Risks of drinking 'raw' water

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - Going all-in on "off-the-grid" water is 2018's latest trend. A growing number of people are tossing out filtered water and replacing it with natural untreated spring water. Or, as the cool kids are calling it, "raw water."

A handful of raw water companies are popping up nationwide. Many advertise spring water that is free of industrial toxins and rich in healthy microbes because it is not processed.

Though, many medical professionals say our water is filtered for a reason.

Dr. Robert Glatter of Lenox Hill Hospital said drinking raw water is like playing Russian roulette with your health because unfiltered water can have anything from bacteria to parasites to viruses.

"This is something you shouldn't do," Glatter said. "You can potentially contract an illness such as cholera, giardia, E. coli—these are all dangerous bacteria and viruses that live in the water supply."

"It's incredibly naturally pure, not because of what's in it, there's no magical ingredient, it's because it's devoid of any contamination from man—including treatment chemicals," said N. Bryan Pullen, the president of Tourmaline Spring Water. He said his Maine-based raw water provider is both federally and state approved. Other raw water companies do not have the same credentials, he claimed.

"We do not advocate drinking untested water at any regard," Pullen said.

Some medical professionals say raw water could potentially provide beneficial minerals but a healthy diet would get you the same minerals without the added risk.