The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has done much to ensure the compliance of municipal water districts to safe drinking water standards.
These standards are described in terms of maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for each specified contaminant. These MCLs are generally set at parts per million (ppm) or parts per billion (ppb). The EPA publishes a chart of contaminants being tested for by the municipal water supply and the maximum contaminant level under which water is considered safe.
If your home is supplied with city water, these EPA standards ensure that the water in your home meets these specified levels. It doesn't mean that you should assume your tap water is good to go.
The list to the left offers a few brief considerations:
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~Your local municipal water supply accomplishes a remarkable task in complying to EPA standards. They are understandably limited, however, in their ability to go beyond these standards to supply high-quality water to every home.
Less than 1 percent of the water used on any given day will be used for human consumption. This makes it economically impossible for them to provide us with the very best water for our homes.
~After treatment and testing, water from your local municipal water supply must travel through thousands of feet of pipeline. This pipeline is sometimes in need of repair, and always introduces an degree of uncertainty concerning the quality of the water you consume.
~The standards of what EPA has considered safe have changed over the years (case study: Milwaukee, 1993) and may continue to change. |
