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Clean water is something that every household desires and that they have a right to. The blame can be passed around from one entity to the next when it comes to making that happen. Instead of everyone arguing over it, though, local water purity leaders need to have a partnership with citizens in order to offer clean water.

A partnership between the community and local water purity leaders is going to prove to be more productive overall for all involved. It is also going to help identify what the problems are and any barriers to fixing the problems. By working as a team to strive for clean water now and into the future, the need for clean drinking water can be addressed. When the community is involved, the leaders have more accountability.

The first step is for water purity leadership to produce reports relating to the quality of the water for the community. They should strive to provide documentation about how the water testing is being conducted as well as treatment. All of the types of contaminants found in such water should be identified. What may seem like clean water due to the low amount of each contaminant may not really be so. That is because it could contain so many contaminants that it becomes a concern. Clean water should always be a work in progress.

It isn’t enough to just be getting by with the test results. The leaders should show their plan of attack for offering clean water. Any resources that are being used to provide water for the community should be subjected to testing at any time. There should be an ongoing process that continues to remove more and more contaminants from the water. It can be expensive to get such a process in place, but you certainly can’t put a dollar value on clean water.

With millions of gallons of water being consumed every day, the quest for clean water becomes so important for good health. There are many types of contamination that can be lurking in groundwater. They include oil, antifreeze, solvents, chemicals, and even the decaying remains of food. Bacteria can form in groundwater, too, and that has to be closely looked at in terms of clean water.

Everyone has a responsibility to work towards water purity for the community. Don’t settle for anything less. You want to be an active part of the solution rather than a part of the problem. Make sure you are willing to listen to your local water purity leaders about what their limitations may be. Then you can work with them to find ways to push forward.

The issue of offering clean water can be very complex in nature. For example, budget issues may cause that to seem an impossibility. Perhaps as a community, a government grant can be applied for and received to help pay for clean water treatment. Don’t wait for all of that to occur, though; place a home water filter system in your own home to cut down on contaminants. Aquasana is there to help you determine the perfect water filtration solution for your clean water needs and for your budget. By taking this step, you and your family will be assured of clean, healthy, and good-tasting water as the community strives for those same goals for the entire community.

The Clean Water Act passed by Congress ages ago was designed to impose clean water laws on the quality of drinking water. These laws make sure that toxins and harmful chemicals are not in the water that we drink. That is the intent of those laws, anyway.

The Safe Drinking Water Act regulates about 91 chemicals that can be harmful when found in your water. However, this is not enough to protect you and your family from toxic water contamination. This act does not cover all that needs to be dealt with to ensure quality drinking water for all. Since changes are currently not being made to the law, you would want water providers to at least meet the regulations already in place. The sad news is that this is not always the case. In some places, these regulations are being overlooked and communities are suffering.

Residents of a town in West Virginia experienced scabs and skin burns from the water they use for showering. These painful rashes were caused by chemicals and toxins found in their water. Some of the children’s teeth were even affected, causing their tooth enamel to be washed away. It has been found since that their bathwater contained arsenic, barium, lead, nickel, and other harmful chemicals that could cause cancer and damage the kidneys and nervous system. All this from the water they used to clean themselves, with being clean the last thing that happened to them.

Residents of this neighborhood sued nine coal companies near their area that were found to have pumped illegal chemicals into the ground. Because these coal companies are required by state law to produce reports of their operations, they found that the chemicals they released into the ground were the same kind of pollutants found in the tap water of the residents.

Unfortunately, despite the regulations by the government, some municipal tap water systems still do not adhere to clean water laws, resulting in very bad health problems in the community. To make matters worse, no fines or punishments were given to the companies who caused this severe pollution.

This is not a rare case. It has been happening across the country. In fact, around half a million violations of clean water laws were made by the industrial sector in the last five years alone. Violations committed include failure to report emissions and dumping concentrated chemical deposits, which can cause cancer and even certain birth defects.

It’s a terrible situation. We live in a time where we can watch TV shows from our phones and even call internationally for free. Yet somehow, it seems beyond society’s ability to provide everyone with clean and safe water for drinking, showering, and gardening.

