Siel Ju has a Ph.D and writes a blog at: http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/health/blogs/how-clean-is-your-citys-tap-water# . This appeared recently in her blog.

“How clean is the tap water in your town? If you’re a Texan, I hope you live in Arlington and not Houston. Out of 100 utilities serving big cities, Arlington has the cleanest tap water, according to a drinking water quality analysis conducted by the eco-nonprofit Environmental Working Group or EWG. Houston, on the other hand, has one of the 10 lowest rated water utilities!

But Houstonites, before you run out to buy bottled water, remember that bottled water is less regulated than tap water, and thus not guaranteed to be any safer, which is one of the many reasons eco-minded and health conscious people opt against one-use, disposable water bottles. That said, obviously tap water isn’t perfect, regardless of whether your water concern is a simple matter of taste or a deeper concern about safety and health.  

Those issues are what EWG is trying to bring to light. While local water suppliers meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s water quality standards 92 percent of the time, these standards are outdated and not stringent enough. EWG analyzed the results of almost 20 million drinking water tests from water utilities conducted since 2004 — to find 316 pollutants, more than half of which aren’t even regulated. “

Concerned about your drinking water safety? You can check on your water by going to EWG’s website and looking up your municipality’s ranking.  Or you can check your city at the EPA:  

www.Epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html    

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