SPOKANE, Wash. -- On a hot summer day of yard work, have you ever thought about taking a swig of water out of your garden hose?

A recent study shows that even if the water is perfectly fine there may be things inside your hose that could make you or your family sick.

City of Spokane Water Department officials said any water that comes from your house should be perfectly fine. It is tested regularly and thoroughly before it ever makes it way to your neighborhood straight to the tap or to the faucet outside.

In 2016, the watchdog group Ecology Center tested 32 garden hoses from six national retailers, including The Home Depot, Lowe's, and Amazon. Researchers looked for chemicals, a few of which include lead, tin, PVC plastic and bromine. These are chemicals the Food and Drug Administration has linked to birth defects or illness in small children.

The results of the study was mixed. It found the flexible plastic of PVC hoses frequently contained elevated levels of lead, which has been proven unsafe for humans to ingest. The good news is you can buy garden hoses that are labeled as safe for drinking. Lead was not detected in the water from the drinking water safe hose tested. But they also found 30 percent of safe for drinking hoses had other chemicals that may harm children.

Based on the studies KREM 2 consulted, we cannot recommend drinking from the hose. It is best to take your thirst and a glass, to the tap inside!

Verify: Sources

• City of Spokane Water Department
• Ecology Center Study