Gambling With Your Health?

A major chemical spill in Charleston, WV. A coal ash spill in Virginia and North Carolina. A dike failure in Tennessee. Flooded farms that spread fecal matter and fertilizers. Ongoing droughts. And every day, the nation adds to the chronic, ongoing pollution of its drinking water with PPCPs (pharmaceuticals and personal care products).  While your water source may be safe today, are these events gambling with your health?

National Geographic, one of the nation’s most trusted sources for educational information, wrote a thought-provoking article that outlines the severity of these occurrences.

All of the above events have happened within the United States in the past decade alone.  While the majority of water treatment facilities are safe, it only takes an accidental leak such as the January 2014 MCHM chemical spill in Charleston to overwhelm the treatment facility.  A coal ash contamination may be even worse, such as the 2008 Tennessee dike failure and the 2000 Kentucky pond failure.  Coal ash contains heavy metals, arsenic, thallium, and other dangerous toxins.  Not only do these events immediately impact the environment (such as contaminating a nearby waterway), there is also lingering toxicity in the soil and nearby freshwater and groundwater sources.

Even the nation’s aging water transportation infrastructure adds to the problem. “In the American Society of Civil Engineers 2013 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, the nation's drinking water infrastructure was given a D grade for aging pipes, some of which date back to the Civil War. ‘At the dawn of the 21st century, much of our drinking water infrastructure is nearing the end of its useful life,’" states the National Geographic article.

There is something you can do to ensure you and your family are protected. Educate yourself on the water quality being delivered to your home. Start by looking at the National Tap Water Quality Database.  Contact your local water authority and request a copy of your local water report. Use an NSF-Certified point-of-use water filtration system like the Multipure family of products.  You CAN beat the odds and protect your home against unexpected water contamination threats.

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