How Safe is Your Drinking Water?

Most communities get their drinking water from surface sources such as lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Unfortunately, these water bodies are attacked daily with harmful chemicals from industry, the environment, and the human race.Additionally, storm water drains empty into our lakes and rivers further contaminating them with gasoline, oils, anti-freeze, just to name a few.

Although your community water may pass through a filtration system before it gets to your house, are you really sure your water is free from chemicals and harmful bacteria? Today's water supplies are certain to contain a certain amount if chemicals just to clear and clean it. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has set standards on the minimum and maximum amount of contaminants allowed in drinking water. You can view the EPA standards on water standards at www.epa.gov/safewater/standard/setting.html

Years ago, underground water aka well water was suggested to be cleaner than surface water because of its natural filtration however, underground water is now contaminated with chemicals dumped onto the ground with oils, paints, fuel, etc.

Contaminants in water are grouped in four categories as listed below:

Microbial Pathogens - Pathogens are disease-producing microorganisms, which include bacteria, viruses, and parasites. They get into drinking water when it is contaminated by sewage, animal waste, or well are not improperly sealed and constructed. Health effects of this contaminant can include gastroenteritis, salmonella infection, dysentery, shigellosis, hepatitis, and giardiasis (a gastrointestinal infection causing diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and gas.

Organics: Many people are concerned about potentially toxic chemicals and metals in water. Only a few of the toxic organic chemicals that occur in drinking water are regulated by drinking water standards. This group of contaminants includes: Trihalomthanes (THMs), which are formed when chlorine in treated drinking water combines with naturally occurring organic matter.

Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), which include solvents, degreasers, adhesives, gasoline additives, and fuels additives. Some of the common VOCs are: benzene, trichloroethylene (TCE), styrene, toluene, and vinyl chloride. Possible chronic health effects include cancer, central nervous system disorders, liver and kidney damage, reproductive disorders, and birth defects.

Inorganics - These are toxic metals like arsenic, barium, chromium, lead, mercury, and silver. Inorganic contaminants get into your drinking water from natural sources, industrial processes, and materials used in your plumbing system. Toxic metals are regulated in public water supplies because they can cause acute poisoning, cancer and have other ill health effects.

Nitrate is another inorganic contaminant. The nitrate in mineral deposits, fertilizers, sewage, and animal wastes can contaminate water. Nitrate has been associated with "blue baby syndrome" in infants.

Radioactive Elements - . Radon is a radioactive contaminant that results from the decay of uranium in soils and rocks. It is usually more of a health concern when it enters a home as a soil gas than when it occurs in water supplies. Radon in air is associated with lung cancer.

There are many water purifications on the market today. Sorting through the vast amount of information on water purification systems can be intimidating and time consuming. When selecting your water purification system, be sure it is a purification system that can actually remove harmful chemicals and bacteria from your drinking water. Another alternative is bottled water; however the bottled water industry is playing havoc on our landfills and our environment.

Everyday our drinking water is bombarded with chemicals from factories, ships, and the human race in general. Although our water is passed through water treatment facilities that does not necessarily mean it is free of chemicals and toxic materials.

For the best water purification system and more information visit Clean Water

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