The Key Questions

1. 1.    Where is your water stored?
   

2. 2.    Where does the water travel to reach you?
   

3. 3.    Is your filter matched to what is in your water?
   

4. 4.    How is your public utility helping you understand your water?
   

5. 5.    Is your plumbing impacting water quality?
   

General rules for assessing the quality and healthfulness of drinking water are almost impossible.  The quality of tap water and bottled water is highly dependent on where the water originates, how it is stored, and how it reaches the user.   The “look” and “smell” of drinking water are often poor indicators of quality.  For example, heavy metals (e.g. arsenic, lead) do not make water look cloudy or smell funny, but the health impacts of these heavy metals can be severe and chronic. 

If you receive your water from a public water supply, contact your water company to acquire the latest water quality reports (most public water companies send periodic information to your home).   Get to know the contaminants of concern in your area (including where the water originates) and filter your water for those contaminants.  If your water source has a history of water quality problems, have your tap water periodically tested for top contaminants.  If the public water treatment system uses chlorine (which does make water smell “funny”), consider using a filter that reduces chlorine in your tap water.

If you are on a private well, test your water according to the soil and use of land above the well.   If animals or septic systems are located near the well, test for Fecal coliform and E.coli.  If agriculture is nearby, test for pesticides and other organic contaminants.  If the geology is rocky (potentially arsenic heavy), test the water for arsenic. 

If you area has recently been impacted by natural disaster, consider broad-scale community testing... have a single or small number of water samples fully tested for organic pesticides, organic pollutants, lead, arsenic, and fecal coliform/E. coli at an independent laboratory. 

If the plumbing in between your water source and your tap contains lead or if you are uncertain of its composition, let the tap water run for 30 seconds before using it.  Boiling water does not eliminate chemical contaminants (only biological ones).  In fact, boiling increases the concentrations of these contaminants!