World Water Week ends Friday. Several charities and non-governmental organizations set aside this week to raise awareness and call for action regarding the safety and sanitation of water supplies around the globe. Americans have a lot to be thankful for as far as the safety of our drinking water goes, but there is room for vast improvement.
Nationally, the EPA has called for more testing and adding a long list of chemicals for monitoring that have not previously been. For the NY Times story, click here. We use tens of thousands of chemicals in this country, but the Safe Water Drinking Act regulates less than 100 chemicals.
Locally, in a news release, the IL Department of Public Health “recommends well water testing for Gem Suburban Mobile Home Park.” The contaminant found in the park’s wells is trichloroethylene, an industrial solvent & metal degreaser, and has been found there before. Although officials say there is no present health risk, the Maximum Contaminant Level is 5 parts per billion….the Maximum Contaminant Goal is ZERO parts per billion. You can learn more about trichloroethylene and other contaminants at the EPA’s website.
So as World Water Week wraps up on Friday, be thankful for what you have, but remember that there are things you can do to protect your family’s health. Monitoring and treatment by the water authorities may eventually catch up with the reality of what is really going on in the environment. Untill then, you can take calculated, inexpensive steps to make sure that the water you are drinking is as clean as possible instead of wondering what is in it.
www.epa.gov www.americanpurewater.com www.rrstar.com
