Tap Water
Next time you take a sip, stop and think: What's in my water? Mike Del Ponte
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image by: Water for Health
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Are You Drinking Drugs?
An EPA study released earlier this year found trace residues of at least 25 different drugs in drinking water. Scientists examined samples from 50 wastewater plants and tested for 56 different drugs; they found medication to treat high blood pressure was found in the highest quantities, but over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen and prescription drugs such as hydrocodone were also found.
This makes sense, considering a 2013 Mayo Clinic study that found 70 percent of Americans now take prescription drugs, compared to 48 percent just five years ago. The drugs get into our water when we excrete them or flush old drugs down the toilet.
But…
Resources
e-WaterTest
e-WaterTest.com's Priority Water Test Kit follows U.S. EPA-approved water testing methods. Eliminate any doubts about the quality of the water your family uses everyday...water testing puts you in control. Once you have the results of the water test, you are in a much better position to eliminate any and all contaminants found in your drinking water. Let e-WaterTest.com test your drinking water today.
WaterCheck.com
How safe is your drinking water? The National Testing Laboratories, Ltd. Network will strive to supply our customers with information to allow them to make educated decisions to protect themselves and others around them.
Tap Score
Get independent laboratory water testing for hundreds of contaminants from the comfort of home.
EWG's Tap Water Database
Since 2012, water utilities' testing has found pollutants in Americans' tap water, according to an EWG drinking water quality analysis of 32 million state water records.
How Environmental Racism and Corporate Mismanagement Caused the Jackson Water Crisis
Jackson has been plagued in recent years by water problems. In 2021, the city was under a boil water advisory for 225 days. That year, the city asked for $47 million to update its failing water infrastructure, but the state refused, giving the state’s capital city only $3 million. Jackson is a majority-Black city that overwhelmingly votes Democratic, which often places the city at loggerheads with the state government’s Republican majority.
Should You Be Worried About Whether Your Tap Water Is Safe?
When it comes to clean water, the most important factor is where you live.
Here's How to Find out If Your Region Has Contaminated Drinking Water
There are almost 3,000 locales in the United States with at least double the amount of lead contamination found in the water in Flint, Michigan.
How Do We Get Our Drinking Water In The U.S.?
Before you take a gulp of water, try to mentally trace where that water that just gushed out of your taps has been: How did it go from that weird-tasting raindrop to the clear, odorless water that is sitting in your glass now? Safe drinking water is a privilege Americans often take for granted — until a health crisis like the one in Flint, Mich., happens that makes us think about where it comes from and how we get it.
How Safe Is Our Drinking Water?
We take the quality of our drinking water for granted, and for good reason. More people in the United States have access to safe water than ever before. Yet recent events raise an obvious concern: How safe is our drinking water really?
A Quest for Even Safer Drinking Water
Nicholas Ashbolt, a microbiologist at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, says pathogens exist at greater concentrations in water supply systems with more chlorine, not less, and especially with another chlorine-based treatment chloramine.
Aging Pipes Are Poisoning America's Tap Water
In Flint, Michigan, lead, copper, and bacteria are contaminating the drinking supply and making residents ill. If other cities fail to fix their old pipes, the problem could soon become a lot more common.
Even The Perception That Tap Water Is Unsafe Can Harm Poor People’s Health
Tap water is the best way to stay hydrated. But it’s not so simple for some.
Flint Crisis Puts U.S. Water-Testing Methods Under Scrutiny
Experts say weakness of federal water-sampling rules contributed to monthslong delay in identifying problem.
Flint water crisis: Michigan officials ignored EPA warnings about toxicity
‘We all let the people of Flint down,’ authorities tells Congress in hearing that also highlights flawed water testing practices that persist in other major US cities.
For Everyone Who Has No Idea Where the Hell Their Tap Water Comes From
Let's face it, we're all a little baffled about where our water comes from. If we learned anything from water management scandals and health crises in Pittsburgh and Flint, it's that knowing the source of your water supply is important. Rather than jumping down a pipe à la the Super Mario Bros., check out this breakdown of how your water is getting into your home.
How Do I Know If My Tap Water Is Safe?
