Should you give your child packaged drinking water? Find out now!

Packaged drinking water or bottled water is convenient to carry around, and at the same time, perceived healthier and safe by parents for their kids. The sources for packaged drinking water include rivers, lakes and public taps. This water is then purified and filtered, and then goes through reverse osmosis and UV treatment for improved taste. The packaged drinking water has few natural minerals, which gives it the distinct flavour it has.

Is bottled water or packaged drinking water safe for your kids? Not necessarily. There are some bottled water brands that are certified by the government and are safe for drinking. But this doesn’t mean that all the brands can be considered safe, as it is difficult to calculate and analyse the level of purity and safety.
Also, depending on where the water has originated – whether it is well water, spring water or municipal water and how it is treated, the quality of the bottled water may vary.

But what are the reasons behind it?

It is important for NOT only your kids, but also for yourself to consume water that is safe and clean. That’s because drinking unclean and unsafe water can cause several water-borne diseases, which can lead to other serious medical issues.

For water to be safe to drink for your kids and yourself, it should be low in contaminants and microorganisms that are harmful for your health. It is recommended that you should not give bottled water or packaged drinking water to your kids, as they can contain some chemical compounds that are NOT safe.

However, there are times when we don’t really have a choice. In that case, buy bottled water that belongs to a reputed brand, since it is monitored by the Foods Safety Standards Association of India (FSSAI) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Try to buy from a good shop, and not from roadside hawkers or local vendors, as sometimes they reuse the bottle and fill tap water in it.

Water contains minute to small amounts of minerals and nutrients in it, but during the purification and filtration process, the minerals get washed away along with the impurities. It is better to consume normal water available in our homes. Now the question arises: how should you purify water or make sure the water in our homes is safe for drinking? Well, there are many ways to do so, they are.

Also read: Packaged drinking water: Does it increase the risk of cavities?

Here are some ways in which you can purify water at home:

• Boil the water: Boiling is the most simple, easy and cheapest way to purify your household drinking water. All you need to do is take the drinking water into a large container and heat it. Bring the water to a boil at about a temperature of 100⁰ C, and turn off the heat. The harmful microorganisms won’t be able to survive the sudden temperature changes and will die. Cover the water with a lid to cool down. Now, strain the water through a clean muslin cloth and store it in clean containers or bottles.
  
• Use chlorine tablets: You can make use of the chlorine tablets at home to purify the water. Even the municipal corporation uses chlorine tablets to clean and purify the water, in order to make it safe for drinking as well as cooking, before distributing it to households. But boiling water is still the best method to use.
• Use a water purifier or filter: You can install a water purifier at home for the purification and filtration of water. This is also an easy and convenient way to make sure that the water in your house is safe for drinking for your kids, and your family members. There are several types of water purifiers available in the market, like:

1. Reverse Osmosis(RO) filters
2. Sediment filters
3. Ultraviolet(UV) filters
4. Activated Carbon filters
5. Ultrafiltration (UF) filters

We suggest you do proper research and find out a filter which is best suited to your needs.