Water is one of the basic needs of our daily life. Drinking good quality water is essential to health and well-being. Water becomes acceptable when it is free from microbes, chemicals and other physical contaminants.

 The presence of microbes in water may cause water poisoning which results in stomach upset, diarrhea, allergies, vomiting and many other symptoms.

Drinking water is collected from unsafe sources outside the home and held in storage containers. However, improving the source of water does not always decrease the incidences as this may be contaminated during collection, transport or storage.

Now we all have UV and RO purifiers which make potable water free from microbes. We also know that our ancestors practice storing water in metallic vessels like copper, silver, clay which is beneficial for us. Let us know about the health benefits of using these metals.

According to studies on “the Effect of Storage Containers on Coliforms in Household Drinking Water” which revealed that there was no significant reduction of coliform bacteria in the water stored in Glass, Plastic, Ceramics, Coconut shell, Aluminum and Stainless Steel container, whereas a significant level of reduction of coliforms bacteria was observed in the water stored in Mud pot, Brass, Copper and Silver containers suggesting that water can be stored in any one of these containers for the household purpose free from microbes.

Copper:

Copper has a property that destroys the microbes in the water.

WHO has given a permissible limit to copper content in the water i.e., about 2 mg/l and after 16 hrs taste of the water might change due to a slight increase in pH.
One of our Indian studies shows that copper exhibits antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties. Besides, copper also helps in skin regeneration and strengthens the immune system.
Copper water bottles are available in the market. Carry your copper bottles from home when traveling, on your office desks and at your home instead of plastic bottles.
Store water overnight in a copper jug/vessel and drink in the morning.

Cleaning:
Pour vinegar and salt over the copper and rub to remove any tarnishing and grim.
This can also be achieved simply by rubbing a piece of lemon over the tarnished area and rinse well.

Silver:

Apart from using it as an ornament, silver is also used to store water for decades. It is believed that placing a silver coin in a vessel containing water would retard the growth of microbes.
Levels of silver in natural water average from 0.2 µg-0.3 µg/l.
A silver coating prevents bacterial build-up in carbon-based water filters, while silver ions in water purification systems carry oxygen that oxidizes and kills microbes.

Some Indian studies reveal that silver vessels are found to be powerful antibacterial and anti-fungal. These have an excellent effect against microbes like Coli-form, Shigella and Salmonella.
Silver cups/spoons are used to feed the babies.

Cleaning: Use vinegar and baking soda to clean the silver bowl/spoon.
Place a spoon on foil and pour hot water over this.

Then sprinkle baking soda and rest for a few minutes. Then clean with regular chemical and water.

Brass:

Since brass exhibits antimicrobial activity as mentioned above in a study, it is beneficial to drink water stored in brass vessels. Hence, this can combat many water-borne illnesses.

Zinc in the copper and brass boosts immunity and protects against illness. Store water overnight in a copper jug/vessel and drink in the morning. People with high levels of copper or zinc must consult doctors before using these.

Cleaning: Pour vinegar and salt over the copper and rub to remove any tarnishing and grim. This can also be achieved simply by rubbing a piece of lemon over the tarnished area and rinse well.

Clay pots/Matka:

The practice of using clay pot is not only as a substitute but also owns its health benefits. Of course, it is good during summer and works on the principle of vaporization, which helps in cooling down water. As it has pores, cools down the water slowly.

It is gentle for the throat and can be consumed by people suffering from cold and cough. Also, you may safeguard yourself from sunstroke by consuming clay water as it has certain vitamins and minerals that provide a gentle effect to your body.

It also helps in maintaining the ideal pH in our body. As our body is acidic, while the clay is alkaline. Consuming pot water would balances the pH thereby keeping away the gastric and acidity related problems.
Finally, this is an eco-friendly storage container to store water and does not contain any chemicals in it.

Cleaning:
Never use a soap solution to clean as it may soak into the pores of the pot and leaches into the water.
Use hot water and a brush to clean instead. Salt can also be used to clean with a scrub sponge. Water bottles made out of Clay are also available in the market. However, extra care is required when handling them.

Key Points:

As these metals possess antimicrobial activity, highly efficient against pathogenic bacteria and not expensive but are very effective if used regularly.

The most important thing is that these are available to everybody, even in people from rural areas. Therefore, they are the most suitable containers to store water.