The United
States has
one of the
safest water
supplies in
the world.
However,
national
statistics
don't tell
you
specifically
about the
quality and
safety of
the water
coming out
of your tap.
That's
because
drinking
water
quality
varies from
place to
place,
depending on
the
condition of
the source
water from
which it is
drawn and
the
treatment it
receives.
Now you have
a new way to
find
information
about your
drinking
water, if it
comes from a
public water
supplier.
(EPA doesn't
regulate
private
wells, but
does have
recommendations
for their
owners. )
Every
community
water
supplier
must provide
an annual
report
(sometimes
called a
consumer
confidence
report) to
its
customers.
The report
provides
information
on your
local
drinking
water
quality,
including
the water's
source, the
contaminants
found in the
water, and
how
consumers
can get
involved in
protecting
drinking
water. If
you have
been looking
for specific
information
about your
drinking
water, this
annual
report will
provide you
with the
information
you need to
begin your
investigation.
These annual
reports will
by necessity
be short
documents.
You may want
more
information,
or have more
questions.
One place
you can go
is to your
water
supplier,
who is best
equipped to
answer
questions
about your
specific
water
supply. This
page will
help you
find other
sources of
information.
What
contaminants
may be found
in drinking
water?
There is no
such thing
as naturally
pure water.
In nature,
all water
contains
some
impurities.
As water
flows in
streams,
sits in
lakes, and
filters
through
layers of
soil and
rock in the
ground, it
dissolves or
absorbs the
substances
that it
touches.
Some of
these
substances
are
harmless.
In fact,
some people
prefer
mineral
water
precisely
because
minerals
give it an
appealing
taste.
However, at
certain
levels
minerals,
just like
man-made
chemicals,
are
considered
contaminants
that can
make water
unpalatable
or even
unsafe.
Some
contaminants
come from
erosion of
natural rock
formations.
Other
contaminants
are
substances
discharged
from
factories,
applied to
farmlands,
or used by
consumers in
their homes
and yards.
Sources of
contaminants
might be in
your
neighborhood
or might be
many miles
away. Your
local water
quality
report tells
which
contaminants
are in your
drinking
water, the
levels at
which they
were found,
and the
actual or
likely
source of
each
contaminant.
Some ground
water
systems have
established
wellhead
protection
programs to
prevent
substances
from
contaminating
their
wells.
Similarly,
some surface
water
systems
protect the
watershed
around their
reservoir to
prevent
contamination.
Right now,
states and
water
suppliers
are working
systematically
to assess
every source
of drinking
water and to
identify
potential
sources of
contaminants.
This process
will help
communities
to protect
their
drinking
water
supplies
from
contamination,
and a
summary of
the results
will be in
future water
quality
reports.
ANYONE
can install
a faucet
mount filter
that
attaches to
the aerator
on your
kitchen
faucet and
will give
almost pure
bottle water
characteristics
in most
cases.
For more
info visit
the
EPA
or find a
water
treatment
contractor
in our web
site
directory.
Also check
out our
Manufacture's
Products
page
