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Problems with tap water are a growing concern. Here's how to deal with poor drinking water.
"I suspect that in the next 50 years, we will see a shift from oil to water as the cause of great conflicts between nations and peoples." This chilling statement was made by Wally N'Dow, Secretary-General of a recent United Nations conference. Because of growing population, urbanization and pollution, the world is becoming thirstier for clean water. And though this drought is felt most severely in developing nations, Americans are beginning to see the ripples as domestic waters grow troubled.
Despite decades of controlling water-borne diseases and contamination through conventional chlorination and treatment, in 1993, a newly recognized parasite gave serious gastro-intestinal disorders to over 400,000 people in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Meanwhile, other headlines have continued report other problems: "Missouri Farmers Suffer from High Rates of Cancer," "Nitrates in Rural Water Exceed Federal Health Standards," "Urban Water Tainted by Lead from Aging Pipes," "Smog-Reducing Chemical May Threaten Ground Water." It's no wonder Americans now consume 2.5 billion gallons of bottled water per year.
What about you? Should you join the rest of America and buy your water at the grocery store? Should you ladle-up a few hundred dollars for a state-of-the-art filtering system? Or should you trust the tap?
To answer this question, you will have to do your homework. First, find out where your water comes from and determine what tests, if any, might be needed. Then, when you know what you're dealing with, consider the solutions.
The Basics
For most of our drinking water, municipal utilities draw ground water from aquifers, rock strata and springs beneath the surface, treat it for impurities and pipe it to our homes. A relatively few remote or rural homes pump drinking water directly from private wells.
Chlorination and other treatments are used to kill bacteria and microbes that cause water-borne diseases. Although only a handful of acute, water-based sicknesses normally occur in the U.S. each year, that huge Milwaukee outbreak was the harbinger of bad news. During the past three years, trace amounts of that dangerous parasite-- Cryptosporidium parvum--have appeared in many public systems across the country. Though in most cases these truly are harmless trace quantities, the parasite can survive conventional treatment.
The gastrointestinal distress that "Crypto" causes is uncomfortable but not life threatening to most people, but it can be serious or lethal for AIDS patients and others with suppressed or weak immune systems, including children and elderly people. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an advisory suggesting that people at risk boil or filter their drinking water with an appropriate filter or drink bottled water that is known to be free of Crypto. If you're in doubt, speak with a health-care provider. In the very near future, large water systems will be monitoring for this parasite.
Largely because of improved detection capabilities, an ocean of microscopic contaminants has been found in treated drinking water in recent years. When present, these contaminants are usually in extremely low concentrations, but long-term exposure to higher levels has been linked to cancer and other diseases. Perhaps most disturbing is the fact that these pollutants are evidence of dangerous chemicals trickling into our water supplies which, without proper controls and disposal methods, will only get worse.
For the public's protection, Congress enacted the Clean Water Drinking Act in 1974 and strengthened it in 1986, setting minimum water quality standards for all water utilities that serve at least 25 people or 15 service connections. These standards limit the allowable amounts of pollutants found in drinking water, measured in maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), but there is no guarantee that all utilities comply with the regulations. Enforcement is difficult on national, state and local levels; not all known contaminants are on the list; and all testing isn't necessarily accurate.
Fortunately our biggest water suppliers, large metropolitan systems, tend to have the best drinking water because they have the equipment and resources for frequent, mandated testing--the frequency of testing depends on the number of people served. It's also somewhat reassuring to know that, when something does go wrong, utilities are required to notify their customers. Wells are another story. Private wells and systems that serve fewer than 25 people or 15 service connections are regulated only by state and local laws or by their owners.
The Hit List
What are the contaminants that put us at risk? The EPA categorizes the culprits as follows. A chart listing maximum contaminant levels and suspected health risks is available through the EPA printing office. For a copy or more information, contact the EPA's National Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.
* Organic chemicals are pesticides, solvents, and other chemicals that seep into ground water supplies. Some are known as volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) because they change (they may evaporate, for example). Most are linked with cancer and/or nervous system, liver and kidney disorders.
