This afternoon we went to Glastonbury to get our fortnightly supply of drinking water from the White Spring.  We've been doing this for years and always meet a varied aray of people - all pleasent - some interesting - some just plain weird! :d

The guy we met today had to be the funniest (and weirdest) yet!  He was talking to hubby (while I was reading the dog paper and waiting for the bottles to fill :d) about storing the water and he said that a "doctor friend of his" had said that spring water was, in fact, very bad for you as it was stored in plastic bottles.  Each to his own, I thought!  THEN came the classic...

"You do realise" he said "the reason why there's so many 'Gays' about is that tap water is contaminated by the contraceptive pill women take.  Women on the pill leak eostrogen into the water table and it turns men gay" ROTFL  Apparently this was also told to him by his "doctor friend" LOL!  At this point I was desparately trying to hide in Dog World and doing my utmost not to burst out laughing! LOL How hubby kept a straight face I do not know!!  We couldn't even bring ourselves to argue the point for fear he may hang around for longer than need be!

Still... they say it takes all sorts... :d

Debs

tap water is contaminated by the contraceptive pill

It is! That is one theory put forward to explain the current falling sperm counts in men and it is probably the best explanation. Other reasons were put forward like tight Y-fronts but male fertility still fell when boxers came into fashion. Don't think tap water is causing a gay plague however - your chap probably put his own interpretation on to what his doctor friend told him. :)

PS - my husband drinks tap water but I make sure the stud boys get water from the rain barrel! :D

I wouldn't laugh tooooo loudly. ;) 
A friend who works in maternity told me that they have at least one hermaphrodite born each month.  The talk at the hospital is because of all the oestrogen in tap water.  It's kept quiet and the parents chose which sex and the babies have an operation before they leave hospital.  May begin to explain all the people who don't know if they should be an Arthur or a Martha?? :D

PS and I wouldn't store in plastic either. ;)

Fascinating book on that theme here Val. If you fancy a read of something different, I'll pop it in the post to you.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nature-Made-Him-John-Colapinto/dp/0704381370

K&M said puppies were gorgeous. French contingent are lovely, Kate's bitch is a gem.

M.

>tap water is contaminated by the contraceptive pill

Yep! Our drinking water is 'recycled' several times through human kidneys then sewage works before it finally reaches the sea, and the excess hormones which people excrete can cause problems to future drinkers of the water. It's believed to be responsible for falling sperm counts in men, and although I'm not sure it actually causes homosexuality in humans it's known to cause at least one species of fish to change sex.

He was right, too, in a way, about storing water in plastic bottles. The chemicals in the plastic can leach into the water; glass bottles are safer.

I do know about storing water in plastic, hence why we only keep it a fortnight ;)  I still believe, however, that spring water has GOT to be better than the rubbish that comes out of the taps.  I don't care what the plastic does to it in fourteen days, (we don't buy spring water which may have been stored for goodness knows how long) it's got to be better than drinking chemical filled disgusting tap water!

It was just the gay thing that got me laughing!  Hubby is an avid fisherman so knew about the fish but, as Jas so brilliantly put it, 'gay plagues'? LOL

Debs

Research has suggested that Soy products are also having an effect on men - oestrogen-like substances in soy food products are no good for the sprem count or libido apparently   which is why soy foods are recommended for menopausal women who want natural help :) :)

absolutely right about the fish and the estrogen in water so why not men as well?  Tap water may taste foul but it is disinfected to protect us.  I don't know which is the lesser of the two evils badly stored spring water or water straight from the tap.

Just wondered, does where you live affect quality of tap water? Down here on the IOW its just fine, but when I went to stay in London, I had to keep buying bottled water as it was 'orrible! Worst cup of tea I've ever had - or am I just going mad?? (me? surely not... :D :D )

Yes, the water quality and make-up varied according to where you get your water from and where you live :(

Some areas are chalky and will have harder water, some are moorland and these are often very soft water areas :)  and there are other areas where the water is different again.  Where I live we get our water from a mountain moorland reservoir and it's very soft, it's lovely to drink, we never need to use descalers in our kettles and soap lathers really easily as there's so little calcium in the water.   I found that my hair went really bad when I stayed in Brean and Minehead, soaps wouldn't lather, and the water tasted foul :(

Yes, the water quality and make-up varies according to where you get your water from and where you live :(

Some areas are chalky and will have harder water, some are moorland and these are often very soft water areas :)  and there are other areas where the water is different again.  Where I live we get our water from a mountain moorland reservoir and it's very soft, it's lovely to drink, we never need to use descalers in our kettles and soap lathers really easily as there's so little calcium in the water.   I found that my hair went really bad when I stayed in Brean and Minehead, soaps wouldn't lather, and the water tasted foul :(

Hi hebeboots,
We're Islanders born and bred and from what I can remember of working in a pharmacists in my younger days, is that it gave thousands of holiday makers the runs every year....te,he.

hahaha Oh dear! Us Islanders must have cast iron guts I guess! :D :D

I believe he did get it sort of right.  Jeangenie expanded very well.  I've read that many plastics and other synthetic and composite materials leak what is called pseudo-estrogen into materials stored in them.  Ice cubes have been found to have estrogen counts that did not come from the water initially used.  I have read the problem is worse if you put hot food or beverage into such containers or heat them in the microwave.  You aren't even safe putting such containers in your dishwasher as the leachate then drips on to whatever is below.  Sigh, glass bottles travel so well on a canoe trip and packed in the freezer.  :(

Further, there is serious concern here as to other things passing through our systems before reaching the water.  One big concern has to do with the amount of antibiotic people take which is now thought to be contributing to the "super bug" problem.