When you consider the different sources that we rely on for water, which ones should we be more aware of as being unsafe. One type that most people rely on for drinking water as well as cooking, cleaning, bathing, and numerous other uses is tap water. You should be aware of what is in your tap water. One way of doing this is to take a sample and have it tested.
Tap water normally contains chlorination, which is one way of getting rid of bacteria. All water systems that provide tap water for the public have to test water pathogens. The purpose of this is to identify anything that could cause intestinal problems. City water supplied to customers through tap water has to be filtered and disinfected.
What cities and states are doing a better job at keeping their water safe for drinking than others? Top cities that had high rankings in keeping their water safe for consumption are Seattle, Washington, Boston, Massachusetts, San Francisco, California, and Denver, Colorado.
Water supplies in the following states may contain high levels of agricultural pollution, which contains nitrogen, pesticides, or sediment.
1) Baltimore, Maryland 2) Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Diego, California 3) New Orleans, Louisiana
The following cities source of tap water is being endangered from run off, industry and sewage contamination.
With all of the toxins that cause illness and death lurking in our water supplies, it is no wonder that so many people are opting for filtering systems for their water supply. According to recent studies by the EPA, one of the leading causes of contamination in home systems is the pipes that carry the water to the home. Many have not been replaced for years. They are the old iron type, a copper or brass, or a combination of these materials. These are not considered safe anymore. The lead pipes are especially dangerous to young children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
Changing your faucets and pipes can have a dramatic effect on the quality of your water. Add an in home filtration system and you can have the freshest, cleanest water that you have had for years. Many of the pipes that older homes were plumbed with many years ago are the cause of certain recurring illness. Diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, and headaches can be caused by using pipes that are long overdue to be replaced. If you cannot afford to replace them at the present, at least consider using a filtering system that will remove any toxins or contaminants that are present in your water.
Replacing faucets can help as well. While you are at it do not forget to connect your refrigerator to the filtering system as well. This will improve the taste of the ice and water that you get from it in addition to the water from the faucet. If you have ever noticed that your sinks or toilets are stained from the water that is used in them daily, that may be a sign that there is something in your water that should not be present.
The contaminants in water are in every source that comes into your home. That is one reason for considering a whole house filtration system. From the water you use for bathing to the dishwasher, the water that you use every day should be as pure as it can be.
Feces are a natural part of every day life; in fact the ground we walk on and grow our food in is the by-product of one animal species or another. While manure is organic in nature and may even be very useful to humans, sometimes large amounts of manure can pose a significant hazard to our way of life.
Picture for a second, the typical feedlot or pig farm. Hundreds of animals are kept in a relatively small enclosure, and they spend their days eating and metabolising until they are ready to be butchered. This means that there are literally hundreds of pounds of manure created every day, and the large amounts can pose a serious threat to the health of the human population.
Whenever it rains, there is the possibility of manure run off, including several species of bacteria, to find its way into drinking supplies. Usually the combined natural filters of nature will combine with the artificial filters of man to eliminate the risk of health hazards, but in the case of large amounts from commercial farms there is a risk of certain harmful bacteria getting into drinking water supplies.
How do we keep our drinking water safe?
Although the public in general may be at risk, the people most likely to encounter problems will be those who live on or near the feedlot, and that usually includes the owners. That means that not only are there legislated measures for safe manure disposal, but the stakeholders have a personal interest as well. Here are some ways in which manure can be disposed of safely.
Composters. As we mentioned in the opening, manure makes for some of the very best growing material there is. The key is being able to get the manure to a point where the harmful elements are no longer present. This can be achieved through composting; both time devices and special metabolising chemicals are used to concentrate the composting products. Once treated, the manure is no longer harmful and in fact can be a lucrative by-product!
Lagoon treatment. Animal waste is placed in liquid form in pools of water, where aerobic bacteria treat the manure in a way similar to composting.
Technologies. Batch reactors, used for the treatment of human waste, also prove effective. In three separate steps, solids are removed from the effluent, phosphorous is diminished, and finally nitrogen gas is eliminated.
So as you can see, while farm runoff may pose a threat to our drinking water, there are treatments to effectively eliminate the danger. In places like Ontario, new government standards have also been put in place to avoid another Walkerton water tragedy.
Both Mike Singh & Rob Parker are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.