Water Safety

The United States has one of the safest drinking water supplies in the world. Although it is not uncommon to have outbreaks of illness related to water contamination. It is very important to know where your drinking water comes from.

The quality of drinking water can vary depending on how it is treated, what the source is and whether or not the source is regulated or not.

Regular tap water can be contaminated from chemicals and natural minerals, viruses, bacteria and parasites, pesticides and insecticides and sewer or septic problems.

Drinking water across the country is regulated by the United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  This often only applies to large public water systems. The EPA does not regulate the one in seven Americans that use private wells or small public water systems.

Water contaminates can have an effect on your health.  

Web MD reports:
How contaminated water effects your health depends on the type of contaminants. For example:

• Cryptosporidium is a pathogen that sometimes gets into water supplies. It can cause a gastrointestinal disease that could be fatal.
• Nitrates can contaminate water and pose an immediate threat to infants. In the intestines, nitrates are converted to nitrites, which prevent blood from transporting oxygen. An enzyme present in the system of older children restores the blood's ability to carry oxygen.
• Lead can cause both physical and mental developmental problems in infants and children. Adults who have been drinking lead-tainted water for a number of years can experience kidney problems and high blood pressure.

Does boiling contaminated water make it safe to drink? It depends on the contaminant. Boiling water can kill germs, but things like lead, nitrates, and pesticides aren't affected. And since boiling reduces the volume of water, it increases the concentration of those contaminants.

The EPA provides many resources online to help the consumer with education, testing and other information regarding water safety.