Following a comprehensiveNew York Times study revealing that 10 percent of Americans face dangerous drinking water, theWater Quality Associationis urging consumers to consider installing final contaminant barriers in their homes.
The newspaper reported results of its research in the second part of a major series on “toxic waters.” Among its findings:
- Ten percent of Americans “have been exposed to drinking
water that contains dangerous chemicals or fails to meet a federal health
benchmark in other ways.”
- Wells
are more likely than municipal water systems to contain contaminants.
- An estimated 19.5 million Americans “fall ill” every year to contaminated water.
Filtering systems in the home provide the highest technology available to treat drinking water, saidPeter J. Censky, executive director of WQA, in an announcement. Less than 2 percent of all water consumed is ingested by humans, making these “point-of-use” systems the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly available. While utilities are required to meet safety standards set by the U.S. EPA, theNew York Timesreported more than half a million violations of the Clean Water Act since 2004.
Home filtering systems act as a final contaminant barrier and can further purify water for drinking, Censky emphasized.
More information about contaminants is available at WQA’s Water Information Library, which includes a search function.
Source: Water Quality Association
