Keeping Your Drinking Water Safe

Research has shown that the water you drink -- whether it’s from your home faucet or bottled water from a store -- may not always be as safe as it could be. Consider the following tips to ensure your water is the safest it can be:

• If you get your water from a private or small community well, you may want to have your tap water tested. Well water can become contaminated with bacteria. City water supplies and municipal wells that serve large numbers of people are regularly tested for contamination. Private and small community wells are not tested, unless you arrange to have it done. If you don't get a water bill, you most likely have a private or small community well.
• Install a filter on the taps in your house or store drinking water in a pitcher with a filter. Check the box label to make sure you’re buying a filter that removes E. coli and Cryptosporidium bacteria. Change the filter at the recommended times. The National Sanitation Foundation web site has information on how to choose water filters for your home. If you use a quality filter, you probably won't need to boil your water.
• Boil your water if you think it might be contaminated with bacteria. Bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute before using it. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms.
• Read bottled water labels carefully. Water with labels that say "well water," "artesian well water," or "spring water" may not be any different than your tap water. Use of these terms isn't regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Choose water with a label that says either:
  • reverse osmosis treated
  • filtered through an absolute 1 micron or smaller filter (a 1 micron filter is small enough to trap bacteria and other organisms)
  
  If you're unsure whether your brand of water has been treated by one of these processes, call the Bottled Water Association at 1-800-WATER-11 and ask.
• Choose bottled water in a glass or BPA-free plastic container. Companies that use BPA-free plastic mention it prominently on the label. BPA (bisphenol A) is a chemical used to make many polycarbonate plastics, including water bottles and other food packaging, baby bottles, and food can linings. BPA can leach into food and beverages from the packaging. Some studies in animals have shown that BPA can cause developmental and reproduction problems. The U.S. National Toxicology Program, part of the National Institutes of Health, has said there is cause for “some concern” about BPA’s effects on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children at current exposure levels.
  If you’re concerned about BPA exposure:
  • Avoid plastic containers with the number 7 recycling symbol on the bottom. This type of plastic is most likely to contain BPA.
  • Opt for filtered tap water instead of bottled water.
  • Carry your own water with you in a BPA-free plastic or stainless steel container. Many companies, such as Nalgene and Klean Kanteen, offer BPA-free water bottles.
• When you swim, you end up drinking tiny amounts of water. Stay clear of public swimming places (beaches or pools) that may have high bacteria counts, especially children's pools.