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While a harsh national spotlight focuses on the drinking water crisis in Flint, Mich………
…..a USA TODAY NETWORK investigation has identified almost 2,000 additional water systems spanning all 50 states where testing has shown excessive levels of lead contamination over the past four years.
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The water systems, which reported lead levels exceeding Environmental Protection Agency standards, collectively supply water to 6 million people.
About 350 of those systems provide drinking water to schools or day cares. The USA TODAY NETWORK investigation also found at least 180 of the water systems failed to notify consumers about the high lead levels as federal rules require.
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In all, the USA TODAY NETWORK analysis of EPA enforcement data identified 600 water systems in which tests at some taps showed lead levels topping 40 parts per billion (ppb), which is more than double the EPA's action level limit.
The 40 ppb mark also stands as a threshold that the EPA once labeled on its website an “imminent” health threat for pregnant women and young children.
Most Americans get their drinking water from a fragmented network of about 155,000 different water systems serving everything from big cities to individual businesses and school buildings.
The EPA determines that a system has exceeded the lead standard when more than 10% of samples taken show lead levels above 15 parts per billion. It's called an "action level" because, at that level, water systems are required to take action to reduce contamination.
But enforcement, which is implemented state by state, can be inconsistent and spotty.
Some 373 systems have failed repeatedly, with tests continuing to find excessive lead in tests months or even years later, the EPA data shows.
How much lead in water poses an imminent threat? There are about 75 million homes across the country built before 1980, meaning they’re most likely to contain some lead plumbing.
That's more than half of the country’s housing units, according to the Census Bureau. The heaviest concentrations are in New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania (full state list in link below).
IMPORTANT: this is VERY SMALL PORTION of an article I found on USAToday.com, in which I stripped down for the sake of a quick read in my blog. However the full article is very interesting, definitely worth the read, for those concerned with the issue.
The full article from USAToday.com is here
What I'm using, to try to watch my own back…….
My choice of water filters has changed over the years, but right now, I trying to find one that is backed up by independent testing. Right now, the one I'm using is the ZeroWater Filter. This is based on testing from Natural.News.com, an organization I find to be very reliable (they were the ones that exposed tungsten in Garden of Life Products ).
The unit even contains a digital testing stick so you can confirm that all dissolved solids are removed from the water.
…..the testing stick can easily be confirmed to work by comparing tap water straight out of the sink to filtered water.
The large unit is very functional in that it sits in the fridge, and I have to pour tap water in a couple of times a day, but it is very practical and holds a lot of water.
Remember that no filter filters out everything and NaturalNews.com explains they only have facilities to test for certain things. The NaturalNews article on its water filter testing is here.
The other water filter that Natural News.com recommends based upon its independent testing, is the Waterman Mini, though I don't know much about the Waterman Mini.
I have also heard of home Water Lead Testing gadgets, but have not researched them yet.
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Remember, I'm a not-for-profit, Ad-Free blog and obviously have no affiliation with ZeroWater whatsoever. But I know some family, friends, and readers don't have time to research this stuff, and they put at least a little trust and value in something I have researched for myself and something I use myself.
….as I continuously educate myself, I might change filters, as I do many product or foods I use. And, I try to keep my articles updated as I go.
~stay healthy~
click here or photo below for
all my articles in "Staying Well"
One Response
This is a very freightening report. I use water softener and a prefilter to help reduce the contamination. I hope guys can be careful with the water they consume.