| Is it possible that current water system technologies | | | | water directly from surface waters that are already |
| are so outdated our drinking water is at risk? Despite | | | | contaminated. Then, they have to disinfect the water |
| all the water filtration systems and chemical | | | | and the distribution pipes with chlorine, chloramines, or |
| disinfectant precautions taken today, it may still be | | | | chlorine dioxide. Some use ozone and ultraviolet |
| realistic to have your own back up water system set | | | | radiation for relatively clean source waters. |
| up to make certain you can drink your water--even | | | | Unfortunately, neither is effective in completely |
| in an emergency. Maybe you are one of those | | | | controlling biological contaminants already present in |
| people who feel that protecting water quality in your | | | | the distribution pipes. |
| home is entirely unnecessary. Lots of people feel that | | | | Chlorine unfortunately has a bad habit of reacting |
| way. It doesn't mean that their water will never get | | | | with natural organic matter that falls into water such |
| contaminants in it though. Toxic chemicals, bacteria | | | | as decaying leaves and lawn clippings. This chemical |
| and viruses in water don't arrive with an advanced | | | | reaction forms a group of chemicals known as |
| warning that they're coming through your kitchen tap. | | | | disinfection by-products, the most common of which |
| So before you dismiss a water filter safeguard | | | | are trihalomethanes (THMs) and chloroform. |
| entirely, consider this: what type of random hazards | | | | And what about the many millions of people who live |
| could your drinking water get exposed to before it | | | | in small towns with even smaller water budgets or |
| gets to your house? Let's look at a few. | | | | rural dwellers with no access to municipal who draw |
| For a start, every time water recycles itself it also | | | | their drinking water directly from untreated ground |
| recycles contaminants such as toxic chemicals or | | | | water sources? In these cases, the quality of |
| fertilizer runoff. A lot of it empties directly into rivers, | | | | water is only as good as the last good water test |
| lakes or ditches on a daily basis. That's a reality we | | | | results. Water tests are a snapshot in time; there are |
| can't avoid. As long as we use water to grow food | | | | no guarantees that it will remain so until the next |
| and manufacture stuff, contaminants will be polluting | | | | water test. These people are especially vulnerable. |
| our landscape-and then our surface and ground water | | | | Of course the obvious solution is to protect water |
| sources. Water systems used by municipalities draw | | | | by not polluting it in the first place; but sometimes |
| water from these sources but the sand-grain water | | | | contamination problems can develop suddenly and are |
| filters they use were not designed to remove all | | | | impossible to correct quickly enough to manage |
| contaminants from water, particularly the chemicals. | | | | health threats to the local population. Often, no one |
| In fact, they add more chemicals to the mix, like | | | | knows there is a problem with drinking water and |
| chlorine, and in sufficient quantities to make sure the | | | | nothing gets done until enough people get sick. Sadly |
| water stays disinfected on its long journey to your | | | | too, there have been cases when even then nothing |
| house. | | | | gets done about it. |
| Here's another factor that threatens our water | | | | Treating water at its point-of-entry with an effective |
| supply. All water treatment facilities are not created | | | | drinking water system is the only consistent way to |
| equally. Each public water system varies in its ability | | | | control unexpected contamination from municipal |
| to deliver safe, reliable drinking water to the | | | | sources-even in an emergency. |
| communities it serves. Larger city systems get their | | | | |