The following article was reprinted from the January 1995 issue of Natural Rearing Newsletter by permission of Ambrican Enterprises Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this article shall be reprinted without express permission.

Most of us have some vague, fuzzy idea that city water may not be the best for us and many have turned to bottled water to use for ourselves. 

Have you thought of doing the same for your pet? If not, why not? Maybe it's because you really don't understand the harm done by the multiple ingredients found in all municipal water supplies throughout the U.S.A. 

Water is a God-given crucial nutrient for the body. But we have been hoodwinked into accepting a product that is of progressively more inferior composition. It is well known that the average city water today contains over 500 chemicals that do not belong in it. Part of this is due to the fact that most delivery systems in the U.S. include cement, asbestos pipes, cast iron, PVC (porous to certain solvents, herbicides and pesticides) and that lead, cadmium and other toxic metals leach out of valves and couplings of pipes between a water treatment plant and a faucet in the home. 

To make matters worse, we INTENTIONALLY add chlorine!! So what? you may ask. 

Chlorine is a halogen that damages enzymes. It does not belong in our bodies as part of our water needs!!

For starters, chlorine potentiates magnesium deficiency, which can cause almost any symptom you can think of from high blood pressure, to chemical sensitivity or even sudden death. Furthermore, it also decreases the absorption while increasing the excretion of calcium and phosphorus. The increased loss of calcium into the urine, promotes osteoporosis. 

It is known that it not only contributes to hypertension, but also cancers of the pancreas, colon, bladder and has been linked to heart attacks, diabetes, kidney stones and much more. 

All these years we've been putting people on low sodium diets for control of high blood pressure. But it turns out the sodium is not the problem as much as the chloride!! 

To make matters worse for pets, some people still use plastic water bowls. Most, if not all, of these absorb and retain numerous toxic materials. Dr. Christopher Day (England) reports... "I once had an epileptic dog I had been treating unsuccessfully for eighteen months. One day its plastic feeding bowl was accidentally broken and replaced with a ceramic one. The fits stopped immediately." 

Although many breeders are aware of the chlorine problem in drinking water, a common mistake is to overlook the fact that bathing in it can have the same effect!! Please remember that because of dermal absorption, anything on the skin is like drinking it!! 

In some cities of the U.S., the chlorine level is so high, that taking 3 showers a day puts you over the government standard for exposure. 

For 'show dogs' that exhibit skin irritations after bathing, maybe you would be advised to check the water you are using at the show site rather than blaming it on a shampoo or something else. 

Also often overlooked is the water system used in motor homes. What are you loading your holding tanks with? I know we used to be guilty of simply taking our garden hose and filling up from the tap at home. Ah, ignorance is truly bliss. 

So what can we do about it? As usual, the Europeans are ahead of us in preserving natural health. In wide spread areas of Europe the most common method of killing bugs in water systems is the use of OZONE treatment. It does a beautiful job, you have none of the free radical damage to the body that is common with chlorine, and there are multiple benefits of ozone to be derived from its interaction with the body! Do you think we'll ever get our cities to consider this?? 

There are many filtering devices available but you better do your homework when it concerns quality and effectiveness. 

I have heard from one breeder in Texas, who has installed a 'reverse osmosis' system that has been very successful in eliminating most of the problems associated with our water--including chlorine. The system not only treats her drinking water but looks after all water entering her premises. This means even water going to her refrigerator (ice cubes) has been treated. 

Evidently, the system may be purchased but she found it more economical to lease it on a monthly rental basis that included regular maintenance, filter changes, etc. It certainly seems worth looking into as this type of system does require routine monitoring and replacement of the membrane periodically. 

The ultimate system I have read about combines distillation and carbon filtration both before and after the distillation process.