Healthy Homes: Drinking Water

This is the final post in our series on Healthy Homes.

Did you know that Americans drink more than a billion glasses of water a day?! We also  use water for many other daily tasks, like cleaning, cooking, and bathing.  That’s why it is so important to have clean water.

There are several things that could be in your water that would make it unsafe. They include bacteria and viruses, nitrate, lead and copper, and other chemicals such as pesticides.

It is important to know where your water comes from, so you know what action steps you should take to keep it healthy. If your water comes from a public water supply, it is tested for over 80 different chemicals before it reaches your home. The test results are available in the local newspaper, or you can contact your water utility for more information. However, the water can become unsafe before it gets to your home if it travels through lead or copper pipes.

Here are some tips on how to make sure your water is clean when it reaches your home.

• Clear your pipes. If you haven’t used your water in a while, let cold water run for 2 or 3 minutes until you feel the temperature change. This will flush out water that has sat in the pipes and collected lead or copper.
• Do not use hot water from the tap for cooking or drinking. The heat dissolves minerals faster.

If you have a private water supply, like a well, it is your responsibility to make sure your water is clean and safe.  You should test your water tested regularly. Here are some tips on how to protect a private water supply:

• Make sure your well is uphill from  animal pens, manure, dumps, and places where chemicals are stored.
• If your well is older than 20 years, the water may need to be tested more often.
• Keep your well in good shape. Make sure the casing sticks up above the ground. There should be no gaps or spaces between the well casing and the soil around it.
• Be sure there is not a low area near the well where rainwater can collect.
• Don’t keep gas, oil, weed killer, or other chemicals in your well house.

 If you have any questions, you should contact your local water company, your local Cooperative Extension Office, or EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or www.epa.gov/safewater.

Thanks to the United States Department of Agriculture and the Healthy Homes Initiative for providing these tips.