ucsdhealthsciences: Not a Drop to Drink In prosperous Silicon Valley, where it appears to be difficu

ucsdhealthsciences:

Not a Drop to Drink

In prosperous Silicon Valley, where it appears to be difficult to find enough new ways to spend money, a current craze is “raw water,” which sells for as much as $36.99 per 2.5-gallon container, according to a recentNew York Timesstory.

Raw water is basically unfiltered, untreated, unsterilized spring water, which supposedly produces a smooth, sweet, “pure” taste. It’s supposed to be water as nature intended, untainted by manmade chemicals, like chlorine and fluoride or decontamination processes, like UV and ozone purification.

But a rising chorus of health experts say raw water can be too naturally abundant, that it often teems with unseen bacteria and viruses capable of transmitting cholera, E.coli, hepatitis A, giardia and other diseases. “Almost everything conceivable that can make you sick can be found in water,” food safety attorney Bill Marler told Business Insider.

Pictured: A single drop of water containing Bacillus subtillis, whose flagellating tails can actually cause the water to swirl in a vortex.

*edit* Come on people… somebody out there must have thought of the same thing…