USA - Advice
Do It Yourself
More than 90 percent of municipal water supplies in the U.S. are safe for drinking without the need for extra filtration. Federal safety testing requirements for municipal water supplies are more thorough than water bottling facilities’ testing. Cities generally test for microbes in their public water supply several times each day, whereas water bottling plants usually only test their water on a weekly basis. And when 25 percent to 40 percent of bottled water on the market is bottled tap water anyway, the extra cost isn’t worth it.
Jackson water occasionally contains a higher than acceptable level of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, byproducts formed when water is cleaned with chlorine. You can filter out these contaminants fairly easily with a typical carbon filter such as Brita or Pur.
One chemical that is more difficult to remove is fluoride. Water in Jackson is fluoridated, as is much of the bottled water on the market. Fluoridation is controversial and can cause health problems, especially in pregnant women, young children and the elderly. If you’re at risk, look to buy reverse osmosis water in large jugs rather than in individual bottles. And take further action by contacting your legislators to express your concern about our fluoridated public water supply.
If you’re concerned about the current safety of tap water, call your local public works office (contact info for Jackson is on the right) and find out what pollutants, if any, are present in your tap water. Then, look for a water filtration pitcher or faucet system that targets those specific contaminants.
Drink your filtered water from the same glass or mug all day. Bring a mug to work, or look for lightweight, unlined stainless steel water bottles, which are the safest reusable bottles on the market today. Some companies even offer stainless steel sippy cups for children.
More than 90 percent of municipal water supplies in the U.S. are safe for drinking without the need for extra filtration. Federal safety testing requirements for municipal water supplies are more thorough than water bottling facilities’ testing. Cities generally test for microbes in their public water supply several times each day, whereas water bottling plants usually only test their water on a weekly basis. And when 25 percent to 40 percent of bottled water on the market is bottled tap water anyway, the extra cost isn’t worth it.
Jackson water occasionally contains a higher than acceptable level of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, byproducts formed when water is cleaned with chlorine. You can filter out these contaminants fairly easily with a typical carbon filter such as Brita or Pur.
One chemical that is more difficult to remove is fluoride. Water in Jackson is fluoridated, as is much of the bottled water on the market. Fluoridation is controversial and can cause health problems, especially in pregnant women, young children and the elderly. If you’re at risk, look to buy reverse osmosis water in large jugs rather than in individual bottles. And take further action by contacting your legislators to express your concern about our fluoridated public water supply.
If you’re concerned about the current safety of tap water, call your local public works office (contact info for Jackson is on the right) and find out what pollutants, if any, are present in your tap water. Then, look for a water filtration pitcher or faucet system that targets those specific contaminants.
Drink your filtered water from the same glass or mug all day. Bring a mug to work, or look for lightweight, unlined stainless steel water bottles, which are the safest reusable bottles on the market today. Some companies even offer stainless steel sippy cups for children.
posted by Bill at
9:36 AM
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