What's in my Water? book

“Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Children and infants, pregnant women and their fetuses, the frail elderly, people undergoing chemotherapy or living with HIV/AIDS, and transplant patients can be particularly at risk for infections… If you have special health care needs, consider taking additional precautions with your drinking water…” (EPA) (5)

““Showering is suspected as the primary cause of elevated chloroform in nearly every home because of the chlorine in the water. in nearly every home using surface water treated by chlorine disinfection process..." ” (EPA) (39)

The EPA doesn’t regulate bottled water, the FDA does and their contaminant guidelines are not the same. For example: The FDA bottled water regulations DO NOT state that Bottled water can have NO confirmed E. coli or Fecal Coliform Bacteria. To make matters worse, it’s estimated that 60% of all bottled water is exempt from FDA bottled water regulations.

Shocking and disturbing information

"Cities across the country are manipulating the results of tests used to detect lead in water, violating federal law and putting millions of Americans at risk of drinking more of the contaminant than their suppliers are reporting. Some cities .... have thrown out tests that show high readings or have avoided testing homes most likely to have lead, records show. (Washington Post) (7)

“NOTICE: EPA is aware of inaccuracies and underreporting of some data in the Safe Drinking Water information System. We are working with the states to improve the quality of the data.” (EPA) (8)

“Political appointees at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) raised the acceptable level of Fluoride in drinking water from 1.2 ppm to 4 ppm, over objections from their agency scientists… 7,000 EPA union employees and the unions jumped into the debate.” (Arguing against the increased levels) (Time Magazine) (12)

“……dirty tap water from bacterial sediment has been linked to hundreds of people getting sick in Colorado. And some people have died in Missouri, according to reports…. The Environmental Protection Agency is taking notice. During a conference last month, the EPA shared pictures of water towers with improper hatches and vents, allowing mice, snakes, birds and even feces into the water. and in North Texas, “we see wasps, geckos, lizards” in water towers, one of Perrin’s divers told CBS 11 News. (CBS) (17)

Most homes built up to the mid-1980s had lead used in the water pipes. Lead in a home’s water pipes knows no financial boundaries. From the wealthiest of areas to the poorest. Lead can be present either in the municipal water pipes delivering the water from the filtration plant to the homes, or it can be present in the homes themselves. Even homes built after the mid-1980s can still contain lead in the fixtures.