Is your tap water safe to drink?
Have you ever actually tested your tap water? Probably not. Most people don’t realize that their tap water is required to be tested and reported to all homeowners. This requirement is set in place by the EPA, which governs tap water quality in the US. The major problem is the EPA does not make sure the water is actually tested, and does not regulate the tests that are performed. As bad as that sounds, the good news is that most major cities at least test their water and report as required simply to make it seem they are doing a great job.
An excellent example can be found in your own water quality reports. Go to your city’s website or courthouse and see if you can get ahold of the water quality report for your water system. These are done yearly and are reported by June or July of the following year. For example, now you would be looking for the 2005 water report, because the 2006 report is not due our for a few months. This poses the first problem: Why does it take 6 months to release the report?
Now that you have your report, read it thoroughly. You will notice all the wording is very positive and upbeat, and they use phrases like “this does not necessarily present a health hazard.” As you read, you will find little paragraphs buried in the document that paint a less-than-positive picture about your city’s water. For example, most water supplies actually contain the bacteria cryptosporidium. In many cases, this is tested for, found in the water after treatment, and stated in the report. Does that seem safe? Does it make sense to use a Biological Water Filter?
Towards the end of the report, you will find the actual statistical numbers. These may be difficult to read, but if you spend some time calculating the numbers and reading the charts and graphs, you may be surprised about what is actually in your water! They make it difficult hoping most people will give up. It’s time we all wake up and realize our tap water is not always perfectly safe. We all need to do our part to filter our own water and use filtered water bottles whenever we are away from home. Shower Filters are also important to protect our skin and hair. We all have to do our part to stay safe!
