(Photo: Getty Images)
Many water experts say that tap water in the U.S. is
perfectly safe to drink. Bottled
water, they point out, is not necessarily any safer, and sometimes it’s
just tap water with a much higher price tag.
Yet those statements can be hard to believe if the water
that flows from your tap smells funny, tastes bad, or is discolored. It can
also be difficult to ignore reports of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and other
unwanted substances in water.
What do the experts say when you dig a little deeper? “The
fact that it might have an off taste or odor may not appeal to the consumer,
but it doesn’t mean the water is unsafe,” says Philip C. Singer, Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Of course there are exceptions to this. For example, if your
water tastes metallic it could be contaminated with lead from corroded pipes so
it’s worth checking out, says Joan B. Rose, Homer
Nowlin Chair in Water Research, Michigan State University. (In fact, she
recommends reporting any funny smell or taste to your local water utility just
to make sure there isn’t a problem with the pipes.) Iron, which is not
harmful, can also be the cause of a metal-like taste.
If you have hydrogen sulfide in your water, it can smell
like rotten eggs. Rose says it is
generally not harmful, but it can cause diarrhea for a short amount of time
while you get used to it. Some other common, but harmless tastes and smells: Minerals
might make your water taste a little salty. Algae can give water a musty taste
or smell. Some people are put off by the smell or taste of the chlorine used to
kill any pathogens in water.
Particles in water can make it cloudy (know as turbidity) and
water can appear rusty when pipes in your local distribution system are being
maintained or repaired, according to Kellogg J. Schwab, Director,
Johns Hopkins Center for Water and Health. He recommends
flushing the pipes by running your water until it’s clear.
Pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants are more
complicated. They are showing up in very low levels in streams, rivers, and
lakes, but we don’t find them as often in treated tap water, according to Rose.
“They haven’t been regulated yet because where they are found they are found at
very low levels and at levels where they are presumed not to be harmful to
public health,” says Singer. That doesn’t mean that the Environmental
Protection Agency couldn’t be looking harder for emerging contaminants,
especially when you take into account the precautionary
principle.
Schwab, Rose, and Singer all say they drink tap water in the
U.S. without worrying about it. “The bottom line is that here in the United
States you can go to any city and take a long drink at the water fountain and
be reasonable assured you’re not going to die,” says Schwab. “We have a pretty
high quality water system. Does that mean it’s risk free? No.” Outbreaks do happen,
but they are rare. In order to keep them rare, experts say we need to invest in
our aging infrastructure.
Here are some steps you can take to make sure you’re
drinking the healthiest tap water possible:
-
Find out what’s in your water. Read your Consumer
Confidence Report (each year it should arrive in your mailbox by July 1) to
learn where your water is from and what’s in it. Or find it online on the EPA’s website. You
can also call the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline, 800-426-4791, with
questions.
-
If you have your own well, follow the EPA’s guidelines
on monitoring your water.
-
Water filters can improve taste and smell and
remove some contaminants. Do your homework to make sure you’re buying a filter
that will address your specific needs. Look for one that’s been certified by
the NSF International to address the
issues you are concerned with. The Environmental Working Group has an extensive guide to choosing
water filters. One thing to remember: You must change your filters
regularly or there’s no point in filtering your water.
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