Purified Water Is The Best Bottled Water As more impurities are discovered in public water supplies across the

country, some people are seeking alternatives to using their taps to quench thirst, cook, brush teeth and more. When bottled water is the choice, purified products are often considered the best. louisville std testing Why Tap Water Is Suspect A recent Associated Press investigation has brought to light some very major concerns about the safety of public drinking water. The investigation revealed that pharmaceuticals have been discovered within the drinking water supplies in cities all across America. Some 41 million Americas are believed to be impacted by medication tainted water. Although it was reported that the concentrations of medications, including antibiotics, anticonvulsants and more, are below medical dosing and public utilities try to assure that their water is safe, scientists are unclear about the potential long-term effects of exposure, the AP reported. The investigation involved a five-month study that turned up contamination in 24 metro areas across the country. Areas impacted included Detroit, Louisville, Northern New Jersey and Southern California. The pharmaceutical contaminants themselves are believed to leach into the public water system via the normal human elimination process. When toilet water is flushed, it goes into a sewer system and eventually to a wastewater treatment plant. While this treatment process is extensive, impurities remain. This water is, in turn, released back into natural bodies of water for further filtration. It eventually ends up back in the rivers, lakes, reservoirs and aquifers from which drinking water is obtained. To understand the impact pharmaceuticals are having on the drinking water supply, it helps to look at a few figures released as a result of the AP study.

Highlights of the report include: anal wart More than 56 different medications and/or byproducts were found in Philadelphia's treated drinking water. A total of 63 different pharmaceuticals were discovered in the city's various watersheds. The U.S. Geological Survey tested the Passaic Valley Water Commission's drinking water plant in Northern New Jersey. Two medications were found in the supply. A number of different governmental agencies chose not to test their drinking water supply despite discovery of contaminants in the watersheds. Fairfax, Va., New York City, Santa Clara, Calif., and Omaha, Neb., were among those that chose not to test. Beyond the startling AP report, other contaminants are often found in tap water. They range from e. coli and Coliform to heavy metals. While the U.S. Environmental Protection Commission does require testing for more than 90 different contaminants, they do sometimes slip through into the public supply. Plus most municipal water suppliers try to kill bacteria by adding excessive amounts of chlorine.