TAMPA, FL — Health researchers want to know whether tap water or bottled water causes more stomach problems, and they'll be looking at water drinkers in Hillsborough County to find out, The Tampa Tribune reported.
According to the paper, the Fresh Water Study on the health effects of drinking tap water is a joint project of the University of South Florida College of Public Health and Emory University in Atlanta.
The study will seek about 1,000 volunteer households to participate. Some families will continue to drink tap water from their home spigots while another group will drink bottled water for a year, the article stated.
Participants will be followed to compare how often they display symptoms of stomach bugs or gastrointestinal illness, the paper reported.
Hillsborough County was picked because it relies on groundwater that comes from wells and other underground sources. The county's mix of ethnic, education and age groups also makes Hillsborough a good model of the US population, according to representatives from the university.
Researchers are targeting families for the study who drink mostly tap water and don't use filter systems, the paper reported.
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