Last Updated on September 9, 2024 by Silvy
Drinking Water in a New Country: How to Ensure Safe Hydration
Relocating to a new country brings many challenges, one of which is ensuring access to safe drinking water.
This experience is often overlooked, but the quality of drinking water can have a significant impact on health and wellness. When moving to a new environment, something as simple as drinking water can become a critical issue.
When I first moved to Mississauga in January 2020, I quickly realized that drinking water wasn’t as straightforward as I had assumed. You expect basic needs to be easily met, but the reality can be quite different.
Tap water is widely available here, but to me, it tasted like a swimming pool. This was a stark reminder of my experience in Lagos pre-2000. I recall visitors to Nigeria often refusing tap water, and while I was initially annoyed, I understood their concern.
Now, in my new environment, I found myself in a similar situation, struggling to find bottled water that tasted “normal.” Every brand seemed to have issues—too sweet, overly chlorinated, or just plain thick.
Despite my frustration, I wasn’t ready to invest in a water dispenser, so I turned to a friend’s suggestion: a Brita water filter. After cleaning it thoroughly and replacing the water several times, we finally found the water drinkable. This small adjustment resolved our water dilemma.
Today, our fridge is equipped with a built-in filter and dispenser, and access to clean water is no longer a problem. But this experience has deepened my awareness of the global water crisis.
Many people around the world still lack access to clean, drinkable water. It’s a sobering thought that water, a basic human need, remains unattainable for millions.
Water truly is life.