Because of this, do not leave the responsibility for having clean water to others. Sometimes, they just can’t be trusted. Take your health into your own hands and install whole house filters by Aquasana. With a home water filtration system in place, no amount of contaminated water can come into your home. The water in your kitchen faucet, shower, or garden hose will all be contamination free. You are ensured that your family is safe no matter what the factories around you do.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is in charge of the daunting task of providing fresh, clean water to nine million people. Because it is serving a metropolitan area that is the most densely populated in the nation, the priority of assuring a reliable and healthy water supply to this very important city is never taken for granted.

Not only does the DEP need to be on guard against routine forms of water contamination, it must be mindful of the possibility of environmental terrorism. Because New York is well known for being a top target for terrorism, the potential of the intentional poisoning of New York City’s water supply cannot be overlooked. That is why the heart of the mechanisms that the DEP must use and be ever vigilant about is the ongoing monitoring of the public water supply for New York City.

The New York DEP states that their water quality monitoring program is far more extensive than required by law in order to ensure that the quality of its tap water remains high. Certain water quality parameters are monitored continuously and water is also regularly tested at sampling points throughout the city. In 2008, the most recent year on record, the DEP collected more than 29,800 samples from the distribution system and performed more than 381,300 analyses.

A few of the samples were found to contain contaminants in excess of state and federal levels and this information was reported to water users accordingly. For example, the Croton water system sometimes experienced an excess of color due to seasonal water issues. There were a total of 10 violations during the period of October-December in that system. However, the DEP states that color has no health effects unless it is in a very high concentration, and it simply is seen as aesthetically objectionable. The Croton system also had higher than recommended levels of turbidity during this same period. The DEP were cited twice by the NY Department of Health for not conducting a follow-up sampling. Turbidity can suggest the presence of bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

Lead was found to be in excess in approximately 10 percent of sampled water. This includes at-the-tap testing, which shows increased levels not because of lead initially contaminating the water but by becoming contaminated as it goes through the pipes.

Testing for cryptosporidium and giardia cysts was done with 160 samples. Crypto was found in 18 and giardia was found in 111. However, this detection does not indicate whether these organisms were alive or potentially infectious. No outbreaks of disease caused by these organisms in tap water have been reported in New York City.

Despite this ongoing monitoring being done by the New York DEP and the EPA, it is always wise for individuals to invest in their own protection against any type of water contamination. The safest way to make sure everyone limits their exposure to the majority of these contaminants is by adding to your home or place of work a high-quality water filtration system like those produced by Aquasana. By using a filter, you know that you are doing all you can to eliminate what might slip through the public water system.

Have you thought twice before using a public drinking water fountain? They are, after all, provided by your city so they have to be clean, right? Actually, they might not be. One of the dirtiest public water fountains may be your child’s school drinking fountain. Now, that is a frightening concept.

A 13-year-old Oregon student did a project in his school to check if the fountain or the toilet would be cleaner. He swabbed both public objects and then grew whatever was in them. He discovered there was more bacteria in the school fountain than in the toilet.

Some public schools use their own wells to supply your children with water. They don’t receive water from the local water supplier. The Associated Press recently reported that 10% of schools in the United States have their own wells. It is proven that school well water has the highest amount of water contamination. It is not protected by public water processing or by a private water filtration system. This only illustrates that whether the water fountain is at a school, in a park, or in a public building, that old warning your mom used to use makes sense. Don’t touch that because you don’t know where it’s been.

What can be found in these public drinking fountains? The most commonly found bacteria in school water fountains are coliform bacteria. This bacterium suggests fecal matter has contaminated the water source. Your students could be drinking a large variety of contaminants from any public water fountain. Did you know that lead is the second most common contaminant found in public school drinking fountains? Lead is known to affect development and IQ and it can cause permanent damage in young children.

