are now the five most widely consumed types of drinking water in China. However, the constituents (organic
chemicals and inorganic ingredients) of the five waters differ, which may cause them to have different long-term health
effects on those who drink them, especially sensitive children. In order to determine which type of water among the five
waters is the most beneficial regarding reproductive outcomes and the developmental behaviors of offspring, two
generations of Sprague–Dawley rats were given these five waters separately, and their reproductive outcomes and the
developmental behaviors of their offspring were observed and compared. The results showed that the unfiltered tap water
group had the lowest values for the maternal gestation index (MGI) and offspring’s learning and memory abilities (OLMA);
the lowest offspring survival rate was found in the purified water group; and the highest OLMA were found in the filtered
tap water group. Thus, the best reproductive and offspring early developmental outcomes were found in the group that
drank filtered tap water, which had the lowest levels of pollutants and the richest minerals. Therefore, thoroughly removing
toxic contaminants and retaining the beneficial minerals in drinking water may be important for both pregnant women and
children, and the best way to treat water may be with granular activated carbon and ion exchange by copper zinc alloy.