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By Brian Cronin, Director of AquaMD
(AquaMD is the water testing division of the American Water Council,
a nationally respected provider of water education & testing
services. AquaMD has teamed with Dr. Mercola to provide you both
the free home water evaluation and the Dr. Mercola water testing
packages at http://www.aquamd.com/mercola/labtests.cfm.)
In the spring of 1993, a microscopic, single-cell organism brought
the city of Milwaukee to its knees. For 403,000 residents, it began
with a widespread outbreak of nausea vomiting, abdominal cramps,
fever and acute diarrhea, resulting in the hospitalization of 4,400
victims. For over one hundred of their friends, family members,
co-workers and neighbors, it ended in death.
What happened? The Greater Milwaukee Area was served by a municipal
water supply system that filtered and treated its drinking water
much like any other city. So, how is it possible that a public water
utility transported harmful, contaminated water to the homes, schools
and businesses within the community?
Investigators determined that the problem began in Lake Michigan,
the source of Milwaukee’s public water supply. Experts believe
that lake was contaminated with excessive quantities of human sewage
or run-off from nearby cattle farms and slaughterhouses. A chain
of events was unleashed that resulted in a massive Cryptosporidium
infection of the city and surrounding suburbs of the Wisconsin town.
Regardless of typical bureaucratic squirming and finger-pointing
in the aftermath, the undeniable truth was that these deadly pathogens
were not only present in the water source, but they were able to
get through the very water treatment system designed to stop them.
These Cryptosporidium cysts then traveled through the entire distribution
system, entering the homes and bodies of hundreds of thousands of
residents. The incredible thing is that this terrible incident took
place despite even though the Milwaukee Water Utility was in total
compliance with all state and federal water distribution regulations.
In the United States, public water providers employ a multi-barrier
methodology to ensure the quality of our drinking water. This approach
incorporates the obvious tactics, like screening, filtration, chemical
treatment, disinfection, as well as water source protection and
distribution system (pipes & pumps) maintenance.
As no single barrier is capable of doing the job of protecting
the public’s water alone, the multi-barrier system requires
each component to play a vital role. And as the Milwaukee incident
illustrates, if even one of these barriers is compromised, it can
result in a complete breakdown.
Another reason for concern is the age and condition of much of
our public water supply infrastructure. A good example of this critical
issue can be illustrated by a phenomenon called "Unaccounted-For
Water". It has been reported that up to 30% of the total water
transported through some public systems is unaccounted-for each
year. The Environmental Protection Agency claims that in California
alone, 81 billion gallons of water is leaking from the municipal
water system each year.
A June 2003 study by the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC)
also reported that "we are relying on pipes that are, on average,
a century old. The water systems in many cities -- including Atlanta,
Boston, and Washington, D.C. -- were built toward the end of the
19th century." 1 The fact that over 200,000 water main breaks
were reported nationally in 2002 appears to validate this claim.
NRDC also added that aging equipment and infrastructure may be inadequate
to handle today's contaminant loads or spills.
We are very lucky to live in the United States. Compared to most
of the world, our quality of life in unmatched. As a result, we
tend to take many things for granted... including the air we breath...
the food we eat... and the water we drink.
Although the problems in Milwaukee occurred ten years ago, not
much has changed with the U.S. water distribution system in the
last 30-50 years. Water companies do very little testing on the
actual water that comes out of your tap, as they typically conduct
most of their water testing immediately after treatment. Water testing
of the end product -- water that is transported through the old
pipes, interacts with organic and inorganic material on the way
into your home -- is minimal.
These old pipes can easily leach contaminants like lead, iron,
copper, vinyl chloride residue and other Volatile Organic Compounds
(VOCs) into our drinking water. Leaking pipes can provide an ideal
breeding ground for bacteria and other potentially harmful microorganisms.
The water quality in the 15 million private wells in this country
are basically unchecked even today... despite an ever greater health
threat from contamination.
A proactive approach to monitoring your home’s water quality
isn’t just smart -- it’s basic common sense. As water
quality is in a constant state of flux, many experts strongly advise
that you test your home’s water
at least once a year. It is the only way to determine what’s
in your water. We cannot rely on our sense of taste, smell or sight
to detect contaminated water.
The residents of Milwaukee ’93 can testify to this fact.
Only sophisticated laboratory equipment can diagnose dangerous levels
of harmful contaminants. Testing also enables you to determine what
specific home treatment options make the most sense. As no filter
can remove everything, it is important to know exactly what is in
your water so you can treat it properly. Clean water is an obvious
must for maintaining good health... to drink, cook, wash, bathe
or clean with anything less is like playing Russian Roulette with
your family’s safety.
Note: In next month’s article, we will talk about how public
water providers prepare your drinking water, including the chemicals
and methods used in the process.
The
NRDC’s report can be found o their website at:
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