Summer is one of the best times to travel and enjoy time with friends and relatives. You can visit the beach, mountains, or anywhere else.
However, the scorching sun makes you thirsty. When your food and drink supplies are depleted, you may be tempted to use the garden hose to get water.
The same is true when you set up a lawn pool and let your kids play in it for long hours. No matter how careful you are, they will eventually drink water from the hose.
However, the water in a garden hose is not generally safe for drinking. It contains bacteria that can harm your health, and the hose's material reacts with the water, contaminating it.
Thus, this article aims to inform readers about the chemicals in garden hoses so they can be more informed about their harm to their families. It will also discuss the effects of drinking water from the hose and give tips on reducing the chemicals' effects on the body.
Knowing Garden Hose Better
A garden hose is a flexible tube used inside homes to convey water. Sometimes, people attach sprinklers and sprayers at the end of the hose to concentrate water at one point only or to spread it over a large area. The hoses are usually attached to the tap or spigot.
Garden hoses are usually made of synthetic rubber or plastic and reinforced with a web of fibers. Because of these materials, the garden hoses are smooth and flexible. You can pull them on anywhere you go, like in trees, posts, and other obstacles.
Indeed, garden hoses are tough, so they can survive scrapes from rocks and be stepped on by people without causing leaks or damage.
Hoses designed to carry water are usually made of NSF International-listed polymers. These materials are tested so they will not leach into the water.
Meanwhile, most garden hoses on the market today are not rated for use with hot water. The packaging can tell much about this so customers can make sound decisions. Leaving a non-reinforced and pressurized hose under the sun's heat for a long period can cause it to burst.
Usage
The garden hoses transport water for landscaping, gardening, or taking care of the lawn. People also used it to clean other outdoor items such as equipment, automobiles, animals, and buildings.
A Garden hose can make your life easier. You won’t need to fetch heavy water to finish your activities outside your home, and it can help you quickly bring water to hard-to-reach areas of your home.
Indeed, almost all modern homes nowadays have a hose in their homes.
Origin of the Water in the Garden Hose
Generally, the water from your garden hose is the same as that from your tap. However, water pipes on the street are underground and split into different parts of your home.
The water treatment plants treated the water before sending it to your home. As such, it is safe for drinking and can even help strengthen one’s bones and teeth.
However, the garden hose might not be as safe as the pipes and fittings inside your home. The pipes and fittings are constructed to avoid contamination and make it safe for drinking. Meanwhile, the garden hose is dirty and might not be suitable for human consumption.
The garden hose might be contaminated since the water might react with the material of the hose. Add to it the heat of the sun plus the rusty plumbing outside your home.
Sometimes, even if you open the tap and let your garden hose run for a long time before drinking, you can’t be sure that the water inside is not contaminated with chemicals.
Toxins in Garden Hose
In a study conducted on about 200 garden hoses in America, it was found that there are several toxins present. There were toxins such as bromine, lead, phthalates, and antimony in PVC hoses. Meanwhile, non-PVC hoses do not contain these kinds of chemicals.
Here are some more chemicals in the garden hose:
BPA: Garden hoses can contain BPA, typically found in plastic wares. Studies have shown that BPA can affect one’s health, raising blood pressure. Plastic wares can react with BPA when left in the sun's heat. This is one of the reasons why many products nowadays are BPA-free, and people patronize them.
If you leave your garden hose under the sun, the water inside might react with the hose and become contaminated with BPA.
Lead: According to a study by the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the hoses have high levels of lead that exceed the standard set by the Safe Water Drinking Act. Some have more than 100 ppm of lead. Even tiny amounts of lead can be dangerous to your health, and there is no safe limit.
Antimony: Another chemical that can be found in the garden hose is antimony. Studies found that antimony can cause kidney failure, liver issues, and other internal organ problems.
Phthalates: Phthalates are chemicals added to cosmetics and plastics to make them flexible and soft. They can damage the endocrine system, lower intelligence, and cause behavioral changes. They can also cause hormonal imbalance and sterility in men. About 75% of PVC hoses contain phthalates; some drinking water hoses also contain this chemical.
