Water contaminant concerns - what is in my water
Water Testing
Recently the EPA released the following notice.
“NOTICE!!!! – Contaminants of Emerging Concern
What Are Contaminants of Emerging Concern?
Sometimes chemicals not previously detected or chemicals which, were previously found in far lesser concentrations, are discovered in the water supply. These chemicals are known as “contaminants of emerging concern” or simply “emerging contaminants.” Emerging contaminants are important because, the risk they pose to human health and the environment is not yet fully understood.
Pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PCPs) and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are among the prime examples of emerging contaminants. Up to 90% of oral drugs pass through the human body and end up in the water supply. Personal care products (soaps, cosmetics, fragrances, etc.) also find their way into our water. Endocrine disruptors are substances that may interfere with the function of hormones in the body. Trace amounts of these contaminants are being discovered in water throughout the country. The U.S. EPA is working to improve its understanding of several emerging contaminants, including perchlorate, pharmaceuticals, PCPs and EDCs.
Should I be concerned about these contaminants?
With advances in testing and health research, experts are learning of new potential dangers in our drinking water. In many cases, the possible harms are not yet fully known.
How do I know if they’re in my water?
Home testing for many newly discovered threats does not yet exist. In some cases, state laboratories can test for these contaminants or local professionals can provide water treatment to address them. Public health advocacy agencies and government bodies also conduct surveys to find some of these contaminants.
How can I prevent them?
To feel confident you are protecting yourself against contaminants, you should seek devices that have been rigorously tested and certified to independent standards. Experts in testing are constantly working to develop new standards to meet emerging threats. Filtration products certified by the Water Quality Association (wq.org) are tested to insure they will meet stringent filtration standards.
We here at AquaTek are less concerned about each individual contaminant and more concerned with zero contaminants! We feel a small amount of this contaminant and a small amount of that contaminant is unacceptable. Water is H2O (two atoms hydrogen and 1 atom oxygen), no other atom or molecule should be attached! Pure clean water is our goal for our customers and we have the filtration products which are certified by the WQA to get it that way.
Other chemicals also found in water include; Chlorine, chromium, iron, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, arsenic, barium, radium and others. Water contamination is a huge problem in the United States and some areas have it worse than others. Municipalities are often over burdened by expanding population and the lack of financial resources to barely maintain the water infrastructure, leaving system upgrades on the back burner. Water is one of three elements we need to live on this planet; air and food are the other two. Many people are changing how they use water and are making an effort to eliminate water contamination from their daily water usage by eliminating disposal of chemical ladened products into the system.
While many people are aware of water contamination problems, it's surprising how many people don't and it's astonishing how many people don't even care! If you want good food, you go to a good restaurant. If you want good water, the best thing you can do is filter it yourself and some filtration is better than no filtration. If a small carbon filter is all you can afford, it better than using nothing at all.
Call and ask us about our complete water testing service.