption?
Is Malaysian tap water safe to consume?
Well… yes, and no.
You’d be surprised to know that studies have shown that the level of selected minerals in Malaysian tap water is generally below permitted levels.
This basically means that the water running through the pipes is actually safe to consume.
In fact, the treatment process is monitored regularly based on international water quality standards.
Why do Malaysians NOT drink out of the tap?
Apparently, Malaysia’s tap water has a bad taste and odour. This was found in a research done by Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. It’s no wonder we are much less willing to drink from it!
In view of this, many of us have blamed the government–and Malaysia in general–for not being able to supply us with safe, drinkable water, but we’ve now learnt that that’s actually not true!
So, why does my tap water smell/taste funny?
Stagnant water, rusty pipes, sand, and moss.
Well, unfortunately, although the water that comes from the water treatment plant is clean, the old, dirty and rusty pipes that deliver the water to our homes tend to affect the purity, taste and odour of the water.
These pipes originate from multiple sources and can be many kilometres in length and may have some spots where the water might be stagnant, resulting in sand or moss to accumulate. Some pipes can even be old and rusty.
Besides pipes, the water ‘tangkis” in our own homes can be blamed as well because they’re not cleaned regularly.
What happens when you drink contaminated tap water?
Contaminated water can cause many deadly diseases including Cholera, Typhoid, Dysentry and much more. You wouldn’t want to end up getting diarrhea just from drinking water, now do you!
So, how do we ensure safe drinking water?
Filter or boil your tap water before consumption. This acts as extra precautionary measure to ensure microorganisms are killed off and that there are no remaining sediments. However, boiling your water will only kill microorganisms and is unable to remove Chlorine and other heavy metals in the water. Thus, getting a water purifier is the easiest way to get clean and pure drinking water.
Source : World of Buzz
