If you do decide you want to install a system, you should have your water tested by a certified laboratory first to find out what's in your water. COVID-19 updates See our safe care and visitor guidelines, plus trusted coronavirus information. In addition, they have 24 hours to inform customers of any violation of standards that could have a major impact on health following a short-term exposure. Private wells are not regulated by the EPA. The bottom line is that we have invested considerably in highly efficient municipal water delivery systems that bring this precious liquid straight to our kitchen faucets any time we need it. There are four main kinds: No one system will remove all water contaminants. [12] You can check your drinking water quality by reading the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for your area. Many reports can be found online. Nitrates used in fertilizers can enter the water with runoff from the land. Over the years, we have seen every kind of tap water issue there is – and fixed it! The process of making tap water safe for your fish tank without the use of chemicals is pretty simple. Tap Water in 42 States Contaminated by Chemicals, How to Make Distilled Water at Home or While Camping, Water Pollution: Causes, Effects, and Solutions, The Safest Type of Water Bottle to Drink From, 260 contaminants in public water supplies. The report tells where your water comes from and what’s in it. Even ''lead-free'' pipes can contain as much as 8% lead. However, the FDA doesn't have the ability to oversee a mandatory testing program like the EPA does with public water suppliers. Keep in mind that if you’re going to do something strenuous, like playing sports or running, you'll need extra water before, during, and after. Read on to find out how much you know about the drinking water in your own home. You can get enough water each day by drinking water and consuming fluids like soup and drinks, along with lots of fruits and vegetables, which contain water. Drinking tap water is less expensive, but is it as safe as drinking bottled water? In the U.S., keeping our drinking water safe from contaminants is largely the job of the Environmental Protection Agency. I think that the safest water I can give my pets is from the tap and from bottled water brands that I trust. Not getting enough water can lead to dehydration, which can cause muscle weakness and cramping, a lack of coordination, and an increased risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. If you don’t get one, or have misplaced it, you can ask for a copy from your local water supplier. Selected EarthTalk columns are reprinted by permission of the editors of E. EPA Has Failed to Establish Standards for Many Contaminants. All rights reserved. Instead of taking that for granted and relying on bottled water instead, we need to make sure our tap water is clean and safe for all. How Do I Know If My Drinking Water Is Safe? Vagina Quiz: What Do You Know About Down Below? WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: ''Water on Tap: What You Need to Know,'' and ''Filtration Facts. For almost one out of every seven Americans, a private well is the primary source of drinking water. Water can be contaminated in several ways. How To Test My Tap Water. In the U.S., keeping our drinking water safe from contaminants is largely the job of the Environmental Protection Agency. You need to stay hydrated -- that’s clear -- but is the tap water in your home safe? One argument advanced for the use of bottled water is its safety, yet there isn't the same guarantee of safety with bottled water as there is for the water in your tap. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, Americans drank 13.8  billion gallons of bottled water in 2018, a 5% increase over the previous year. For example: Does boiling contaminated water make it safe to drink? Every year, by July 1st, a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) is published in the water quality report can be found in there. American tap water contains over 270 different dangerous contaminants. © 2005 - 2019 WebMD LLC. Beverage Marketing Corporation: "Bottled Water Shows Strength Yet Again, New Report from Beverage Marketing Corporation Shows," April 26, 2013. We turn on a tap, fill a glass, and drink. Division of Drinking Water (DDW) has been granted primary enforcement responsibility by U.S. EPA for public water systems in California and is also responsible for regulating public water systems, under the state Safe Drinking Water Act. Most of us don’t think about the water we drink. Despite these seemingly alarming stats, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which has also conducted extensive tests on municipal water supplies as well as bottled water, says: “In the short term, if you are an adult with no special health conditions, and you are not pregnant, then you can drink most cities’ tap water without having to worry.” This is because most of the contaminants in public water supplies exist at such small concentrations that most people would have to ingest very large quantities for health problems to occur.