Summer is one of the best seasons for vacationing and having fun with friends and family. You can travel to the mountains, the beach, or wherever else you choose to go. The sun’s sweltering heat dehydrates you. You’ll be tempted to drink water from the garden hose when your food and drink supplies run low.
The same is true if you install a pool in your yard and permit your children to use it for extended periods. Despite your best efforts, they will inevitably drink water from the hose. But drinking water from a garden hose is not recommended. It has microorganisms in it that can be harmful to your health. The water becomes tainted because of the hose’s substance reacting with it.
In our guide, you can learn more about hose water compared to tap water and if it differs from the water in your kitchen sink. By the end, you’ll be closer to a definitive answer that for the safety of your family health, it is better to avoid drinking water that can face contamination and to filter your drinking water. (Read My Bottle Brush Tree Looks Dead)
Understanding Your Garden Hose
A garden hose is a flexible tube people use to transport water inside their homes. To concentrate water at a specific point or to disperse it over a large area, people attach sprinklers and sprayers to the end of the hose, and on the other end, they are typically fastened to the tap or spigot.
A web of fibers is reinforced inside the garden hoses, typically made of synthetic rubber or plastic; and the garden hoses are smooth and flexible as a result of these materials. Typically, water-carrying hoses are made of polymers that NSF International lists. These materials have undergone extensive testing to prevent them from contaminating the water.
In the meantime, most garden hoses currently on the market are not approved for usage with hot water.
Is Hose Water Tap Water?
Generally, the water coming out of your garden hose comes from the same water source and is the same water that exits your kitchen sink; water hose water isn’t used as often in most homes. Underground water pipes on the street divide to supply water to most homes and the different locations around the house.
Before being delivered to your home, the water was purified, so it is safe for drinking. Although pipes and fittings in your home may be cleaner than the garden hose, and make safe to drink drinking water supplies. Safe tap water can also be up for debate, hence why so many homes use filtered water that is safe to drink.
To avoid contamination and make the water safe for drinking, pipes, and fittings are built a certain way. Your garden hose, meanwhile, faces exposure to insects and the weather in use and in between watering plants; thus, water might not be fit for human consumption or safe to drink. Because of a potential reaction between the water and the hose’s material, the garden hose could be contaminated. Add to that the sun’s heat and any insects that crawl up your hose if there is no stop tap. (Read Orchid White Spots On Leaves – What To Do
You can’t always be sure that the water inside isn’t contaminated with chemicals, even if you open the faucet and let your garden hose run for an extended period before drinking. According to an American study, various toxins are included in garden hose products. Non-PVC hoses contained toxins like bromine, lead, phthalates, and antimony, which are not ideal for consumption.
Note: PVC hoses comprise different properties and don’t contain these chemicals. While outside water could still be dirty, compared to older hoses, they do pass drinking water safe to drink in theory as there are no longer toxins present.
Here are some chemicals in a garden hose:
BPA: BPA is typically found in plastic wares, including garden hose. Studies show BPA can harm health as it could raise blood pressure. This is because plastic wares can react with the sun’s heat. If you leave your garden hose in the sun, BPA might contaminate the water inside.
Lead: High lead levels surpass the Safe Water Drinking Act threshold. Some hoses exceed 100 ppm lead, and lead is not safe in any amount. Even in the hose bib, you can find older materials used in hose bib and faucet production used lead, which would affect the water supply.
Antimony: The garden hose contains antimony as well. According to studies, kidney failure, liver issues, and other internal organ issues have been linked to antimony.
Phthalates: Phthalates are chemicals added to plastics to make them flexible. This chemical causes endocrine damage, behavioral abnormalities, and reduced IQ. Specific drinking water hoses and 75% of PVC hoses contain phthalates.
Not only is the garden hose harmful. Even if the water supply comes from the same source, it doesn’t mean they are drinking water safe. Hose metal fixtures sometimes fail government criteria, and even if the hose is drinking water safe, the fittings can contaminate the outside tap water.
Where Does Hose Water Come From?
The government does not test the water quality, and the garden hose contains chemicals found in most homes. Pipes and fittings are standardized to make safe drinking water. Yet, the outdoor water pipes supplying the outside water may contain mold and bacteria. (Learn How To Know If Zucchini Is Bad)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors drinking water through the Safe Drinking Water Act. The government, at regular intervals, checks samples for contaminants and chemicals. They check the water from the source and the household pipes. However, the outside tap water isn’t always tested. The water can get contaminated if it passes via unsafe pipes or fittings.
As they use their outdoor taps to irrigate their plants and wash their cars, most people do not sterilize the hose or faucet. Thus any water coming from outside taps could cause gastrointestinal illness from the bacteria that fill this hose water if the water is used as drinking water.
Can Hoses Cause Pollution In The Garden
More than simply your children, pets, and animals will be impacted by the water in the garden house. According to experts, it might pollute your yard as well. The soil in the garden may become contaminated by the antimony, phthalates, and BPA in the water. Plants, flowers, and fruits may also be harmed if contaminated.
Polluted soil may wash onto the streets and water sources during heavy rain. As a result, both the water bodies and the aquatic life may be impacted. (Read Avocado Tree Leaves Drooping – What To Do)
Reduce the Risk of Unclean Hose Water
Indeed, it would be best to not quench your thirst with the water from your garden hose. Also, since it has many germs and chemicals, it might not be a good idea to allow your dogs to drink from it. Even though it’s not always possible to avoid drinking water from garden hoses, there are things you can take to reduce the worry and danger.
- Let your garden hose water run for a few minutes: This reduces water toxicity and stagnant water sitting in your hose.
- Keep the hose in a dark and cool area: Keep your hose in a safe area that is out of direct sunlight.
- Check your outdoor faucet: Many metal faucet is made from brass, and unregulated brass can contain high levels of lead. It is wise to change any brass faucet to a safer material.
- Use a rubber hose: Unlike conventional brands, these are non-toxic.