You might know that you can request a water quality report provided by your water supplier. What you probably don’t know is that schools don’t have to produce a report about their quality of water. They aren’t required by law to do so like your water supplier is. Unless your child’s school receives their water from a public water supplier, you won’t get too far in requesting a report so you know what your child is drinking at school. Even if schools were required by the law to produce a detailed report about the quality of your child’s drinking water, the school doesn’t have the money to do so or to fix the problem.

It may have come as a shock that your child’s school toilet water could be cleaner than the drinking fountain. It is because the toilet water is continuously flushed. The toilet is also cleaned more than water fountains are cleaned.

The government has changed drinking water fountains in the past because of safety concerns. In fact, it used to be that the spout that produces the water used to shoot the water vertical. There was an outbreak of illnesses from the use of public drinking water fountains in the beginning of the 20^th century. Research helped the government realize the vertical spouts were causing the illnesses.

Now it is illegal to have a vertical spout in a public drinking fountain. The flow from the vertical spout also has to be four inches from the spout to prevent people from touching the metal of the spout. This was done when the concern of lead materialized. A covering over the spout protects an individual in case the water flow isn’t four inches.

These are statistics about the safety of public water supplies that are worth considering. It is also wise to counsel your children to avoid using public water fountains at school or in any public building or park. It might seem like it is a good solution to send bottled water with your kids to school. Bottled water, however, also has been shown to contain significant levels of water contamination.

Instead, invest in some reusable bottles or totes that you can fill from your tap at home. Then invest in a home water filtration system such as those sold by Aquasana. In that way, you can send good, clean, and healthy water with your child wherever he or she goes. This solution is better than letting the kids drink from public water fountains and it is healthier and cheaper than buying bottled water for your children. In that way, it is a workable solution that any parent can accomplish.

It is no secret that water quality due to widespread water contamination is a problem in this country, so it is smart for you to recognize that there is a possible problem with your water. You may have already ordered reports from your water supplier to determine how safe your water is. If so, that is a good first step. While you wait for them, here are some additional tips to help improve your family’s water quality now.

The hardest thing to do when wanting to improve your family’s water quality is to get started. Many times, you may think it’ll be better to leave a problem that is this large to people who are in power and can make a difference. Waiting for the government to change your water quality is unrealistic. If you start the task and make it a family activity, that will help to keep the whole family in the habit of water awareness even when the children grow up and start their own families. If your entire family works together to improve your family’s water quality, that will make the process easier.

As you get your entire family involved, it’s important to let everyone know the dangers of flushing medication and cleaners down the drain. Flushing things down the toilet will introduce chemicals and medication into the water supply. You need to remember that other people, including yourself and your family, drink that water. There have been studies that surprise people about the amount of medication found in the public water supply.

Any medication, prescription or over-the-counter, should be taken to a hazardous waste collection site to be properly disposed of. If you are unable to make it to one of the sites or cannot find one in your area, mix the medication with coffee grounds. Put that mixture in a waterproof plain container, a sealable bag, or empty cans and throw it away.

Before you dispose of household cleaners, read the label printed on the can or bottle. Many of the cleaners used to clean sinks, showers, toilets, and tubs can be poured down the toilet. It is recommended not to dispose of anything down the drain if you have a septic tank. If you have a cleaner that can be disposed down the drain, turn the water on and pour the chemical compound into the flowing water slowly. After you’ve emptied the bottle, let the water run after the chemicals are gone. Clean out the bottle, wrap it in newspaper, and dispose with your household garbage. If the container is glass or plastic, it can be recycled as well.

Some other products that shouldn’t be flushed are pesticides, herbicides, oil paints, paint cleaners, and oil and transmission fluids. Many of the activities you do in the garage or the driveway can result in toxic byproducts that should not go into the public water supply. For example, don’t pour old gasoline that you would use in a lawnmower out into the street. When it rains, that gasoline will find its way into the public drain.

Also, never burn any hazardous material on the ground. When properly disposing of any hazardous materials, don’t combine them. These materials can include anything that you are tempted to flush. One way to take care of hazardous materials is to solidify these waste products.

