Where our drinking water comes from
Have you stopped to think about how often we use water in our daily
lives?
If you do, you will certainly find that it is extremely important to us.
It
is vital to our health to drink adequate amounts of water, and it is
used in
numerous everyday household tasks, such as in cleaning, cooking and
showering. We just take for granted that our water will be there when we
need it. But how often do we consider where water comes from, or how it
is
treated so we can drink it and use it? Do we even stop to think if it is
safe to drink?
There are two primary sources of water. These are surface water and
groundwater. Lakes, rivers and reservoirs are the locations of surface
water, whereas groundwater, as its name implies, is found under the
surface
of the land. In this way it passes through openings in the rocks. These
rocks that save and transport ground water are called aquifers. In order
to
use this groundwater, it must be pumped from an aquifer to the earth's
surface.
Each of us either receives our water from a private well or a community
water system. In order for groundwater to be available for use in the
home,
a household well pumps the water. Community water systems may be derived
from surface water or groundwater.
Most of the U.S. population receives its water from municipal and
community
water stems; in fact nearly 85 percent do so. The water systems must
meet
the standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
the
authority of the Safe Drinking Act (SDWA). In 1974 Congress passed the
SDWA
to create national standards for safe drinking water. The EPA
establishes
standards for drinking water to be the maximum level of a substance it
deems
acceptable. The act went further in 1986 so as to order the EPA to
publish
its standards for 83 specific contaminants. Currently there are limits
on 87
substances, but it takes some time for water programs to implement
these
more strict standards. The drinking water must not have contaminants
which
are higher than the standards of the SDWA or of state rules.
All water should be treated from its point-of-use (POU) whether it is received from a household well or a community water system. POU equipment can treat your water so that it is of utmost quality, both in taste and safety (free of contaminants). This equipment can treat water from taps throughout the entire house or merely a single tap. It can improve the quality of water in several different ways. Some POU devices are able to reduce dangerous contaminants in the water, as well as remedy unusual taste color or odor of the water. Imbedded in the technology of the POU devices is the ability to resolve numerous water quality concerns. But first you must identify the type and extent of the problem. Have the water tested, then if the safety of the water is questionable, have a certified or reputable lab test the water.
More on where our drinking water comes from...
~Home ~ Terms of Use ~ Products guide ~ Search articles ~Water filter information ~ Home related ~ Outdoor related ~ Home water filters and portable water filters ~ Other resources~