How to Tell If Water Is Safe to Drink
Do I really know what's in the water? How can I find out what I'm drinking? Water from your faucet runs through a treatment plant, but that doesn't always protect you from contaminants and the risks only increase if you're drinking from a well. More than 90 percent of water supplies are safe for consumption, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, but a little education can go a long way towards safeguarding against the risks of contaminated water.
Instructions
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Contact your water supplier and ask for their annual drinking water quality reports. These reports will tell you what contaminants have been found in the water system and how the presence levels compare to federally-regulated drinking water standards. It will also list the additives mixed into the water by the supplier and the water source. Many suppliers mail these reports directly to their consumers.
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Pay attention to your local newspapers, mail, radio and television to see if your water supplier has issued a warning. These notifications will inform you of the contamination, the risks, and how to treat the water, or offer alternatives to drinking from the water supply.
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Check with your local water expert on the safety of your drinking water if you are taking water from a natural source. Many outdoor water supplies can be made safe for drinking with an iodine treatment.
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Bring water to a boil above 212 degrees Fahrenheit for one minute to kill any bacteria or pathogens. Bacteria is the most common way your tap water gets contaminated.
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Tips & Warnings
Cloudiness or strange smells may cause concern over the safety of drinking water, but more often than not these are harmless side effects of the water treatment process. Follow the Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines on the emergency disinfection of drinking water to ensure any contaminants you may be facing are probably treated.
Do not drink water from a ground water source unless you have confirmed its safety with a water expert.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo courtesy of Randy Son Of Robert on Flickr
