What a huge topic water conservation is! Everyone has a different opinion on what should be done and why. I’ve been sorting through all sorts of information and sorting ‘plausibly accurate’ from ‘fuel for conspiracy’ and everything in between. It’s all quite overwhelming taken as a whole, like drinking from a fire hydrant.
So in the interest of taking it in smaller sips I’m starting the research at home. Gilbert Az Public Works.
On their site there are a lot of pretty pictures and words that say the water treatment follows the standards set by the EPA for Drinking Water. By July 1st, your water supplier is supposed to send you, via mail in your bill, or website, information and a water quality report.
It is full of jargon and acronyms and confusing language, but what I get from it is that, for the most part, my tap water is in compliance with EPA regulations. Sometimes, it’s skirting close to the limit (particularly in arsenic and nitrates) and occasionally is it over in some of the disinfection byproducts.
Comparing the list of ‘stuff in my water’, as known and how much of that ‘stuff’ the EPA says I can have and what over exposure can do to a person reads like the drug side effects list on a commercial. And brings on the same feeling as seeing the back kitchen of a favorite restaurant.
That aside, we’ve still got to drink, shower and do laundry.
Become aware and read the report in your water bill this month. If you’ve got something you are concerned about leave a comment and let’s talk about it.
What can we do about it? Let’s explore that here in the future.
save water, save money, save your city 