Here’s what happened: One day, my kid was playing with the hose, turning on the backyard faucet and drinking straight from it. I was startled and rushed over to turn off the water. I asked him, “Do you know what this water is? Can you drink it?” He shook his head, looking completely innocent.
That moment hit me—I realized I wasn’t entirely sure either. Which waters are safe to drink? Which ones look clean but aren’t? I knew tap water was drinkable, bottled water was fine, but what about the rest? Rainwater, water from the garden hose, water changed from the fish tank… Are these really “safe”?
So I made up my mind: I had to figure this out.
Searching online only made things more confusing
My first thought was to look it up online. I typed in: “What is drinking water?” The results were a flood of government documents, PDF reports, and various professional websites. Opening them revealed terms I didn’t understand: “microbiological indicators,” “total dissolved solids,” “chloramine residual”…Each term was harder to grasp than the last, like reading instructions written by aliens.
Wikipedia wasn’t much better. It started explaining how ancient people dug wells and the 19th-century cholera epidemic in London… All I wanted to know was whether my tap water was safe to drink now—why was it veering into history?
The more I read, the more my head spun. Finally, I shut down the computer. I thought: This information is way too complicated—it’s clearly not meant for ordinary people. What I need is simple, clear, immediately usable info, not exam questions.
I Decided to Test It Myself
Since I couldn’t understand the text, I’d try the practical approach. I gathered four different types of water from my home, poured them into four cups, and lined them up:
- Tap water from the kitchen faucet
- Rainwater stored in the backyard barrel
- Bottled mineral water from the supermarket
- Freshly changed water from the fish tank
All four cups were spotless, the water crystal clear with no visible impurities. I stared at them for a while, thinking: They look exactly the same! How could anyone tell which is safe to drink and which isn’t?
Visually, it was impossible. Tools were needed. I ordered inexpensive water testing strips online—just over a dozen yuan. The instructions were simple: dip the strip into the water, wait a minute, observe the color change, then match it to the chart.
I tested each one, feeling like I was conducting an experiment.
The strips revealed the truth: Visually clean ≠ Truly safe
The results startled me:
- Tap water: The test strip color matched the “safe” column perfectly. It was clean and drinkable.
- Bottled water: The color was similar, indicating it was about as safe as tap water.
- Rainwater from the barrel: The test strip suddenly turned red and orange—all warning colors. The chart said “not suitable for drinking,” possibly due to bacteria or contaminants.
- Fish tank water: Even more dramatic—the test strip turned into a chaotic mess of colors, like an overturned paint palette. Clearly, it contained numerous chemical residues and fish waste.
That’s when I realized: Just because water looks clean doesn’t mean it’s actually safe. Some contaminants are invisible, like bacteria, heavy metals, and chemical residues. These can only be detected through testing.
It’s like expired milk—still white, but drinking it gives you diarrhea. Water works the same way.
Finally figured it out: Which water is safe to drink, and which isn’t
With the test results in hand, I searched online again. This time I changed my question: “Which water is safe to drink?” “Which water isn’t safe to drink, but what can it be used for?” The results were much clearer this time.
Here’s my summary:
Safe to drink (drinking water):
- Tap water from your kitchen faucet (provided the municipal water system meets standards)
- Bottled water from supermarkets labeled “safe to drink”
- Water you boil yourself or water filtered through a certified filter
Unsafe to drink (non-drinking water):
- Rainwater collected in barrels (may contain dust, bird droppings, bacteria)
- River, lake, or pond water (wild environments prone to parasites)
- Wastewater from showers or sinks (called “graywater,” undrinkable)
- Water from swimming pools, hot tubs, or fish tanks (contains toxic disinfectants)
- Water from garden hoses (pipes may be rusty, containing lead or other metals)
The key distinction is: Drinking water is treated and meets safety standards, ensuring it won’t make you sick. Non-potable water lacks this treatment, may be harmful to health, and should only be used for flushing toilets, watering plants, or cleaning floors—never for consumption.
I used to think “clear water = safe,” but now I know that’s wrong. You can’t judge cleanliness by sight alone.
How My Household Uses Different Waters Now
Since then, my household has become very particular about water usage:
- We only drink tap water or bottled water. I always verify the source for my children’s drinking water.
- We still use the rainwater barrel, but only for watering flowers and grass in the yard. It never touches edible vegetables. I even put a big label on it: “Do Not Drink.”
- I know the water used for bathing and washing my children’s hands is “greywater,” and I never use it for anything other than flushing the toilet.
- When camping or hiking, I never drink mountain spring water directly anymore. I always boil it first or use a portable filter.
I also realized many places had already warned us. For instance, signs on construction site and park water pipes say “Not for Drinking.” I never paid attention before, but now I understand immediately.
This experience taught me one thing: many things in life seem simple, but figuring them out truly requires time, thought, and hands-on testing. Water isn’t trivial—drinking the wrong kind can make you sick, or even land you in the hospital.
Now I can confidently say: I know which water in my home is safe to drink and which is only for looking at. Though the process was a bit exhausting, it brought peace of mind—and that’s what matters most.