260 contaminants in water served to the public

Tap water in 42 states is contaminated with more than 140 unregulated chemicals that lack safety standards, according to the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG’s) two-and-a-half year investigation of water suppliers’ tests of the treated tap water served to communities across the country.

In an analysis of more than 22 million tap water quality tests, most of which were required under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, EWG found that water suppliers across the U.S. detected 260 contaminants in water served to the public. One hundred forty-one (141) of these detected chemicals — more than half — are unregulated; public health officials have not set safety standards for these chemicals, even though millions drink them every day.

EWG’s analysis also found over 90 percent compliance with enforceable health standards on the part of the nation’s water utilities, showing a clear commitment to comply with safety standards once they are developed. The problem, however, is EPA’s failure to establish enforceable health standards and monitoring requirements for scores of widespread tap water contaminants. Of the 260 contaminants detected in tap water from 42 states, for only 114 has EPA set enforceable health limits (called Maximum Contaminant Levels, or MCLs), and for 5 others the Agency has set non-enforceable goals called secondary standards. (EPA 2005a). The 141 remaining chemicals without health-based limits contaminate water served to 195,257,000 people in 22,614 communities in 42 states.

Read the full report Here: http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/findings.php 

To date only the State of Florida has set standards for cleaning water storage tanks.  Not only should standards be set for additional contaminates I thisnk is is just as or pehaps more important that standards be set for keeping tanks clean.  At this time it is just not understood how much sediment accumulates in an average water storage tank over a few years.  That sediment becomes a habitat where bacteria and other contaminates can thrive. 

Once in your tank bacteria can grow rapidly if it finds a place to hide from the treatment chemicals sent to destroy it.

See the video; Bacteria Growth  http://current.com/items/89137743_bacteria_growth

The EWG’s report also points out that “90 percent compliance with enforceable health standards on the part of the nation’s water utilities, showing a clear commitment to comply with safety standards.” If standards are put in place giving water utilities a time table that water storage tanks should be cleaned and or inspected the water utilities will comply.  For the most part they or the people controling their funds do not understand the improtance of inspection & cleaning. 

Even after the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG’s) two-and-a-half year investigation of water suppliers’ tests of the treated tap water served to communities across the country.  No one looked at the effects of Sediment in the water storage tanks.  It apparently was not an issue, never thought of,  the investigation only looked at reports of what the water utilitys found in their systems.

Keeping your water storage tanks clean may be one of the most overlooked maintenance procedures in the water industry.  Out of sight and out of mind, sediment in the bottom of your water storage tanks is never seen and rarely thought of. 

In 2002 The EPA Office of Ground and Drinking Water issued a paper on distribution systems titled “Health Risk From Microbial Growth and Biofilms in Drinking Water Distribution Systems”.  See the link below to read the full report.

That report sited -

Hepatitis A is a  primary pathogen that has been documented to survive more than four months in the sediment of a potable water storage tank.  

 

Bacteria, protozoa, and viruses can find sediment in the floor of a water storage tank an inviting habitat.

 

So if the EPA knows all of this why are most water storage tanks so dirty?  Like most thisngs in comes down to MONEY.

If you live in a new progressive community the likelyhood of your water storage tanks being inspected and cleaned on a regular basis is much better than if you are in a older, smaller and les affluent community.  If regulations are put into place money would need to follow to allow ecanomically depresed communities to maintain there systems properly.

 

I have been inspecting and cleaning water storage tanks since 1992.  What I have seen is the more ecanomically depresed  the community is the more likely they are to need their tanks cleand.  They are also more likely to drink more tap water.  I would think that the more affluent a community the more bottled water is consumed.  So we end up with the people who need clean tap water the most getting it the least.   I have found something important to do but I cand only help a very small % on my own. The health concerns associated with sediment in the water supplies are much biger than I am.   It is bigger than papers written and published by the EPA detailing the problem. It will take the general public to be concerned and perhaps a little sikened and outraged wouldnt hurt.  It will take people like you and me making noise and getting attention on this subject before the proper action will be taken. The Mission of this blog is to make some noise on this subject.  Let me know what you think.

If you are interested in this subject there are a few things to do:

Leave a comment:  Subscribe to this blog for future updates.

Check out my video site:

http://current.com/people/ronperrin Leave a comment: Vote the VIDEO up so it will make it to to the current cable TV Channel. 

The EPA has published many reports on this subject.  The work has been done to establish the problem.  Its up to us to make sure something gets done about it. 

Hope to hear from you soon

Ron Perrin

Additional referenced and papers from the EPA.

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/disinfection/tcr/pdfs/whitepaper_tcr_biofilms.pdf

http://www.epa.gov//safewater/disinfection/tcr/pdfs/issuepaper_tcr_inorganiccontaminantaccumulation.pdf

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/arsenic/pdfs/occurrence.pdf

http://www.epa.gov//safewater/mdbp/word/alter/chapt_2.doc

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/wot/pdfs/book_waterontap_full.pdf

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/tcrdsr.html

What is it ?

What is it?  It’s a video about how sediment builds up in our public drinking water supplies.  It should help you understand the importance of having your potable water storage tanks inspected and cleaned. 

Out of sight and out of mind.  The cleaning of water storage tanks remains one of the most overlooked health concerns today.  I have been showing this video to every person I can for years.  I just can’t get to enough water utility managers, water board members, mayors and city council people to make a difference.  Information is power, the right people just don’t have the right information to make the right decisions.  Everyone is cutting back and it is easy to cut back on a maintenance budget.  Tell the water utility manager to do the inspections himself.  So, year after year the water tank is inspected without seeing the inside floor of the tank.  Because an inspection contractor with an underwater camera was not in the budget.  So the sediment goes unseen and unnoticed year after year.  Inspections and cleanings would only be one or two percent of the budget.  But the money never gets allocated because the people in control do not understand the importance of it. As the economy gets worse, fewer tanks will be inspected and cleaned while more and more people will return to drinking tap water.

I need your help.

We have all seen the silly or funny ”viral videos” that make their way around the world.  This one deserves to be shared so that more people who have influence on the way water systems are managed will understand the problem.  Tanks need to be inspected. If they are dirty, they should be cleaned. It is a very simple message and one that I have spent everything I have made in since 1997 trying to get across to water managers. Please share this video with your friends and encourage them to pass it on to their water utility, city council person, or water board.  Managers just don’t know what is going on inside their water storage tanks.  Having them inspected by a professional with underwater camera equipment will let them know if they have a sediment problem.  If they have sediment, removing it is a cost-effective way of maintaining the public health of that water system. 

Also see our page at www.current.tv . Just type ”Ron Perrin” into the main page at current or use this link:

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http://current.com/users/ronperrin/all/0.htm

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If you don’t know about Current TV, it is a cable channel and web site that is viewer created. If your video gets enough votes they put it on TV.  My mission is to show as many people as I can the health concerns of sediment in Public Water Supply storage tanks.  This would be a great way to get my message to thousands of people at a time.  Click on my link below and VOTE me “UP!” on the right side of the page!  By helping to spread this message YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!    Thanks for your help!

This web site is about spreading this message and educating people about the importance of inspecting and cleaning their water potable storage tanks. 

Thanks for your help,

Ron Perrin

Ron Perrin Water Technologies has been inspecting and cleaning potable water storage tanks since 1997.  We serve the mid-west and southern United States.    For more information see our web site at: ww.ronperrin.com , or call us toll-free at: 1-888-481-1768.