Most of us living in Phoenix don’t think about what’s in our tap water. We turn on the water, fill a glass and take a drink. Is the tap water you’re drinking safe for you and your family or would bottled water be safer? What happens if the water becomes contaminated by the pipes in your house? There are many questions that we must ask to keep ourselves health. Please read on to to learn more about the water that comes out of your facet.
It’s important to drink plenty of water throughout the day, but is the tap water in your home safe? Drinking water is generally safe if it comes from a public water system in the United States, such as one run and maintained by a municipality. However, that doesn’t mean it is free of all contaminants that may leak into your water. It just means that the water doesn’t pose any serious health risk.
How is water contaminated
There are many ways that water can be contaminated. When water is contaminated that means either: (1) bacteria and parasites are present in the water from human or animal fecal matter. (2) chemicals form industrial waste or nitrates used in fertilizers have entered the water with runoff from the land. (3) Various minerals such as lead or mercury are in the water supply, sometimes from natural deposits underground or more often than not, from improper disposal.
The EPA has set minimum testing schedules for contaminants to make sure the water is safe to drink. Still, there are people that are more vulnerable to water contaminants, including:
• People undergoing chemotherapy
• People with HIV/AIDs
• Transplant patients
• Elderly people and children
• Pregnant women
If you have an questions about the quality and safety of your water, please call the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.
Is Bottled Water Safer than Tap Water?
Unlike tap water, the FDA looks at bottle of water as food. That means it requires identification of the source, whether that be a spring or mineral, regulates the levels of chemical and radiology contaminants, requires Good Manufacturing Practice standard for boiling and bottling and regulates labeling. However, the FDA doesn’t have the ability to oversee a mandatory testing program like the EPA does with public water. So although, bottle water might be labeled as “free of all contaminants” it’s important to know the company your buying from just like any other food you purchase in the grocery store. So to answer your question, yes, bottled water, depending on the manufacturer, can be a safer alternative than tap water which is at higher risk for contamination. Our water goes through an extensive purification process to ensure the purest and best-tasting water available in Phoenix and all of the southwest.
Water Quality: Contaminants in the Pipes
Sometimes your tap water can become contaminates as a water line breaks. Although, the biggest problem is lead getting into the water from the pipes. Even the “lead-free” pipes can contain up to 8% lead. The best way to avoid consuming lead is either by drinking bottled water or installing a purification system in your home, such as a reverse osmosis filter. This will clean your water once it arrives from the city water plant to ensure the best water for you and your family.
Water Quality and Water Filters
In an effort to make the water coming out of your faucet safer to drink, we also have water filter systems that you can use in your home. To learn more visit our reverse osmosis page or call us at (602) 462-5300.