THE MAKER'S DIET by Jordan S. Rubin     DRINKING AN INDISCRIMINATE KILLER Water supplies from wells and rivers once teemed with mycobacteria, including some pathogens that were downright deadly. Chlorine and other disinfectant substances helped make our public water supplies much safer than a century ago, and that is no doubt important to the public health. Unfortunately, most public water purification systems neglect to remove the chlorine after it has done its job in the water. That means that chlorine continues to kill all bacteria - even the "good Guys" inside our bodies. We're drinking an indiscriminate killer with the government's blessings. Populations in countries with low rates of asthma still drink water with billions of mycobacteria per liter. While I wouldn't advocate drinking impure water to reconstitute the bacteria in your body, I do recommend filtering your tap water with a high-quality purification system (to remove chlorine). (Page 72)