| Water
testing is the only way to find our if your water is safe.
And water filters are the only practical way to keep your
water safe.
In the spring of 1993, a microscopic, single-cell organism
brought the city of Milwaukee to its knees. For 403,000 residents,
it began with a widespread outbreak of nausea vomiting, abdominal
cramps, fever and acute diarrhea, resulting in the hospitalization
of 4,400 victims. For over one hundred of their friends, family
members, co-workers and neighbors, it ended in death.
What happened? The Greater Milwaukee Area was served by a
municipal water supply system that filtered and treated its
drinking water much like any other city. So, how is it possible
that a public water utility transported harmful, contaminated
water to the homes, schools and businesses within the community?
Investigators determined that the problem began in Lake Michigan,
the source of Milwaukee’s public water supply. Experts
believe that lake was contaminated with excessive quantities
of human sewage or run-off from nearby cattle farms and slaughterhouses.
A chain of events was unleashed that resulted in a massive
Cryptosporidium infection of the city and surrounding suburbs
of the Wisconsin town.
Regardless of typical bureaucratic squirming and finger-pointing
in the aftermath, the undeniable truth was that these deadly
pathogens were not only present in the water source, but they
were able to get through the very water treatment system designed
to stop them. These Cryptosporidium cysts then traveled through
the entire distribution system, entering the homes and bodies
of hundreds of thousands of residents. The incredible thing
is that this terrible incident took place despite even though
the Milwaukee Water Utility was in total compliance with all
state and federal water distribution regulations.
In the United States, public water providers employ a multi-barrier
methodology to ensure the quality of our drinking water. This
approach incorporates the obvious tactics, like screening,
filtration, chemical treatment, disinfection, as well as water
source protection and distribution system (pipes & pumps)
maintenance.
As no single barrier is capable of doing the job of protecting
the public’s water alone, the multi-barrier system requires
each component to play a vital role. And as the Milwaukee
incident illustrates, if even one of these barriers is compromised,
it can result in a complete breakdown.
Another reason for concern is the age and condition of much
of our public water supply infrastructure. A good example
of this critical issue can be illustrated by a phenomenon
called "Unaccounted-For Water". It has been reported
that up to 30% of the total water transported through some
public systems is unaccounted-for each year. The Environmental
Protection Agency claims that in California alone, 81 billion
gallons of water is leaking from the municipal water system
each year.
A June 2003 study by the National Resource Defense Council
(NRDC) also reported that "we are relying on pipes that
are, on average, a century old. The water systems in many
cities -- including Atlanta, Boston, and Washington, D.C.
-- were built toward the end of the 19th century." The
fact that over 200,000 water main breaks were reported nationally
in 2002 appears to validate this claim. NRDC also added that
aging equipment and infrastructure may be inadequate to handle
today's contaminant loads or spills.
We are very lucky to live in the United States. Compared to
most of the world, our quality of life in unmatched. As a
result, we tend to take many things for granted... including
the air we breathe... the food we eat... and the water we
drink.
Although the problems in Milwaukee occurred ten years ago,
not much has changed with the U.S. water distribution system
in the last 30-50 years. Water companies do very little testing
on the actual water that comes out of your tap, as they typically
conduct most of their water testing immediately after treatment.
Water testing of the end product -- water that is transported
through the old pipes, interacts with organic and inorganic
material on the way into your home -- is minimal.
These old pipes can easily leach contaminants like lead, iron,
copper, vinyl chloride residue and other Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOCs) into our drinking water. Leaking pipes can
provide an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and other potentially
harmful microorganisms. The water quality in the 15 million
private wells in this country are basically unchecked even
today... despite an ever greater health threat from contamination.
A proactive approach to monitoring your home’s water
quality isn’t just smart -- it’s basic common
sense. As water quality is in a constant state of flux, many
experts strongly advise that you test your home’s water
at least once a year. It is the only way to determine what’s
in your water. We cannot rely on our sense of taste, smell
or sight to detect contaminated water.
The residents of Milwaukee ’93 can testify to this fact.
Only sophisticated laboratory equipment can diagnose dangerous
levels of harmful contaminants. Testing also enables you to
determine what specific home treatment options make the most
sense. As no filter can remove everything, it is important
to know exactly what is in your water so you can treat it
properly. Clean water is an obvious must for maintaining good
health... to drink, cook, wash, bathe or clean with anything
less is like playing Russian Roulette with your family’s
safety.
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