Do You Trust Your Water To Be Safe?

Long-term exposure to arsenic through drinking contaminated water can cause chronic arsenic poisoning, leading to life-long problems. This most commonly affects the skin in the form of lesions, discolorations, thickening, and cancer. Cancer of the bladder, lungs, prostate, kidneys, nasal passages, and liver are other possible devastating diseases arsenic can cause.

Arsenic can also affect the cardiovascular, pulmonary, immunological, neurological (with symptoms including numbness and partial paralysis), reproductive, and endocrine systems.

Severe arsenic poisoning can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. These symptoms are followed by numbness and tingling of the extremities, muscle cramping, and, in extreme cases, death.[3]

Water that contains high amounts of arsenic should not be used for drinking, cooking, or watering crops. Plants can take up arsenic through their roots, causing the product of the plant to contain high levels of arsenic, which is then passed on to the person or animal who consumes it. Rice has been found to have particularly high levels of arsenic, so much so that many holistic nutrition experts recommend eating rice infrequently or not at all.

Groundwater sources tend to have higher levels of arsenic than surface water sources. That’s because the demand on groundwater is usually higher. It is more commonly used in municipal systems and private wells. This heavy use can cause water levels to drop, allowing arsenic to be released from rock formations.

Certain regions of the United States tend to have higher levels of arsenic in their water supplies. The EPA’s standard is 10 parts per billion (ppb), and some western states have levels that are higher than that. Some parts of the Midwest and New England have levels that high, or close to it.[4]

Because of this toxic element’s prevalence in the environment, testing your water source for arsenic contamination is a good idea. Most home-testing kits cost less than $15, and you’ll see your results within minutes.

Radon

Radon is a gas that comes from the natural radioactive breakdown of uranium in the ground. It has no color, odor, or taste. Radon can dissolve and accumulate in groundwater, which means it can be found in water from wells. Not all groundwater contains radon, but drinking water that contains it can cause internal organ cancers like stomach cancer.

You can buy a simple kit to test your water source for radon, or you can contact your state radon office for assistance.

Fluoride

Fluoride is an ionic compound that contains a reactive element called fluorine. It is naturally found in many rocks

Because it is believed to protect teeth from decay, it has been added to public water supplies since the 1940s. By 1960, water fluoridation had become widely used in the US, reaching about 50 million people.[5]  This is also the main reason my family never, ever consumes municipal water if we are in an area that deliberately adds the compound to the public supply.

The incidence of tooth decay has declined in the United States since fluoridation began; however, it has also declined in other countries that do not fluoridate. Many argue the reduction in tooth decay is because of more accessible dental care and better dental hygiene, not water fluoridation.

Backing them up is research conducted within the last 15 years that has shown that fluoride primarily works topically, such as when it is applied to the teeth in toothpaste that contains fluoride.

Water fluoridation has been the subject of much controversy, and for good reason. Studies have shown that fluoride intake may cause a startling array of serious health problems, including increased risk of bone fractures, thyroid disorders, impaired immune system functioning, and cardiovascular disease. There is also some evidence that fluoride can cause osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Researchers suspect a connection to cancer because half of ingested fluoride is deposited in bones, and fluoride stimulates growth in the end of bones, where osteosarcoma occurs.[6]

A study published in the fall of 2012 in Environmental Health Perspectives found a link between high fluoride levels found naturally in drinking water in China and elsewhere in the world, and lower IQs in children. The paper looked at the results of 27 different studies, 26 of which found a link between high-fluoride drinking water and lower IQ. The average IQ difference between high and low fluoride areas was 7 points, the study found.[7]

Children aged eight years and younger have an increased chance of developing dental fluorosis. In mild cases, this shows in white streaks on the teeth. In severe cases, it can include brown stains, pitting, and broken enamel. As of 2010, 41 percent of children from ages 12 to 15 had some level of dental fluorosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[8]

Fluoride consumption over a lifetime may increase the likelihood of bone fractures, and may result in skeletal fluorosis, a painful and potentially crippling disease. The EPA has determined that safe exposure of fluoride is below 4 mg/L in drinking water to avoid those effects.

Naturally occurring fluoride concentrations in surface waters are generally low, but that depends on location. However, groundwater can contain much higher levels than the 4 mg/L recommended maximum.

Community water systems in areas with levels higher than that are required to lower the fluoride level below the acceptable standard. But the levels in private water sources, such as wells, may still be higher.

This means you will need to test your well water for fluoride, and will need to remove the fluoride if your levels are above 4 mg/L.

When Should You Test Your Water?

Even if your water is crystal-clear, odorless, and tastes great, you still should test it for contaminants and pollutants on a regular basis. But sometimes there are signs that your water supply may need to be tested even more frequently. Here are some of those signs, and what they might mean.

