What's in Your Tap Water?

You already know that bottled water isn't any cleaner or safer than tap water so let's turn our attention to the tap. Millions of Americans get sick from contaminated tap water every year. How is it possible that every home in America doesn't have fresh, pure water flowing from every tap?

The quality of the water in your home depends on the purity of the water source, the maintenance of hundreds of miles of pipes and the construction of better treatment facilities.

Many cities' water delivery and treatment systems are nearly a century old. Aging pipes can break, leaching contaminants and breeding bacteria. Older water treatment generally fails to remove contaminants such as pesticides, arsenic and industrial chemicals from power plants and coal mines.

Tap water can contain a vast array of contaminants, including lead, germs and radon as well as by-products of chlorine treatment which may cause cancer and reproductive problems. Most cities' tap water may be fine for healthy adults but pregnant women, very young children, the elderly and people living with weakened immune systems should take precautions.

You can learn more about what's in your tap water by requesting a copy of your community's annual water quality report from your local water utility. It's often called a consumer confidence or right-to-know report. The report lists the levels of certain contaminants found in local drinking water as well as potential health threats of any contaminants detected in violation of EPA standards. But some common drinking water contaminants, including radon, some parasites and many pesticides, won't appear in the report because they're not regulated by the EPA. And EPA standards for tap water may not protect people with suppressed immune systems, very young children and the elderly.

Take the first step and learn more about what's in your water.

Call your local water utility and request a copy of your community's annual water quality report.	Learn more about the health effects of the contaminants in your water. NRDC's water fact sheet includes a list of common contaminants and their health effects.	Learn more about the sources of contamination in your area and pressure your local water utility and government to improve your drinking water. Everyone deserves safe and clean drinking water.

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