The first step to solidify is to put on gloves to protect your hands from the chemicals. Have the waste ready. Use any absorbent material like sawdust, kitty litter, paper towels, or rags to soak up the liquid. You’ll make the liquid chemical solid, making it safe to put out with the rest of your trash.

By exposing leftover latex paint to air, it will solidify the paint so you can dispose of the paint in the household garage. You can also wrap empty containers in layers of newspaper to prevent exposing any contamination to the environment.

These steps are to help your family’s water quality in the end. One way to immediately make your water better is by installing a reliable Aquasana water filtration system. This will protect your family from poor water quality that you cannot control. That is a good feeling for any homeowner or parent.

The problem of contamination of the public water systems that provides drinking water to families is not one that is happening in just one part of the country or in one state of the union. In every city and every state, private citizens and government officials are working to find solutions to the degradation of their clean drinking water supplies by pollution and water contamination. It pays to work together so that when progress is made in one part of the country, everybody benefits in this shared quest for clean drinking water.

In many ways, California is often on the leading edge of the quest to find ways to live more in harmony with the environment and to find ways to fight contamination of clean drinking water. Part of that is due to the innovative and creative nature of the state’s inhabitants. There is no question, however, that if California has made some progress in finding ways to turn back the decline in the quality of clean drinking water in their state, it would be wise for the rest of the nation to pay attention and learn some lessons on how to accomplish those goals.

One major push toward getting California back to a condition of providing genuinely clean drinking water to its citizens is called the Green Chemistry project. As is appropriate, the first stages of the Green Chemistry project consisted of studies into the extent of water contamination and the impact of the decline in clean drinking water on all aspects of the environmental picture.

The results were grim, showing that the continued slide in the quality of the public water supply affected the overall environment along with the quality of life for California citizens. For a state like California, where the natural beauty and productivity of the land and other natural resources are central to what makes the state successful, turning back the decline in the quality of clean drinking water is a major priority for the citizens and the business and political communities of the state.

One surprise in the studies done by the Green Chemistry project in California was that industrial pollution and contamination of the water from agriculture did not dominate the causes of the pollution of clean drinking water. The studies showed that contamination of clean drinking water by private citizens through their use of chemicals, as well as pharmaceutical water contamination, played just as big a part in the problem of water contamination.

The managers of the Green Chemistry project did not approach the problem of water contamination in isolation. They examined the lifecycle of many of the products used by private citizens and addressed making changes in the contaminants used in those products so that the end result was a net improvement in the quality of drinking water in California.

The end result of the project was an initiative that did not impose harsh lifestyle changes on the citizens to realize improvements in their drinking water quality. By improving the products being used by Californians, a balance is being sought so that citizens can sustain their quality of life but do so in ways that do not continue to poison the water that the state and its citizens depend on.

The approach of the Green Chemistry project is a model for other states, because the more that states work together to encourage manufacturers of products used in the home to avoid chemicals that could have a toxic impact on clean drinking water, the better. Even with proactive public programs like the Green Chemistry project underway, it is the responsibility of homeowners to live green for the environment and for the sake of eventually securing clean drinking water for everyone.

That progress will come slow, so in the interim it is prudent to invest in a home water filtration system like those that Aquasana can show you. Having this kind of system in place will give you and your family clean drinking water now and for a long time to come. That way, you have the luxury to wait for government and private industry to catch up with the public’s need for clean drinking water in every state of the union.

Right now, the nightmare of overwhelming destruction of the clean water supply is being played out dramatically as thousands of barrels of oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico. This tragic event is by far not the first episode of toxic water contamination threatening the clean water supply that everybody depends on. In every community in this country, the EPA is tracking serious water contamination issues that may be degrading the health and vitality of the communities served by thousands of contaminated water reservoirs.

It is easy to look at the magnitude of the problem of protecting the clean water supply and throw up your hands in desperation because it seems hopeless. The resources are there, however, to clean up the water supply that your family uses for drinking water and to cook and take showers in every day. It really is a matter of mobilizing the government to put its resources to the task.