So how do these contaminants get in our water in the first place? And how can you, as an individual, know whether or not your tap water is safe for you and your family to drink?
Put In Your ZIP Code And Find Out What’s In Your Drinking Water
What’s in your drinking water? Whether you’re wondering if your water is safe or just what that weird smell is, a new tool is now available that could help.
The Politics of Drinking Water
Most Americans take cheap, safe drinking water for granted. Globally, one out of 10 people can’t access clean water. Some 1,400 children die each day from water-related diseases. Unless there’s a spill or equipment failure, these numbers exclude U.S. residents.
The Worldwide 'Thirst' For Clean Drinking Water
"The last 100 years has been the golden age of water in the developed world: water that has been safe, unlimited and essentially free," he tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. "But that era is over. We will not, going forward, have water that has all three of those qualities at the same time: unlimited, unthinkingly inexpensive and safe."
There Are Drugs In Your Drinking (and Bottled) Water
They might even be interacting with the drugs you're intentionally on.
What's in Your Water
We all know the value of hydration. Drinking water lubricates our muscles and skin, and gives our brainpower a boost. We know we should hydrate throughout the day, and especially before and after exercise, and post-caffeine. Next time you take a sip, stop and think: What's in my water? Did you know that the majority of U.S. cities are home to contaminated water sources?
What’s in Your Water? 5 Gross Things Always On Tap
What’s in your water? I hadn’t even considered that question until recently. Quite honestly, despite the fact that I am concerned about health and what I am putting in my body, I never stopped to question what was in my water. I mean, c’mon…it’s water. Everyone knows water is healthy.
With Drinking Water, Safe Enough Is the EPA’s Goal
Contaminant-free water isn’t feasible, so government sets maximum acceptable levels for local authorities.
Decades-Old Chemicals, New Angst Over Drinking Water
In some parts of the country people are learning their drinking water contains pollution from a group of chemicals called Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). These chemicals have been linked to illnesses, including cancer. But a lot of questions remain including how exactly they affect people's health and in what doses.
Here Are the Places That Struggle to Meet the Rules on Safe Drinking Water
To ensure that tap water in the United States is safe to drink, the federal government has been steadily tightening the health standards for the nation’s water supplies for decades. But over and over again, local water systems around the country have failed to meet these requirements.
Are You Drinking Drugs?
An EPA study released earlier this year found trace residues of at least 25 different drugs in drinking water. Scientists examined samples from 50 wastewater plants and tested for 56 different drugs; they found medication to treat high blood pressure was found in the highest quantities, but over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen and prescription drugs such as hydrocodone were also found.
Top 10 Countries With the Best Tap Water
The importance of environment in the policy making of all the governments in the world is increasing with every passing day. One of the most important factors of a clean environment is the availability of clean drinking water for everyone.
Keep Tap Water Safe
Don't frack the Delaware river watershed.
FlintWaterStudy.org
We realize there is a ton of information for you to sift through and, therefore, we have made a mini-guide for you...
Take Back The Tap
Residents, students, activists, and communities across the country want to kick the bottled water habit and protect their access to clean, safe, affordable water. Get inspiration from college campuses and find out what you can do to Take Back the Tap.
Water Filters
So what are the options for those of us not interested in drinking a chemical cocktail every time we are thirsty?
Water Quality Portal
The Water Quality Portal (WQP) is a cooperative service sponsored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC). It serves data collected by over 400 state, federal, tribal, and local agencies.
AquaKnow
AquaKnow is dedicated to helping people get peace of mind about their drinking water by providing comprehensive water quality testing information and analytical services. We take the time to consult with our clients to determine the proper testing recommendation for desired end results, whether it's for regulatory, litigation or informational purposes.
CDC
Drinking water comes from a variety of sources including public water systems, private wells, or bottled water. Ensuring safe and healthy drinking water may be as simple as turning on the tap from an EPA-regulated public water system. Other water sources may need a water filter, a check on water fluoridation, or an inspection to ensure a septic tank is not too close to a private well. It is important to know where drinking water comes from, how it’s been treated, and if it's safe to drink.

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