--- title: Raw Water Is New Health Trend. But Is It Safe? description: Raw water—untreated, unprocessed and unfiltered water—is now being sold by startups as an alternative to tap water. But is raw water safe? canonical: https://time.com/5085792/is-raw-water-safe/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-03T22:31:42.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T08:44:13.977Z article:section: Health og:title: Raw Water Is a New Health Trend. But Is It Safe? og:description: Here's what you need to know og:url: https://time.com/5085792/is-raw-water-safe/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt434c4ecaa0523a0d/6988f6fd929fad26dcbef146/water-jug.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5270 og:image:height: 2964 og:image:alt: water pitcher and glass og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Raw Water Is a New Health Trend. But Is It Safe? twitter:description: Here's what you need to know twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt434c4ecaa0523a0d/6988f6fd929fad26dcbef146/water-jug.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'Raw Water' Is a New Health Trend. But Is It Safe? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f30d4b17-2729-48a2-8d73-9aaf3f73a30b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 'Raw Water' Is a New Health Trend. But Is It Safe? [Watch (HLS stream): 'Raw Water' Is a New Health Trend. But Is It Safe?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/G4bptXck.m3u8) (1:51)  _Published 2018-01-04. A New York Times story in December introduced a new health buzzword to the masses: raw water, or water that hasn’t been treated, filtered or processed in any way. But is it safe?_  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Jan 3, 2018 10:31 PM UTC  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Jan 3, 2018 10:31 PM UTC A [New York _Times_ story](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/29/dining/raw-water-unfiltered.html) in December introduced a new health buzzword to the masses: [raw water](http://www.extracrispy.com/drinks/4671/the-founder-of-juicero-is-now-shilling-for-a-fearmongering-raw-water-brand), or water that hasn’t been treated, filtered or processed in any way. While the beverage isn’t widespread yet, a number of untreated water startups have cropped up in states ranging from California to Maine, according to the _Times_. They’re attracting those with misgivings about tap water treatment processes and additives, as well as people who want to preserve the natural substances found in virgin water. But is the stuff even safe? The water system in the U.S. isn’t perfect — there are aging pipes and infrastructure issues, for example, and lead contamination [like that in Flint, Mich.](http://time.com/4430614/six-michigan-state-employees-criminally-charged-for-flint-water-crisis/) — but it has greatly improved public health over the past century. After the U.S. introduced filtration, chlorination and sanitation practices for public drinking water, the burden of water-borne illnesses such as cholera and typhoid fever plummeted almost to zero, says Kellogg Schwab, a professor of water and public health at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. “It was truly instrumental in improving public health in the United States,” Schwab says. “Having a central treatment process of our drinking water and then distributing it out to the individual homes and businesses is a tremendous asset that we, as a country, take for granted.” Drinking untreated water, and the pathogens that can lurk within it, could expose Americans to disease outbreaks once again, says Vince Hill, chief of the CDC’s Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch. “When water isn’t treated, it can contain chemicals and germs that can make us sick or cause disease outbreaks,” he says. “Anything you can think of can be in untreated water, really,” ranging from agricultural runoff and naturally occurring chemicals to bacteria and viruses. And while community tap water is treated to remove 91 different contaminants, there’s little data showing what’s in raw water. “That’s the part that is concerning, because there are many sources of water contamination that can affect spring water,” Hill says. As for concerns about fluoride — a [chemical added to community water supplies](http://time.com/3837133/fluoride-drinking-water-teeth/) to help prevent tooth decay — Vincent Casey, a senior water sanitation and hygiene manager at clean water nonprofit WaterAid, says it’s not harmful at the levels found in drinking water, even though it is hazardous at high concentrations. (Due to its potential health consequences, some vocal opponents have [called for an end to water fluoridation](http://fluoridealert.org/articles/50-reasons/).) “In low quantities, it is scientifically proven that it is beneficial to dental health,” Casey says. “If a water company or a utility is carrying out its treatment to the right standards, there shouldn’t be instances where these concentrations are going to hazardous levels at all.” If you’re concerned about your tap water, Hill says, it’s better to invest in a home filtration or testing system than to turn to untreated water. Casey agrees. “If you’ve got the luxury of a treated, piped water supply to your home available, it’s not really a good idea to drink untreated water,” he says. “There are obviously many people in the world who don’t have that luxury.” ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5085792/is-raw-water-safe/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5085792/is-raw-water-safe/"},"headline":"'Raw Water' Is a New Health Trend. 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