The Water We Drink...

TheChristian Science Monitor 1-3-05

A scare rippled through Washington, D.C., earlier this year whenresidents learned their drinking water contained lead, a metal linked tolower IQs in children and other maladies. The lead had leached into thewater from aging pipes and fixtures. The city's water authorityresponded with a common remedy: It added a chemical calledorthophosphate, which coats the inside of the pipes to contain the lead.But a month later, the city found the water contained elevated levels ofbacteria, a side effect of the treatment. Both the city and the USEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) assured residents the situationwas not an emergency, and that the bacteria could be treated withinmonths. Still, the city notified consumers of the situation andsuggested that at-risk households, such as those with young children,seek medical advice.So what should consumers believe about the safety of their drinkingwater?Drinking water in the United States is among the best in the world - aUnited Nations study ranked it 12th among 122 countries. US water istreated and closely monitored so that isolated problems like the one inWashington, D.C., can be dealt with quickly. But scientists also aredetecting for the first time substances - called "emerging pollutants" -that occur more routinely than had been thought. With new tests andtechnologies turning up these previously undetectable contaminants, amixed picture is emerging of America's rivers, aquifers, and otherfreshwater sources that supply an estimated five out of six Americans.What's disturbing is what's showing up in the water: industrialchemicals, human and veterinary drugs, feces, natural and synthetichormones, microorganisms, detergents, and even fire retardants. Watercompanies do not yet test for most of these substances, and theireffects on health and the environment are largely unknown. Read thecomplete story here:http://rense.com/general61/safe.htm

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I think more people should be concerned with their water supply whatever the source. We get our water from a well on our property and so far has consistently tested clean, with the exception that the state of Arkansas requires a certain amount of chlorine, which we add for the test, then pump out afterwards.
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I think it would be reasonable to make a connection between increase in disease with the increase in mass water treatment facilities. The problem with a large centralized water treatment facility is that if something goes wrong, then everyone is a victim. With the old system of cistern or well to supply the individual family or small community with water is that contamination is isolated and easy to identify.
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As mentioned in the article, Both the system and cure have proven to pose a risk to the consumer. One thing a person can do to minimize the lead is to simply let the water run for about a minute to purge the lines of any leached lead before consuming. As far as the bacteria, one can either put a very small amount of bleach (chlorine) in their water to kill it. If you do this, or have water that is chlorinated, you can let it sit out open overnight, which will allow the chlorine to dissipate into the air, and the water will be good. Another way to treat against bacteria is to cook the water in a microwave but, I do not recommend this because seeds being watered with "nuked" water will not grow, which should throw up a red flag! This really makes me reconsider if we should be using a microwave at all?
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One thing I truly do not understand is the use of chlorides and fluorides to treat municipal drinking water. Both of these are known to be carcinogens and with their inception we have seen a vast increase in various disease and illness. In looking around our piece of the woods I see deer, birds, cats, dogs, raccoons and just about any other creature drinking untreated water from puddles, our pond, streams, and just about any other place it might collect or flow through. This water would most definitely be deemed contaminated and unsafe by our local health department, yet somehow these various creatures seem to flourish? Even the fish, turtles and frogs living in the "bad" water seem to be healthy??...Go figure…
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I believe God gave us a system to utilize this living water to advantage, but we have cleaned it to a point of contamination. Where we live, we have a freshwater well that is routinely tested and found to be living. When we try to drink “treated” water it burns our throats so we only consume what is necessary. We are also trying to eliminate any engineered or chemically treated food from our diets as well, which is proving a little more difficult. Seems like our only affordable means will simply be to grow what we consume (organics are outrageously expensive).
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Anyway, that’s my nine cents worth when it comes to water….
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Be Right!