As Americans watched the news about Flint, Michigan’s water crisis and learned of the remarkably dangerous amounts of lead (Pb) in that community’s water supply, many of us understandably began asking, “so what’s in my water?” Unfortunately, the real answers aren’t very comforting, as most local water supplies across the United States aren’t nearly as clean and healthy as you might think.
Some people believe a good rule of thumb for clean water is “no taste, no odor, and no color.” But ask a scientist, and they’ll tell you that there are a lot of dangerous, taste-free, odorless, colorless contaminants that could very well be in your local water supply. Some of the most common chemical contaminants in American water include chloroform (CHCl3), lead, and arsenic (As), contaminants that are dangerous in even tiny concentrations. According to widespread studies, people in every state in the U.S. consume chemicals in their water that exceed the nationally recognized legal standard for “healthy water.” Yikes.
There Are Probably Pharmaceuticals In Your Water Too
As you might imagine, there are other, more complex, more mysterious, man-made contaminants found in many local waters supplies: mysterious, new, certainly questionable elements in the form of manufactured pharmaceuticals. In fact, the United States Geological Survey found low levels of pharmaceuticals in 80% of all the water supplies they tested. Yeah – 80%. These pharmaceuticals include antibiotics, hormones, contraceptives and all manner of steroids. Many attribute the presence of these medications in water supplies to people flushing prescription pharmaceuticals into their waste water. This discovery even lead to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) establishing the first guidelines of how Americans should dispose of prescription drugs.
The good news: even though your family’s local water may be contaminated with chemicals, pharmaceuticals and more, there are ways to make your water healthy and clean again. At Aquasana, we recommend testing your home’s water to determine what kind of contaminants you need to eliminate. Our wide variety of filtration systems allow you to choose which product fits your family’s needs based of the contaminants found in your home tap, and your particular goals.