In the organic group, trihalomethanes (THMs) are sometimes created after water has left a treatment plant, when chlorine may react with leaves and other decaying animal and plant matter. A substance that can result from this process is chloroform, a suspected carcinogen.
* Inorganic chemicals include dangerous metals such as mercury, lead and arsenic; sodium; nitrates and nitrites; asbestos; fluoride; and a variety of natural minerals. Some inorganics are associated with a variety of health problems. Lead is known to cause brain damage and is highly toxic to infants and pregnant women, even in minute doses. It usually comes from lead water pipes, old pipe solder, or lead-based brass fixtures.
* Radon and other radio nuclides are present in the water of certain regions. These can enter the air you breathe through showers and steam--you don't have to drink the water. They come from naturally occurring radon, uranium, and radioactive waste and are known to increase cancer risk.
* Microbes, parasites, protozoa, bacteria and viruses are, by far, the most common cause of immediate, acute illnesses from polluted water. They occur in nature or often result from "back flows" of septic waste into the clean-water supply. They're much more common in wells than in metropolitan water systems.
Testing your water
Unless issued by your local health department, avoid "free home water testing" offers--they are normally a come-on to get you to buy water treatment devices after a couple of carefully staged tests. The only way to be sure that your water has certain harmful pollutants is to have it tested by an independent lab.
Unfortunately, you must test for each type of pollutant separately, which can be very expensive. If you get your water from a municipal utility, quality can change daily so most tests are worthless--and usually unnecessary. Nevertheless, it may be a good idea to check for lead because lead can leach into the water from old lead-based plumbing.
You can also discover plenty of information without testing. Call your health department or water supplier and request copies of water treatment reports and note any violations. Find out the frequency and scope of the tests. Ask whether your area is known for any special hazards, especially those that might enter water between the treatment plant and your tap.
If you have a well, at the very least check it once for mineral content, lead and radon (where radon is a threat) and once or twice a year for bacteria and nitrate. If you have concerns about contaminants in well water, contact your local health department for recommendations. They may handle certain tests, such as bacterial testing. A partial chemical test that will detect magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, fluoride, chloride and nitrate is usually relatively affordable. To look for chemicals such as solvents, pesticides and petroleum products can be very expensive, because each requires its own test.
Find an independent testing lab by asking your water utility or the state health department for a recommendation or looking under "Laboratories" in the Yellow Pages. Or you can contact one of the mail-order laboratories that specialize in water analysis at an affordable price, such as National Testing Labs (800-458-3330) or Suburban Water Testing (800-433-6595). They will send you the proper supplies and instructions for collecting a sample, which you mail back. A lead-only test costs about $35; a comprehensive test for bacteria, organics and inorganics runs from $119 to $145.
Solving the problems
If your home has water quality problems, a water treatment device can solve them, but you must choose the right type of device. No single method will eliminate all types of contaminants. Some treatment devices use more than one type of technology.
Shop around; you will have choices in price, installation, maintenance, and warranties. Be wary if a salesperson claims a device has governmental or EPA approval. The EPA doesn't test or approve products, it only registers them. For a listing of certified units and the contaminants they remove, call the independent testing organization NSF International at (313) 769-8010. You can locate certified dealers by contacting the Water Quality Association at (312) 369-1600.
If the only problem with your water is grit, dirt, sediment, rust, or other such particles, a physical filter may be sufficient. Made of fiber, fabric, ceramic or other screening media, these simply catch particles--including, in some cases, small organisms like cysts and some bacteria. Don't rely upon them to handle disease-causing organisms, VOCs, metals or the like.
If your water tastes, smells, or looks bad, a filter containing activated carbon (AC) may solve the problem. If you want to remove chlorine, pesticides, herbicides, radon, trihalomethanes (THMs) and some inorganic chemicals, carbon may do the trick, too. Some --but not all-- carbon filters are effective at reducing lead content. Check the certification of the unit you're interested in buying and, if claims are made regarding lead removal, be sure they're substantiated.
