A tragic event in Seattle is a reminder that tap water is not intended to be inhaled through the nose, even if it is run through home treatment devices. 

Researchers believe a 69-year-old Seattle woman died from a rare ameba called Balamuthia mandrillaris, after she inhaled tap water using a neti pot. You may recall similar stories from another “brain-eating amoeba,” Naegleria fowleri. Different parasites – same lesson. Don’t inhale tap water up your nose.

These kinds of incidents are extremely rare, and you can’t contract these diseases by drinking tap water. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has some good guidance on cleansing sinuses.