Can You Trust the Quality of Your Drinking Water?

Jun 21, 2021

All of us want to believe that our drinking water is perfectly safe…but is it really?

We’re all familiar with the Flint, Michigan water system disaster in 2014. It sparked national interest in the quality of water that comes out of our taps. When the city switched to a new water supply in 2014, the pipes carrying the water became corroded and lead seeped into the city’s drinking water. Children were especially at risk for having cognitive challenges from being exposed to the lead in Flint’s drinking water. Seven years later, Flint is just about done replacing the old lead pipes.

Flint’s Drinking Water Disaster: Common or an Anomaly?

According to a National Geographic article, one-fourth of Americans “drink water from systems that violate the Safe Drinking Water Act.” That’s nearly 83 million people in the United States who drink unsafe water.

You may be wondering what these violations include. These violations can range from allowing lead and/or arsenic to get to dangerously high levels to the failure to adhere to proper water testing. And, these violations happen in various locations, from rural communities to big cities and from red states to blue states.

State and local laws and regulations in addition to the federal Clean Water Act of 1972 and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 have helped. But we can’t assume that the water coming out of taps is safe to drink.

In 2019, over one million California residents received unsafe drinking water. And, about 1,600 of California’s public water systems violated the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) water quality standards.

What’s the Quality of San Diego’s Water?

According to the 2019 Public Health Goals Report from San Diego Public Utilities, San Diego’s water quality meets EPA requirements. But this fact does not necessarily mean there aren’t contaminants in your drinking water.

One way to assess San Diego’s drinking water is to see if they are meeting Public Health Goals (PHG) set by the CA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).

These goals are more rigorous thresholds for contaminants than those published by the EPA which municipal water suppliers are required to meet. These goals are aspirational more than anything else – not requirements.

San Diego’s Public Health Goals Report (noted above) shows that between 2016 and 2018, the following contaminants exceeded PHG levels in San Diego.

Contaminants found in San Diego’s drinking water:

Total Coliform Bacteria

Measured to represent the general condition of the water. Sometimes indicates the possibility of bacterial organisms in the water.

Bromate

A byproduct of disinfection treatments. It is considered a carcinogen.

Chlorite

Another byproduct of disinfection treatments. Several studies show that oral exposure to chlorite can result in significant hematological, endocrine, reproductive and gastrointestinal effects.

Radionuclides

Including gross alpha particles, gross beta particles and uranium. They may carry some carcinogenic risk if they are consumed over long periods of time.

This means that even though your tap water has been treated, the treatments don’t capture all contaminants or the disinfection byproducts that may be a health risk, as well. Trust us, you do not want to drink these contaminants.

Don’t Settle for Less, Get Better Water

The best way to ensure that you have safe drinking water is to invest in a high-quality water filter . You’ll gain peace of mind not having to worry about the quality of your drinking water.