How Water Companies Harm Your Water

[Guest guest]

http://mercola.com/2003/oct/15/water_safety.htm

 

 

How Water Companies Harm Your Water--and You--in the Name of " Treating " It

 

 

 

By Brian Cronin, Director of AquaMD

 

(AquaMD is the water testing division of the American Water Council, a

nationally respected provider of water education & testing services. AquaMD has

teamed with Dr. Mercola to provide you both the free home water evaluation and

the Dr. Mercola water testing packages at

http://www.aquamd.com/mercola/labtests.cfm.)

 

 

 

Most people know that clean water plays a pivotal role in maintaining good

health. But do you know what water companies do to the water that comes out of

your tap and enters your system when you shower, cook, clean and brush your

teeth?

 

Most water companies pump your water from lakes, rivers and wells. The larger

ones attempt to treat the water or strip out the environmental contamination

that occurs every day. They often make decisions knowing that certain treatment

processes may pose health risks.

 

 

 

The ABCs of Water Treatment

 

Water providers use a variety of treatment processes to remove or neutralize

unwanted contaminants commonly found in the water supply. The most common of

these processes are filtration, flocculation and disinfection.

 

Filtration

 

Though many water treatment facilities use filtration to remove remaining

particles from the water supply, these ‘filters’ are not what you might think.

The process in most public systems involves millions of gallons of water passing

through pits containing layers of gravel, sand and charcoal, similar to the way

in which a private well relies on rock and soil to screen out some larger

organic material and other potentially harmful contaminants. It is a fact that

some organic material, natural particles and bacteria do get through the

filtration process.

 

Flocculation

 

This process involves adding chemicals, such as alum, iron salts or synthetic

organic polymers into the water to promote this coagulation. Aluminum salts have

been used for centuries and alum (also known as potassium aluminum sulfate) has

been used in the United States for commercial water treatment for over 100

years. These chemicals cause small particles in the water to bind together into

larger clumps so they can be removed.

 

The downside is that these added chemicals can stay in the water and pass

through the treatment system into your drinking water.

 

A number of reputable medical experts, including Dr. Joseph Mercola, have

explained the link between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease. Aluminum compounds

enter the body primarily by ingestion of food, and water; both inhalation and

dermal exposure can contribute to the total body burden. Despite the risks, Alum

is the coagulant preferred by many water utilities because of its history,

effectiveness, availability and cost.

 

Many utilities add fluoride to drinking water. Because aluminum forms strong

soluble complexes with fluoride, utilities that utilize both flocculation and

fluoridation must be careful to choose the point of fluoride application to

avoid increasing soluble aluminum levels, ... which are toxic!

 

Disinfection

 

Finally, public water is usually disinfected before it reaches the distribution

system to kill dangerous microorganisms. Chemicals like chlorine are often used

because they are cheap; they are effective disinfectants; and they remain in the

water throughout the distribution system and into the home. Unfortunately, the

use of these chemicals causes dangerous disinfection byproducts, or DBPs, which

we’ll talk about a little later.

 

After all this water is treated, it is pumped through a system of underground

mains and pipes to your home. These pipe systems are often very old and are

upgraded only when major breaks occur. In addition, many home pipes consist of

copper, iron or PVC pipes that are assembled and connected using lead-based

joint compounds. If the pH level in the water is too low, the water will leach

copper, iron, lead and other materials found in pipe materials as it enters your

home’s water supply.

 

As the water flows toward your home, the chlorine and disinfection chemicals in

the water interact with organic matter and natural particles that that passed

thru the water company’s filters. The combination of the two causes dangerous

DBPs, such as trihalomethanes (TTHMs).

 

The Darkside of Public Water Treatment

 

Some of these DBPs have been proven to be carcinogenic and many health experts

believe that they could be the most serious health threat found in our public

water supply. Long-term exposure to DBPs may increase the risk of cancer or

result in other health problems, including liver, nervous system and

reproductive issues.

 

As the vast majority of the U.S. population continues to receive and consume

disinfected or chlorinated drinking water, we can assume that Americans are

consuming disinfection byproducts every day, the number of related cancer cases

could be substantial.

 

 

 

How Can You Protect Yourself?

 

Never assume that someone else will take care of your water. Your family’s

health is not worth the gamble. Whether you receive your water from a well or

public supply system, we strongly urge you to test of your own home’s drinking

water each year.

 

If a problem is found, you can select the right treatment option to protect you.

 

 

 

Note to Private Well Owners: Although your water isn’t treated by a water

company, you are relying soley on rocks and dirt to keep your drinking water

safe. In light of the tons of chemicals pumped into the environment each year,

it’s no wonder that even the EPA, Center for Disease Control and every federal,

state and local health department in the country strongly urge annual well water

testing.

 

 

 

 

 

The New with improved product search