| Recently, the New York Times published an article | | | | has been done to limit it's presence in our water. |
| that was seriously alarming. It seems that American | | | | Chromium is used in the production of metal alloys |
| tap water can not be trusted to be free from cancer | | | | and can degrade into hexavalent chromium. |
| and disease causing chemicals - even though it | | | | Remember the Erin Brockovitch story with Julia |
| complies with current regulations. The problem is that | | | | Roberts? This is the stuff that caused all those |
| the 35-year-old federal law regulating tap water is so | | | | cancers in Hinkley. It is estimated that as much as |
| out of date that the vast majority of chemicals now | | | | 80% of the chromium in our water is hexavalent |
| found in our drinking water have either not been | | | | chromium, a known carcinogen. |
| evaluated for human safety or are not currently | | | | Perc is a dry cleaning chemical and is used in cleaning |
| regulated at all. | | | | machinery in factories. Uranium is a radioactive |
| Only 91 contaminants are presently regulated, yet | | | | element that is naturally occurring in most rocks but |
| more than 60,000 chemicals are used within the | | | | leaches into our water supply through power |
| United States, according to Environmental Protection | | | | generation and weapons manufacturing plants. These |
| Agency estimates. Scientists who have independently | | | | are just a minute sample of what's in our water that |
| reviewed thousands of these chemicals consider | | | | shouldn't be and it begs the question of what our |
| many of them to present serious health risks. What's | | | | regulatory agencies are doing, if not keeping us safe? |
| even worse, is that current research about chemicals | | | | It should be said that the water supply system |
| that are presently regulated have been found to be | | | | throughout the United States is not homogenous. |
| far more hazardous to our health than was originally | | | | You'll find more of certain chemicals in certain |
| thought. Now we know that the levels that are legal | | | | geographic areas that are closer to various industries, |
| for some of these contaminants are actually lethal - | | | | including pesticide runoff in agricultural areas. The |
| in terms of increasing people's risk for life threatening | | | | bottom line is, if you drink tap water, use a water |
| diseases, birth defects and other serious conditions. | | | | filter and change it as directed. If you drink bottled |
| In fact, many of the standards for those chemicals | | | | water, go online and see if they actually filter it. You |
| have not been updated since the 1980s, and some | | | | may want to invest in a reverse, osmosis filter which |
| haven't been updated since the Safe Drinking Water | | | | is reported to be the most effective in removing |
| Act was passed in 1974. | | | | heavy metals and other toxic materials from drinking |
| Some of the most hazardous chemicals found in our | | | | water. |
| drinking water include: Arsenic, Chromium, Perc and | | | | If you want more details, call the BCWA (Bristol |
| Uranium. Arsenic is a naturally occurring metal that is | | | | County Water Authority) and ask for the Consumer |
| used extensively in industries such as electronics and | | | | Confidence Report for the last year recording all the |
| processing wood. It has recently been found to be | | | | detected toxic pollutants in our water supply. |
| far more toxic than originally estimated, yet nothing | | | | |