Before water is pumped to our homes it is disinfected through the addition of chlorine and other chemicals. Whilst this process eliminates viruses and bacteria it can also produce many disinfection by-products (DBPs) including:
Trihalomethanes (THMs)
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Haloacetic Acids (HAAs)
The level of DBPs that exist in our water depends on many different factors, making it difficult for us to know exactly how much of these are in our tap water. In addition, water often has to travel for miles before it reaches our taps, making it impossible for us to prevent any other potential contamination (e.g. from pesticides, herbicides, insecticides).