Water Quality Reports
The following sources and reports contain alarming information about water
quality and potential risksrelated to tap water and bottled water. This source
information is made available as a public service, by non-profit health
organizations whose only goal is to raise awareness and protect public health.
We feel that these sources and reports are the most credible and factual third
party information available on this subject and highly recommend that people
educate themselves on these issues.
Who says tap water is unhealthy?
Internet
Health: Cancer & Chlorine
Dirty tap water puts pregnant women at risk
Study: Bottled water no better than tap water
Natural Resources Defense Council
Our Children At Risk
Bottled Water: Pure Drink or Pure Hype?
The Breast Cancer Fund
Environmental
Causes/Breast Cancer
Voice
of Women, Chlorine Connection
USA Today
Drugs In Drinking Water
Science News Online
More Waters Test Positive For Drugs
What‘s
In My City‘s Water, City-by-City
Water Quality Reports
Find Out What‘s In Your Cities‘ Water, From
EPA‘s own data base.
The following link will direct you to the EPA‘s consumer information section
where you can see your own water utilities "Annual Water Quality Report." This
is a relatively new requirement for water companies, and one that is still
mostly unenforced.
On October 1, 1999, a new federal law went into effect that requires
water utilities to send each customer a detailed report showing what is in their
water, appropriately called "The Right To Know Amendment." The
most important thing to remember is that no matter how insistent these reports
are that "contaminants in your water do not necessarily pose a health risk," any
level of contamination in our drinking water does in fact represent a danger
to our health. Of the over 75,000 toxic chemicals used in our society, the
EPA has only set standards (MCLs) for about 90, and those 90 Maximum Contaminant
Levels are not necessarily set on "health effects." The EPA considers
limited health studies based on consumption of one certain chemical by a 175
lb. adult when setting these standards. No consideration is given to
the effects
on small children or the combined effects of two or more contaminants, which
some studies show are magnified by as much as 1000 times. Water utilities are
only required to test for the 90 contaminants that the EPA has set standards
for.
obody knows how many toxic chemicals may actually be in tap water. According
to the Ralph Nader Research Group, after reviewing thousands of pages of
EPA documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act, more than
2100 toxic chemicals have already been detected in U.S. water supplies. Virtually
all public water systems have some level of contamination. The water utilities
are usually quick to point out that the chemicals found in their water are "below
EPA‘s Maximum Levels", and in most cases they are. The fact
is that even the smallest trace of a toxic chemical causes damage and science
is just now starting to realize to what extent. In a recent report from the National
Cancer Institute to the Surgeon General it was stated that "No level
of
exposure to a chemical carcinogen should be considered toxicologically insignificant
to humans."
Definitions:
MCL: (Maximum Contaminant Level), This is the level at which the EPA requires
corrective action and can impose penalties.
MCLG: (Maximum Contaminant Level Goal), This is the level at which the
EPA has determined that unacceptable health risks may occur. Notice that the
MCLG is always at or below the MCL, the law allows some unhealthy levels
of contaminants. A "Superior" water system only means that it complies
with EPA minimum water quality standards, not that it doesn‘t contain
unhealthy levels of contaminants.
ppb: (part per billion), The unit of measure used for many water borne
synthetic chemicals.
ppm: (part per million), The unit of measure used for chlorine in tap water.
mg/L: (milligram per Litre), A unit of measure used for contaminants in
water.
Most Common Things To Look For: Lead, VOCs (volatile organic chemicals), Organic
Contaminants, and Disinfection By-Products (THMs, Trihalomethanes), are
the most noticeable problems on these reports. Often these toxic chemicals exceed
the MCLGs or healthful threshold. Also these thresholds are relevant only to
the one contaminant; if more than one is present the thresholds for heath risks
drops considerably.
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