We all know that water is very important to our human bodies. That is why it is imperative to make sure we are getting safe drinking water. There are many places throughout the world where the water is not safe for drinking. We are lucky that America is home to one of the best water supplies for drinking water. That is very reassuring when we hear of all the problems around the world, but many Americans are still wondering how safe their drinking water is. Because of this, there is a concern of the safety of America’s drinking water even though tap water meets the federal and state standards.
Drinking Water Concerns
The chance that our drinking water would pose serious health problems here in America is very slim. That does not mean there aren’t any concerns over our drinking water. Because of the problem of overpopulation, we are seeing more contaminants in our water because of human and animal wastes, chemicals that have been improperly disposed of and wastes injected underground. Another concern is the issue of lead contamination in water. Lead enters our drinking water through the corrosion of plumbing materials. These types of materials, such as lead pipes and joints, will be found in very old and poorly maintained homes. Lead contamination can cause serious health problems in babies, children and adults. Babies and children who drink lead contaminated water can experience delays in mental and physical development as well as learning deficits. Adults who are exposed to lead are at risk of kidney problems and high blood pressure. These are just a few of the concerns that we face today.
Protecting Our Drinking Water
There are ways we as consumer can take action to help protect our drinking water her in the U.S. We can help by taking care of our environment first and foremost. We need to be more aware of what we are throwing out our car windows, what we are dumping in our water sources, and what we are putting into the ground. If we can just take little steps to make our environment cleaner, we can in turn help the safety of America’s water that we drink. Another way to help is by getting a water filter system for our homes. Whether it is a simple water filter for our faucet or a reverse osmosis system, which would ensure better quality of drinking water, both would be effective in protecting the water. We can be assured though that we have one of the safest sources of water for our use because of the Safe Drinking Water Act which sets national standards for public water systems. They also require utilities to issue annual reports about the condition of their water. Knowing this, it puts our minds at ease that we can read about the condition of the water we are drinking. So even though there are ways we can help the quality of America’s drinking water, it is nice to know that there are national standards out there for us to read.
References:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/wot/pdfs/book_waterontap_full.pdf
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