You can't rely upon a conventional carbon filter to remove salts, nitrates, nitrites, or some metals. And you shouldn't rely exclusively on one to remove organisms. In fact, be aware that a carbon filter will accumulate the contaminants removed from water and bacteria may even breed in it, so you must replace filter cartridges religiously, according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
A carbon filter that contains pesticide silver may be registered--but is not endorsed--by the EPA. Studies show that these are not fully effective at eliminating bacterial growth or microbiological contaminants. Again, be sure any such claims are substantiated.
Effectiveness of a particular carbon unit is a factor of the amount of activated carbon it contains. Although you can buy beneath-the-counter, countertop, and faucet-mounted styles, the $30 faucet-end models are only marginally effective. Whole-house systems are also available for $3000 or more. Such a system, known as point-of-entry (POE) is recommended for applications where a contaminant such as radon poses a threat to the entire house.
If you must remove inorganic chemicals, such as salts, metals (including lead), minerals, nitrates, asbestos, and some organic chemicals, consider a reverse-osmosis (RO) filter. Actually, most models include carbon pre-filters and post-filters, too, which will catch sediment, pesticides, herbicides, THMs and radon. RO filters remove lead, but some don't remove chlorine (if this is claimed, request proof of performance). The carbon post-filter is used to improve the water's taste. Pre- and post-filter cartridges should be replaced yearly.
Most RO filters are connected directly to plumbing, and are located beneath the sink. A small tank stores clean water until needed and tainted water drains out through a line connected to the sink trap. Drinking water flows through a special, separate sink-top spout. Some models have an automatic valve that eliminates the waste typically associated with RO filters--conventional models waste about 3 gallons for every gallon of pure water they produce. They generally cost upwards of $250.
If you just want a portable, sink-top appliance that will rid water of most dissolved solids, such as salts, asbestos fibers, metals, minerals, particles, and some organic chemicals maybe an inexpensive distiller is right for you. Distillers heat water until it turns to steam then condense the steam back into water in a separate chamber, leaving behind anything that won't travel in the steam. Unless coupled with a carbon filter, they will not remove all chemical pollutants and all bacteria. Most have to be filled manually, they use considerable electricity to operate and they may take several hours to produce one gallon of water. Though prices range up to $1500, most are less than $400.
Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection devices may kill bacteria and viruses, and clear the taste and odor of water, but they are not effective against chemical pollutants and may not work against cysts and spores. Ultraviolet is sometimes used in combination with carbon filters to kill bacteria.
Of all the water quality problems found in homes, hard water caused by an overabundance of minerals, is the most common. But hard water isn't normally a health problem, it's a nuisance. It causes soap scum, bathtub ring, dish spots and damaging deposits in pipes and hot water heaters. You also need more soap when cleaning with hard water. The most common health problems associated with hard water are skin irritations caused by soap scum.
An ion exchange water softener, the most economical type to use, conditions hard water by substituting sodium chloride (salt) for minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron. But because softeners add sodium to water, which can be a health hazard, some people prefer to have them connected only to the hot-water side of the water supply system or to bypass one or more cold water faucets in the house. Installed prices for automatic water softeners begin at about $1600 up; many people rent them.
Plumbing found to contain a high lead content should not be hooked-up to a water softener because soft water is more corrosive than hard water and minerals are helpful in forming a protective barrier in pipes.
Buying bottled water is the quickest and, initially, cheapest way to get clean drinking water. But over the long haul, it is far more expensive. Producers of bottled waters are regulated by the same standards imposed on public water systems and are also self-regulated by the International Bottled Water Association. Club sodas, carbonated waters, seltzers, and waters containing more than 1 percent flavoring are not covered by these standards.
One final thought: Remember that filters and bottled water will not solve the global need for fresh water. All life on Earth relies upon clean water for survival. It is our responsibility--and in our own best interest-- to use water wisely and do everything possible to minimize pollution.
--Don Vandervort
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