Copper & Zinc Water Contamination

The strange effect copper and zinc can have on drinking water, sound almost mythical. Yet, these two essential minerals in high doses can cause sensational harm to the human body. Normally with pipes connected to homes, they contain brass copper fittings to ensure a long duration as the years go by. No one wants to spend thousands each year replacing water pipes. However, the copper fittings could be adding to the high than normal copper levels found in drinking water a.k.a tap water. 

Doctor Samuel Kinner Wilson

This name is important to individuals who suffer from Wilson’s disease? Why? At the moment this disease is only known to be purely a genome mutation. But Wilson’s disease helps to cause a strange and unique buildup of copper minerals in the body. If an individual or child has gone undiagnosed and the drinking water contains high traces of copper, this is putting the individual at extreme risk.

Receiving Notice to Boil Water from the Water Department

It seems nowadays, no matter where you live, we have all received a notice from the water department. Suggesting we boil our tap water to cancel out some of the overloaded minerals that could be contaminating our water. Did you know that some have claimed that if a household continues to drink from the tap without taking proper precaution, that could end up with long-term liver damage? Or damage to the kidneys? Yes, this is happening now and it’s cause for alarm to ensure safe drinking water is available from the tap. So, the main question is what can be done?


1. Ion tablets can dissolve the excess copper and zinc
2. Using filters that promote reverse osmosis
3. Apparently, the best way to remove zinc compounds that are extremely hazardous (zinc cyanide) is through sand filtration

The Copper Problem

Elevated levels of copper in drinking water can affect the kidneys. The usual effects of too much copper can result in vomiting, cramps, and horribly digestive issues. Be careful if you are attempting to give a child under a year old tap water. Their body hasn’t fully developed the right digestive structure to protect against such this metal mineral. 

In some cases, individuals have experienced epigastric burning after drinking water. This is caused by too much copper possibly nearly blocking a water pipe. If you are at a drinking fountain and you notice the water is coming out with a slight copper-like tint, by all means, do not drink. Instead, contact your city Water department right away. 

How to tell too much copper is in your drinking water? There will be a definitive metallic taste. Remember, as a child and noticing the smell of pennies, that’s the exact same smell and taste.

If you’re a homeowner and you’ve noticed corrosion around the pipes, this is easily connected to copper. That’s why boiling water straight from the tap is expected when these pipes have corrosion. 

The Zinc Problem

What is unusual is people tend to be lacking zinc. Yet, in concentrated overloaded doses zinc can harm the human system. Typically, this comes from zinc chloride, which can cause extreme coughing, trouble breathing and problems with the respiratory functions. Severe cases of zinc intake have shown damage to the pancreas, developing anemia, and raised cholesterol. Also, it maybe should be suggested that a woman who is currently pregnant should stay away from tap water. How to tell if there is by far too much zinc in your water? The water will come out of the tap cloudy and chalky. We have mentioned boiling water, yet this method does not work with removing zinc. We highly suggest reverse osmosis as the best route.

Using filters

Filters such as Brita, Pelican, DuPoint, or Aquasana are known for purifying water of excess containments. We suggest you look into what specific minerals are registered with a higher ratio than the others with your Water Department. This way you can select the right type of filter to use at home.

The application in which copper and zinc water contamination are present and at what measurements depends on a number of theories. Is there a leak between the pipelines and the soil? How are these minerals sinking into our drinking system? Is it the way our drinking water is processed? Or there so how it’s not processed properly? We suggest contacting the Water Department to receive a test list of all the minerals present because you could have a copper and zinc water contamination within your drinking water.