As much as politicians would like to convince the public that they spend every waking hour thinking about the needs of their electorate, it is clear that reality tells a much different story. There is no question that any time a serious effort to accomplish something good for the people of the country is undertaken by the government, it happens because concerted and heated activism brings the issue to the attention of public servants and serves them notice that they have to take action or lose their jobs.

Activism is key to getting powerful political figures at the city, state, and federal government levels to finally take action on the issue of securing a clean water supply for every citizen in this country. It has worked before. You are certainly familiar with the annual observance of Earth Day. That recognition of the need to put a priority on the environment was the result of a tremendous amount of activism. The concrete results of that activism resulted in the passage of one of the most significant pieces of legislation, designed to improve and protect the clean water supply of this country. That legislation was the Clean Water Act of 1972.

Activism isn’t about staging demonstrations and making a scene for the press. It is about making everybody aware of the problems of contamination of the clean water supply. The next step is then organizing and mobilizing ourselves at a local level to raise the awareness of legislators who have the resources, the funding, and the authority to take action to protect the clean water supply your community depends upon. That activism may be no more radical and dramatic than talking to friends and neighbors and joining or organizing a citizens group to meet with city employees who manage your water reserves and then with city, county, and state representatives to let them know your concerns for the clean water supply and your expectation that they will do the right thing to protect it.

There is a phrase that is popular in the environmental movement that applies well to the way you can approach activism for a clean water supply. That phrase is “think globally, act locally.” At a local level, being an activist means becoming knowledgeable about how the water you drink is protected and where improvements can be made. It means understanding how water is tested and staying up to date on the level of contamination that is in the clean water supply for your town.

Above all, the most positive thing you can do for your household and your family is to take steps to ensure that the water that comes out of the faucets at your house is clean, safe, and healthy. That can be done through the installation of a home water filtration system that will stop water contamination in its tracks before it can have a negative health impact on your family.

Aquasana is a great partner for you and your family in your quest to provide your home with a clean water supply consistently, day in and day out. By working with good partners like Aquasana and by doing all you can at the local, state, and federal levels to promote the cause of a world with a reliably clean water supply, you and your neighbors can make a difference.

In the last few years, awareness of the problem of contamination of the public water reserves of most cities has grown. There have been ample studies and reports in the media about the problem and that has made everybody more aware of the need to find an alternative to drinking tap water that could be contaminated with a wide variety of toxic substances. There are some viable and workable solutions, such as installing a reliable water filtration system by a respected company like Aquasana. There are just as many scams that only look to cash in on the concern you have for the safety of your water in order to cheat you out of your money instead of helping you solve the problem.

One kind of water treatment scam that makes its rounds routinely is a pitch to sell you water testing. As with many water treatment scams, the “hook” is based on how dangerous many types of water contamination that may be that be in your public water supply could be.

This is an effective hook because the basis of the appeal is entirely true. It is true that the EPA has confirmed literally thousands of potential forms of water contamination that make their way into the public water supply of every city in this country. Some of those forms of water contamination could be quite toxic and they include water contamination from pesticides, fertilizers, industrial solvents, and other chemicals to biological contamination from livestock whose refuse makes its way into the water, amongst many more.

The reason many of these water treatment scams are crooked is that they are not telling you that you can determine the extent and nature of what kind of water treatment you need with very little investment. You do not have to pay into some well-marketed water treatment scam just to find out what kind of water contamination you are up against. For one thing, you can determine a lot about the water coming to your home from what it looks like, how it tastes, and how it smells. If there is something about your home’s tap water that is unpleasant, that is a signal that you need to look into installing a good water filtration system like those Aquasana can show to you.

If you need a more detailed analysis of the extent of water contamination in your community, it is available for free from your municipal water processing agency. The EPA requires that the people who manage the water in your community test it frequently and make that information available to you at no cost. There is no reason to give in to a water treatment scam about testing when a simple phone call or online search will give you extensive results about your water being tested, which is happening every week of the year.

