The three-year transition period for the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, enacted on January 4, 2011, will end on January 4, 2014, at which(more…)
Tag: EPA
Still drinking your Fluoride?
I read this article on the WEF’s website and it certainly reminded me that the concept of municipal mass-medication is severely flawed. It is incomprehensible to me that anyone in their right mind would attempt to apply a nutritional supplement or medicine through drinking water, since there is no control over the amount of water people drink in a day and there appears to be no consideration give to varying body types, interfering chemicals and consumption volumes. I’m not a doctor, so I am hopelessly unqualified to comment on the merits of ingesting fluoride; if fluoride is good for you and acts as a medicine to protect teeth/bones and has serious overdose side-effects like mottling, fluorosis etc… then it should be applied by a competent medical professional like a doctor or dentist. From my own personal research it appears that topical applications of fluoride are best, instead of ingestion, so I certainly am not interested in me or my family to be drinking fluoride at all. I hope the lesson learned here is that cities shouldn’t attempt mass-medication and instead deliver water that is as clean as possible without adding chemicals to it that could affect human health.
I personally choose not to drink “nutrients” or “medicines” in my water. I’d much rather drink clean, clear delicious water and add nutritional supplements/medicines as necessary in dosages appropriate for my body size and prevailing medical conditions based on the recommendation of my health practitioner.
Is there less lead in our water now?
The 111th Congress has passed an amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act which creates a federal limit of 0.25% for the maximum lead content of any plumbing component used for potable water intended for human consumption that is smaller than 2″ in diameter. I think that the intent of this bill is good, but it really doesn’t do more than make people feel good and cause a massive increase in the cost of delivered components, especially brass which is very difficult and costly to machine when the lead levels drop that low. Municipal distribution piping is a greater source of lead than the fixtures themselves, and should be addressed as a much higher priority. This bill will become effective in 2013, so expect an influx of high-lead components from China over the next year or two.
Salt Lake City’s water unsafe, according to EWG
I read this article in the Salt Lake Tribune this morning… The EWG is drawing attention to the presence of Hexavalent Chromium in water supplies nation-wide. Yes, this is an important issue, but one can’t react emotionally to information like this and we certainly don’t need more federal regulation. Since less than 1% of municipally supplied water is actually consumed by humans, why should the other 99% be treated to “drinking” water levels? It just doesn’t make sense!
Lead in Washington DC’s water
I read this article in the Washington Post today. It again highlights the importance of homeowners taking responsibility for their own drinking water quality. It is very interesting to note that the CDC falsified test data, and that the use of chloramine exacerbated the lead problem. The US recession has only made things worse for water utilities who continue to be help to extremely high standards with limited operating budgets.
Environmental Working Group Report on Utah’s Water
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently published a summary of public information about water quality in Utah. EWG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in(more…)