Amid recent reports of a contaminated water supply in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Fox News Digital asked experts whether it's safe to drink unfiltered tap water.
Recent reports of a contaminated water supply in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which led to warnings not to use water from faucets earlier this week, have sparked general safety concerns. The city of Grand Prairie, Texas, announced firefighting foam was detected in the water Tuesday, then announced Thursday the water is safe to drink, according to local reports. Fox News Digital spoke to experts about potential risks with unfiltered tap water. ASK A DOCTOR: 'CAN I BE DEHYDRATED EVEN IF I'M NOT THIRSTY?' Generally speaking, it's safe to drink tap water, according to Dr. Brynna Connor, a board-certified family medicine physician in Frisco, Texas, and an ambassador for Northwestpharmacy.com. "As long as it's from a public water system and there aren't any active boil water advisories issued by local health committees and/or water companies," Connor told Fox News Digital. "According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the public water system in the United States is one of the safest in the world, ensuring that water in the public systems meets federal standards for safe consumption." In some cases, however, there could be risks associated with drinking unfiltered tap water, including various illnesses affecting the gastrointestinal system, neurological system and reproductive system, according to Connor. WITH SOME OLYMPIC EVENTS POSTPONED, SEINE RIVER WATER QUALITY POSES CONCERNS "Additionally, lead poisoning and hepatitis are potential risks that come with drinking unfiltered tap water, along with nitrate contamination and fluoride exposure," she added. Infants, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are particularly susceptible to the potential risks that come with drinking unfiltered tap water, the doctor said. Jennifer Dunphy, a doctor of public health and co-founder of the WIN Network in Los Angeles, agreed that most tap water is regarded as safe to drink because it is regulated by standards that require harmful chemicals to be…