Taste and Odor

• Strong chlorine taste or smell. Generally this occurs when the water is treated at a water treatment plant to disinfect it and kill off bacteria and other harmful microorganisms.
• Metallic taste. Some water systems have a high mineral concentration, resulting in a salty or soda-like taste. In the case of iron and manganese, a strong metallic taste is noticeable.
• Rotten egg smell. This is usually a result of decaying organic material underground. As water flows through these areas, hydrogen sulfide gas is picked up. When the water reaches the surface or comes out of your faucet, the gas is released into the air. Hydrogen sulfide gas is what produces the rotten egg smell. In large enough quantities, it is toxic to aquarium fish. You’ll be able to taste as little as 0.5 parts per million (ppm) in your water. If your water smells like rotten eggs, it also may indicate the presence of bacteria.
• Musty or other unnatural or unusual smells. These smells are normally a result of organic matter or even some pesticides in the water supply. Even very low amounts can make your water smell funny.
• Turpentine taste or odor. This smell can be a result of MTBE contamination in your water. MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) is a flammable, colorless liquid fuel oxygenate chemical that dissolves easily in water. MTBE is added to gasoline to increase its oxygen content to lower carbon monoxide and other air pollutants that are emitted from vehicles. While MTBE may help reduce air pollutants, it certainly isn’t good for your drinking water. It spreads quickly through water and can easily contaminate it. This includes private drinking water systems like wells. Even a small amount will make your water undrinkable. According to the EPA, MTBE has not been used in significant quantities in gasoline since 2005. But groundwater in some areas of the US might still contain MTBE. It can enter water sources through leaking underground or aboveground gas storage tanks and pipelines, as well as from gasoline spills. It isn’t known if MTBE causes health problems in humans, so it is best not to drink water that contains it.

Colors

Your drinking water should be clear. Here is a list of possible coloration issues you way encounter, and what they may indicate.

• Red or brown. A red, brown, or rusty color is generally a sign of iron or manganese in your water. Iron in your water may cause stains in sinks or your laundry. A bit more on iron and manganese: While these metallic elements may cause frustration if they stain your laundry or sinks, they generally are not harmful to health. But it is important to find out what type of iron is contaminating your water. That’s because there are three kinds: ferrous iron, ferric iron, and iron bacteria. You’ll want to treat your water to remove all three, but especially iron bacteria, because while they are not known to cause disease, they often help create an environment that is friendly to more harmful types of bacteria. Iron bacteria can also make your water taste and smell terrible. If you notice a cucumber or sewage-like smell coming from your water, the likely source is iron bacteria.
• Yellow. This color occurs in regions where the water has passed through marshlands and then moved through peat soils. In the United States, this is more likely to occur in the Southeast, Northwest, New England, and Great Lakes regions. It is more commonly found in surface water supplies and shallow wells. Although the yellow color may be displeasing, it presents no health hazard, as it is only small particles suspended in the water.
• Blue or green. A green or blue color generally indicates that there is copper in your water supply, or copper pipes and corrosive water. The copper can cause staining of your fixtures and your laundry. Copper is regulated in drinking water by the EPA at 1.3 ppm. This is at a low enough concentration that the copper won’t be tasted (the taste threshold is around 5 ppm). However, copper can become a problem if it is higher than 30 ppm in your water. At this level, copper can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and general gastrointestinal issues. If you are using well water as your primary source of water and copper is a concern in your area, it would be to your advantage to have your water tested for copper.
• Cloudy, white, or foamy. Cloudy water is usually due to turbidity. Turbidity is caused by finely divided particles in the water. When light hits the water, it is scattered, giving a cloudy look to the water. The particles may be of either organic or inorganic in nature. Cloudiness itself isn’t dangerous, but the causeof it may be.

Other Reasons to Test Your Drinking Water

• There is recurring gastrointestinal distress in your family or visiting guests.
• You are pregnant or have a child less than six months old living in your household.
• Your well is next to a septic tank, and it is questionable if the septic tank is placed far enough away from your well.
• Your property has an underground storage tank that is close to your well.
• Your property has a leaking gas tank that is next to your well.
• You have a new well and want to test the purity of your water.
• Your well is next to an area where livestock are kept.
• You have mixed pesticides or other chemicals near your well, or accidentally dropped these into your well.
• You have noticed an increased amount of turbidity (cloudiness) in your water.
• Your property is near a chemical plant, a gas station (either abandoned or not), mining operation, landfill or dump, dry cleaner, junkyard, heavily salted roadway, or oil or gas drilling company.

If you found this excerpt useful, please check out my book, The Prepper’s Water Survival Guide.

Notes

[1] http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/water/drinking-water/water-testing/testing/testing-your-drinking-water

[2] http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/lead/en/

[3] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs372/en/

[4] http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/arsenic/Basic-Information.cfm

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fluoridation

[6] http://healthydebates.com/15-facts-people-dont-know-fluoride/

[7] http://www.livescience.com/37123-fluoridation.html

[8] http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db53.htm

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