Cool, clear water tumbling from your kitchen faucet or a fountain in the park–it’s a luxury we too often take for granted.

Water is vital to life, second only to oxygen as an essential nutrient. Nevertheless, more than a billion persons worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. In many parts of the world, water shortage is one of the most urgent public health problems.

The United States has one of the best drinking water supplies in the world, but in a large, developed country there are always challenges. Several million Americans get sick each year from drinking tap water, so it’s important to know what possible dangers are and what safeguards are in place.

Our water supply generally comes either from surface water (rivers, lakes and reservoirs) or ground water (pumped from wells). Both are subject to runoff that may include not only human or animal waste but pesticides, herbicides and industrial chemicals. Water is the universal solvent, so any material that reaches the water is usually dissolved upon contact. Removing all contaminants would be extremely costly and virtually contaminants, including lead, weed killers, pesticides, nitrates, arsenic, mercury and microorganisms such as E coli, cryptosporidium and giardia.

Since 1998, water systems have been required to issue annual Consumer Confidence Reports. Your report may have been sent to you with your water bill; it’s also available at libraries, schools and the World Wide Web. Go to www.EPA.gov/ogwdw/ and click on “local drinking water information.” This writer did so and found that his water system had been cited for one monitoring violation but not a “significant” violation and none since 1994.

Community systems reporting violations, however, are often repeat offenders, so it’s important to do your own monitoring.

Community systems reporting violations, however, are often repeat offenders, so it’s important to do your own monitoring.

Problems can and do occur in public water supplies. Some of New Jersey’s public wells recently tested high for radium. More than 400,000 residents of Milwaukee got sick when cryptosporidium showed up in their water supply. But when problems are detected, the law requires that the public be notified immediately and given instructions as to what to do for protection.

Public Supplies Monitored
If you live in an area with a public water supply–and 85 percent of Americans do–you can rest assured that the water is tested, analyzed and treated regularly to assure its safety.
Treatment is complex, typically involving at least four processes:

• Flocculation in which small particles are combined to form larger ones heavy enough to settle out of the water as sediment.
• Filtration that clarifies the water and removes remaining particles such as clay, silt, organic matter, iron, manganese and microorganisms.
• In exchange to remove arsenic, chromium, nitrates, radium, uranium, excess fluoride and other constituents that cannot be removed by flocculation or filtration.
• Disinfection with chlorine, chloramines, chlorine dioxide or ozone to get rid of bacteria and other microorganisms.

Both state and federal laws require all of the 55,000 community water systems in the country to monitor the water regularly.

Wellness for Wells
If your water comes from a well on your property, then the responsibility is on you. You should test the water at least once a year for the most likely contaminants such as bacteria and–if you live in an agricultural area–for pesticides, herbicides and nitrates. Your state or local health department can help you determine which contaminants to test for and what to do should you find any.

Even more important is protecting your well site:

• Mix pesticides and herbicides well away from the well.
• Dispose properly of hazardous materials such as leftover paint, solvents, used oil and batteries. Don’t dump them down the septic tank or leave them lying around in the vicinity of the well.
• Check the well casing and cap regularly for holes and cracks that might let in insects, small rodents and surface runoff.

Well water can and should be safe...as long as the owner takes necessary precautions.

Bottled Water: Is It Worth It?
If you prefer bottled water, you can rest assured that it has been tested for safety. Bottling plants are inspected regularly by the Food and Drug Administration as well as state agencies. In addition, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) conducts surprise inspections at least once a year among members. As a result, the IBWA letters on the label indicate a higher level of safety.

Bottlers test the source water at least once a year for chemical and radiological contaminants and inorganic compounds and once a week for microorganisms such as E coli. Most waters bottled in the United States have also been disinfected. If you don’t detect the chlorine, it’s because ozone has been used.

Compared to tap water, however, bottled water is expensive. And 25 percent of the bottled water sold in this country comes from public water supplies–sometimes without further processing.

How about Filters?
Many Americans buy filters for their household drinking water, and there are several options.

Carafe style filters, costing only about $30, come in pitcher or dispenser that can be stored on the counter top or in the refrigerator. Faucet filters, costing $30 to $300, are attached directly to the faucet or the cold water line under the sink. Reverse osmosis systems, costing $700 to $1,000, are larger and more complex.

Which kind you choose depends on what you want to filter out and how much you’re able to spend. Before you buy, do some research on the quality of your water as well as the products you are considering.

One reason for using a filter may be to reduce levels of lead which nearly always comes primarily from pipes inside the home–particularly in older homes or high-rise apartments.

Excessive exposure to lead can increase your blood pressure, lead to hearing impairment and lower the IQ and developmental progress of your children. You can reduce the danger by flushing stale water out of the pipes each time you use the tap for drinking and by avoiding using the hot water tap for any water used in cooking or drinking. Brass faucets and fittings–even those found in some filters–can actually increase lead levels since brass tends to leach lead.

When you’re hot and thirsty, cool, clear water is about as good as it gets. Virtually anywhere you go in the country, the house water straight from the tap is high quality indeed. But if you’re not comfortable with the taste or quality, you have numerous options.

REFERENCES:
Environmental Protective Agency, “Water on Tap: A Consumer’s Guide to the Nation’s Drinking Water, July, 1997..
Catherine Golub, “Choosing a Home Filter To Keep Your Drinking Water Safe,” Environmental Nutrition, December, 2000.
Carol Keough, “Is Your Water Safe To Drink?” Prevention, February, 1999.
Alicia C. McDonald, et al, “Cryptosporidium Parvum–Specific Antibody Responses among Children Residing in Milwaukee during the 1993 Waterborne Outbreak,” Journal of Infectious Diseases, May 2, 2001.
Tim Lack, “Water and Health in Europe,” British Medical Journal, June 19, 1999.
Dee Murphy, “Water–Looking for the Source,” Current Health 2, October, 2000.
“Nitrate in Drinking Water Increases Risk,” Women’s Health Weekly, May 10, 2001.
“Notice to Readers: world Water Day–March 22, 2001,” MMWR, March 23, 2001.
David Schardt, “water, Water, Everywhere...” Nutrition Action Healthletter, June, 2000.