healing ways
SAFE DRINKING WATER Home Systems to Purify H2
O by Jim Motavalli
serving to $8 a gallon for designer water, averaging $1.11 a gallon, compared to .002 cents per gallon for tap water.
What’s in Tap Water
Legitimate concerns about tap water exist, mostly because homes built before 1986 likely have lead in their pipes, solder and fixtures, possibly contaminating municipally sourced water. Well water is also susceptible to outside contamination from chemicals and microorganisms that must be monitored. Because lead accumulates in stag-
A
mericans trust bottled more than tap water, but that confidence might work better if reversed. Te
Environmental Working Group (EWG) notes that the U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency (EPA) monitors tap water for more than 90 contaminants, and it must meet the strict standards of the Safe Drink- ing Water Act of 1974. Nationally distrib- uted bottled water, under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, isn’t as carefully or frequently checked. A quarter of all bottled water is actually filtered tap water, reports the Natural Re- sources Defense Council (NRDC). Concern about safe tap water is rela- tively recent—in the 1960s, for instance,
people worried more about fluoridation than contamination. But since 1990, partly driven by bottled water ads, Gallup polls have shown tap water concerns rising; 63 percent of us now worry about our drink- ing water “a great deal”. Bottled water is usually safe to drink,
but isn’t environmentally friendly. Plastic bottle production in the U.S. requires 17.6 million barrels of oil annually, reports the nonprofit Riverkeeper; plus the energy used to transport it to market, refrigerate it and collect the empties equals filling the bottles a quarter full of oil. Ten, 77 per- cent of discards end up in the landfill, the Earth Day Network reports. Retail costs range from 89 cents a
nated water in pipes, run the water until it gets as cold as possible; up to two minutes if the taps haven’t been turned on in six hours or more. Other chemicals found in tap water include low levels of chlorine, arsenic, nitrates, atrazine, perchlorate and pathogens, reports the NRDC. Pharma- ceutical products can also get into tap wa- ter, warns the World Health Organization (WHO). A recent study from the EWG and Northeastern University, in Boston, showed small quantities of toxic chemicals in tap water serving 15 million Americans in 27 states.
Filter Options
Filters can allay tap water worries from municipal or well supplies. Several types— tap-mounted, under-sink and pitchers— are effective and affordable, ranging from $20 to $300. Seek filters certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) test- ing agency that check for specific contami- nants of concern. NSF-42 coding certifies filters that im-
prove water taste and remove both chlorine and particulate matter. NSF-53 is more stringent and requires removal of metals and harmful chemicals. Te highest stan- dard, NSF-401, covers filters that eliminate bacteria, pesticides/herbicides and residue from drugs like ibuprofen. Activated carbon filters, which
require regular replacement cartridges, remove large particles like sediment and silt. Reverse osmosis filters remove dis- solved inorganic solids (including salts) by pushing tap water through a semi-per- meable membrane. Ultraviolet water pu-
26 South Central PA
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