Moreover, not only the garden hose is toxic. Sometimes, the metal fixtures on hoses do not adhere to the standards set by authorities. In this case, the connectors might contaminate the water even if the hose is safe.
Outside Water is Unmonitored for Cleanliness
Various chemicals are found in the garden hose, and the authorities have not checked the water quality.
Indeed, the pipes and fittings are standardized to produce safe drinking water in your home. However, the pipes supplying the outside water and the hose can contain bacteria and mold.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors the drinking water supply through the Safe Drinking Water Act. The agency regularly takes samples and tests them for impurities or chemicals.
They check the water from the source and the one that goes through the household pipes. Sometimes, they don’t check the outside tap anymore. Although the water leaves the plant perfectly safe, it can become contaminated if it travels through unsafe pipes or fittings.
Most people no longer disinfect their outside taps, as they use them to water their plants and clean their cars. As such, bacteria and germs might multiply and cause problems in the long run.
Effects of Unclean Garden Hose
There are various effects that an unsafe and unclean garden hose can bring to you. It can cause adverse health effects, costly repairs, and pollution. Find out more in this section:
Unclean Water Can Cause Health Effects
If the water is dirty, it can make you sick. It can cause diarrhea, vomiting, or a sick stomach. The treatment for a sick stomach can last for days, affecting your schedule at home or work.
It can also give you skin rashes, problems in your reproductive organs, and other developmental problems. You might have difficulty concentrating on your daily life and be depressed due to your disease.
Finally, dirty water can also cause cancer in the long run. Dirty water can contain chemicals that can react with bodily tissues. The cancer treatment can be expensive, and its effects are irreversible. Thus, it is still best to consider what you drink or eat.
Hoses Can Cause Garden Pollution
The water in the garden house will not just affect your livestock, pets, and kids. According to the Ecology Center, it can also cause pollution in your garden.
The antimony, phthalates, and BPA in the water can contaminate the soil in the garden. Plants, flowers, and fruits might also be affected if the soil is contaminated.
When it rains, polluted soil might run off into the streets and the water source, affecting the bodies of water and the animals in them.
In the long run, people who drink water from a polluted source can become sick; thus, the cycle becomes never-ending.
How to Reduce the Risk of Unclean Water from the Garden Hose
Indeed, the water in your garden hose is not safe to quench your thirst. Also, letting your pets drink from it might not be good since it carries germs and chemicals.
However, there are steps that you can take to minimize the risk of the water in the hose since sometimes it is inevitable not to drink water in the garden hose. For example, if you set up a pool, sometimes your kids might find drinking water from the hose tempting.
Thus, to minimize adverse effects of the water from the garden hose, follow these tips:
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Let the water run for a few minutes: Before watering your plants or filling the pool in your garden, you can let the water from your hose run for a few minutes. This will reduce the toxins in the water. It is not good for water to sit on the hose for long hours, so flush it first before using it.
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Keep the hose in a dark and cool place. Keep it safe, and do not leave it in the sun's heat. Warm temperatures and sunlight can increase the polymer's degradation rate and cause the chemicals to leach into the water. Keeping your hose away from warm areas can slow down these processes.
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Mind the Fixture: Most outdoor fixtures are made of unregulated brass, which often contains lead. Even if you think your outdoor fixtures are safe for consumption, they sometimes contain heavy metal contamination from plumbers and faucets. Thus, always be mindful of the fixture; change it regularly if you have the money.
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Choose Rubber Hose: Natural rubber hoses don’t contain toxic plasticizers, unlike traditional rubber hoses. Before buying a new garden hose, ensure you read the product description. Select hoses with a low environmental impact and are safe for drinking water. In general, this type of hose is safe to use. However, letting the water run for a few minutes removes the undesirable chemicals.
Conclusion
In summary, drinking from a garden hose is not advisable. The manufacturers' materials are unknown, and outside fixtures are not monitored like inside.
Some hoses are labeled as ‘drinking water safe.’ However, these are a little more expensive than regular hoses. You can buy this product or choose a rubber hose instead.
Lastly, while drinking from the garden hose might be tempting, walking into your kitchen and getting the water from the tap is still best. You can also buy a water bottle from local stores or invest in a filter.
A little discipline is what you need, especially if we are talking about drinking water.
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