It is just as important to be alert to scams that will attempt to sell you a water treatment system that will not work because it is not based on well-designed technology. You can tell if you are being exposed to a water treatment scam if the promises being made are not believable. Sometimes the technology that the water treatment scam is promoting is faulty, such as providing you with clean water using magnets or other “myths” about how to get rid of water contamination.

The best way to avoid a water treatment scam is to limit who you will permit to show you water treatment solutions. Aquasana is a recognized leader in the water filtration business. The water filters that Aquasana sells conform to standards set by the government and they are in line with the kinds of water treatment solutions that the EPA recommends for most home owners.

By doing business with someone like Aquasana who knows what they are talking about and who have a long reputation of quality service to their customers, you will be certain that your investment in clean water for you and your family will be well spent.

Most drinking water is taken from the lakes, ponds, and other bodies of water around a metropolitan area. The water drawn from these resources goes through different filtration processes to make it acceptable as drinking water for the general public. The origin of much of the pollution that ends up in those places comes homes and offices. Lots of harmful chemicals and hazardous substances used in residential yard care gets into rivers and lakes during rainy days. Rain washes fertilizers, car oil, and pesticides into nearby sewers and rivers. This ultimately affects drinking water and the purification process it goes through before it reaches the public.

Contaminants that you use in your driveway and on your yard end up in the water that you use to drink. It doesn’t have to be like this. We can round up our families and get organized to help our bodies of water instead of causing harm to our clean water supply. Here are some steps you can take.

• Separate hazardous household products and dispose of them accordingly.

Substances such as paint, oil, insecticides, cleaning solutions, and pool chemicals must not be thrown into sinks, toilets, or drains. These chemicals will end up in sewers mixed in with water if it is not properly handled. This could also cause harmful chemicals to be mixed in with different bodies of water that eventually become part of the water that comes into your home. Instead, inquire about hazardous waste collection days and locations through your local government. Use those resources to dispose of hazardous chemicals properly and safely.

• Choose natural fertilizers and nontoxic products.

Re-use leftovers and other biodegradable kitchen trash and make it into compost, which will provide natural fertilizers for your lawn and garden. This will not only lower the amount of your household trash, it will also lower the demand for synthetic fertilizer. This also means that no harmful fertilizer chemicals will be swept into the clean water supply from your home. Natural fertilizer and compost kits can be purchased at hardware and garden stores.

• Do not overwater your garden.

Drenching your soil with too much water makes it easier for fertilizer to be washed into nearby water reserves and contaminate the clean water you and your family need. Consider using a trickle irrigation system and soaker hoses, which are designed to avoid overwatering your lawn.

• Lessen hard ground surfaces in your property.

Choose softer materials such as gravel, wood, and other porous materials instead of hard materials such as asphalt, cement, and concrete. Softer surfaces absorb water more quickly and improve drainage in your yard. It also reduces runoff from your yard, which takes chemical toxins into the clean water reserves that the city uses for the public water supply.

• Be an advocate for clean water.

Environmentally friendly materials and products may not be available at your local home and garden shops. If you find yourself in this situation, remember to always ask these stores to carry products that will benefit our environment. If your local government does not have hazardous waste collection days and locations, let them know about the importance of having one and ask for one in your locality.

Share the importance of composting to the people around you. Ask your officials to make important water conservation and protection laws. Encourage your friends and neighbors to also take these steps to help better your neighborhood and community. Remember that the efforts you do at home to save and clean the water will ultimately affect the water you drink and the health of your family.

• Protect your family’s water supply.

While all of the steps outlined above will help reduce the contamination of water from the care and maintenance of your lawn, you can never be certain that all of your neighbors are taking steps to protect the clean water supply as well. The solution is for you to install a reliable home water filtration system such as those made by Aquasana. In this way, you are doing all you can at a family level to stop contributing to the water contamination problem in your city. At the same time, you are taking immediate action so the contamination that is already in the public water reserves is stopped by your Aquasana water filtration system before it can affect the health of your family. That is a good two-part plan to assure healthy and clean water now and to build a brighter future with clean water for future generations as well.