June 4, 2008 
This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 at 5:18 pm and is filed under Drinking Water Facts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
In the U.S., the sources for drinking water ( both tap water and bottled ) include rivers, steams, ponds reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals, and in some cases, radioactive material and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
Microbial Contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts and minerals, which may be naturally occurring or result from; storm water runoff, industrial wastewater discharges, farming or mining operations.
Pesticides and Herbicides, which may come from agriculture, storm water runoff or residential uses.
Organic Chemical Contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes, petroleum production and can come from gas stations, storm water runoff and septic systems.
Radioactive Contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or may be the result of gas production and mining activities.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.
For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, and for EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other contaminants contact: the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791.
To check your city’s water visit the EPA’s website or contact your local water department.
( Check your city’s water here )
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