What is clean drinking water? One thing I’ve taken for granted in my life is the easily accessible water supply. We can thank the engineers who developed a system that collects, cleans, pressurizes, and distributes the water directly to your faucet. Nothing demonstrates our dependence on this access to water quite like camping in a remote area of the country. To survive you need water. You either bring your own clean water, or must have knowledge of finding and cleaning it.
But what happens when your private or public water is loaded with contaminants? Many of these contaminants are colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Read on to understand how to find out what’s lurking in your water and what you can do to improve it.
Whether you have a private well or live in an urban area with public tap water it is important to understand your water quality. I was so shocked to find all of the different contaminants in my water including radioactive URANIUM! I came to realize that you can’t depend on the public water works or the EPA to ensure your water is ideal for your family’s long-term health.
Here are a few examples of some water contamination incidents. Some of these are caused on purpose, and some of these are from poor management of our nation’s water supplies.
1972-2019 Acute Fluoride Toxicity across the US8
2011 Washington DC – Lead6
2014 Flint, Michigan – Lead5
2015 Gold King Mine, Colorado – Industrial Waste7
*These listings don’t even scratch the surface of how often we’ve been unnecessarily exposed to toxic levels of substances in our public and private drinking water supplies.
Why shouldn’t we depend on the EPA?
Well for starters, it is a governmental agency with many inefficiencies, lack of liability, lack of transparency, and political corruption. Yes, I know that corporations and private individuals may litigate against the EPA, but who is the EPA supposed to serve? The answer is me and you the taxpayer. If the EPA is sued we are stuck with the bill. There’s an endless list of individuals, corporations, and organizations that have or will take legal action against the EPA.
As a dentist, the most exciting thing for me to watch is the lawsuit against the EPA on the purposeful addition of fluoride-containing chemicals to our drinking water supply. This lawsuit is scheduled to commence on February 3rd, 2020 at the U.S. District Court in San Francisco.
The American Dental Association (ADA) and many other organizations at the time of this writing are still recommending the addition of fluoride as a medication to prevent or reduce dental caries. Our difference of philosophy on health has forced me to renounce my ADA membership.
In regards to the EPA, the truth is that many employees of the EPA have integrity, honesty and loyalty to the public they serve. But are the most influential employees truly serving the public? According to the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), many of these influential administrators have strong ties to the very industries that the EPA is tasked to regulate. That’s a conflict of interest that I’m not willing to overlook. Especially when it comes to my family’s health. We want to thrive, and not just survive.
What are the big contaminants that you need to know about? According to the CDC, there are four (4) categories of contaminants which includes physical, chemical, biological, and radiological.
– Fluoride
-Nitrites
-Nitrates
-Lead
-Arsenic
-Mercury
-Chlorine
-Disinfection Byproducts
-Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s)
-Pesticides
-Herbicides
-Pharmaceuticals
-Aluminum
-Bacteria
-Viruses
The ultimate responsibility is on you the consumer to ensure your family has the purest water. Take your health into your own hands, and test your water. You NEED to understand what is in your water. This is the only way to know if you need to take action. A good water testing company will check for a broad range of contaminants, and will be able to help you understand your water values.
My family uses a competent and independent lab for all of our water testing needs. They provide a thorough independent analysis of the water samples that you send in. They have a variety of different testing solutions that fit anyone’s budget and specific needs. Contact me via email and I’ll send you the information.
Okay, so you’ve tested your water and know your results. Let’s say you have less than stellar water, and you’d like to improve that. The next step is to find a clean water solution that fits your lifestyle, goals, and budget. I’ll review some of the best options out there for your water filtration needs. There will be a future blog post where I give my recommendation of systems that I personally use in my home.
Option #1: Table top water filtration like a Berkey Water Filter & additional Fluoride filter
Option #2: Under the sink water filtration system
Option #3: Whole house water filtration system
Ideally, you will want to have all three options. Why? Well, let’s take a deeper dive into the reasons. Option #1, the table top gravity filtration unit, is necessary for traveling, camping, or emergency purposes. It’s an excellent choice as a stand-alone drinking water source.
Option #2, the undersink 14-step (more or less) water purifier, is the perfect set-up for at the point of access. It would be easy to train your family to only use that water to cook with or drink.
Option #3, the whole house water filtration system, is in my opinion one of the best investments you can make for your family’s overall health. Not only will it help with cleaner clothes and dishes, but it will also allow your family and plants to drink the water from any source in the house (including the fridge water dispenser).
In conclusion, you can and should take complete responsibility and ownership in your health. The time has passed to allow third parties or governmental agencies to “take care” of our needs and problems. You can take charge by testing your water and finding a clean water solution that makes sense for your family. Please share your results with your friends, family and neighbors. Cheers to a healthier and happier future.
https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/title-xiv-public-health-service-act-safety-public-water-systems-safe-drinking-water-act
https://www.epa.gov/ccl/types-drinking-water-contaminants
https://www.epa.gov/ogc/notices-intent-sue-us-environmental-protection-agency-epa
https://www.nrdc.org/flint
https://www.nrdc.org/experts/valerie-baron/getting-lead-out-dc-drinking-water
https://www.nrdc.org/experts/joel-reynolds/animas-river-spill-and-myth-mine-safety
https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/lawsuit-seeking-fluoridation-ban-moves-forward
