Raw untreated water is healthier
Advocates of raw water claim it contains beneficial minerals and probiotics absent from treated water, but it also carries bacteria like Salmonella, parasites like Giardia, and other pathogens. Public health authorities unanimously advise against consuming untreated water.
What we know
The raw water movement emerged in the United States around 2017 to 2018, promoted by companies selling untreated spring or well water at premium prices with claims that natural water contains beneficial microorganisms and minerals removed by treatment. These claims are not supported by public health evidence.
The CDC's Vince Hill, chief of the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch, stated in the Journal of the American Medical Association that untreated water poses risks of infectious diseases from Salmonella, Giardia, Norovirus, Rotavirus, and other pathogens. A 2018 CDC report estimated that at least 1.1 million Americans get sick each year from germs in drinking water, and a significant portion of outbreaks are linked to private, untreated water sources including wells and rainwater collection.
Water treatment, including filtration, disinfection, and pH adjustment, was developed to eliminate these very pathogens. The WHO and CDC credit community water treatment as one of the most important public health achievements of the 20th century, contributing to dramatic declines in cholera, typhoid, and other waterborne diseases.
The specific claim that beneficial probiotics in raw water improve health is unsubstantiated. The human gut microbiome is not significantly populated by environmental water bacteria, and the potential for pathogenic strains in any untreated water source cannot be screened without laboratory testing. Minerals present in some spring waters can be obtained far more reliably and safely through food.
Common claims
- Raw water contains beneficial probiotics and minerals stripped by treatment.Unsupported. Claimed benefits are unverified; risks are documented.
- Tap water is full of harmful chemicals.Misleading. Regulated tap water meets strict safety standards; raw water has no such standards.
- The CDC warns against drinking raw water.True. CDC explicitly states raw water drinking is dangerous.