Healthy Drinking Water and Healthy Homes – Communicating to the Public: What is a Drinking Water Advisory?
Healthy Drinking Water and Healthy Homes – Communicating to the Public
What is a Drinking Water Advisory?
DO NOT PANIC ! What are Drinking Water Advisories and What Should You Do ?
Drinking water advisories let customers know that their tap water or drinking water could be contaminated and make them sick. There are no advisories for private well owners or drinking water systems that are NOT regulated. Advisories are used to send a message to users, customers, individuals, business, schools and other institutions that there is a potential problem with the water and how to act without getting into the details that are part of a Community Water Supply System or a regulated Non-Community System like a school, gasoline station that serves food, etc. One thing we learned from Flint, Michigan and other case studies is that the citizens and most users do not really know what a “Drinking Water Advisory Means” and most Authorities or Water Companies DO NOT Know How to Explain the Situation.
The drinking water advisories typically fall into one of these 3 categories: “Boil Water Advisory”, “Do Not Drink Advisory”, and “Do Not Use Advisory”. Just to confuse you a little more, there is also something called a Health Advisories that are published by EPA and we will deal with these separately.
Boil Water Advisory
If your local health officials, water company, water provider, or Authority issues a boil water advisory, you should take the immediate action of not using your drinking water for consumption (DO NOT DRINK !).
The boil water advisory means that the water may or does contain a pathogen, i.e., a disease-causing agent. The primary actions would include establishing another temporary water source, such as bottled or bulk water, or boiling the water prior to use and consumption. (Please Note: I did not say filter the water or Microwave the water and I did not say drink hot water. I said BOIL!)
Boil water advisories the details.
- Use bottled water, bulk drinking water, or boiled water for drinking, and to prepare and cooking food, feeding the pets, brushing your teeth, and making baby formula.
- If bottled water is not available, bring your tap water to a full rolling boil for 1 minute for elevations below 6,500 feet and if you live at an elevation of over 6,500 feet a 3 minute rolling boil is needed. After boiling, allow the water to cool before use and while it is cooling give a good shake to try and “re-aerate” the water, it will taste better.
- If a boil water advisory is issued, you CAN NOT just filter your water through a particle filter or install or use a Class B UV water treatment system– this is NOT adequate. The verb in the sentence is “BOIL” not filter, but it is ok to boil and then filter (YES). They make some very good home water coolers
- Do not use ICE comes from your automatic ice maker even if the unit has a filter or inline UV unit, the water must be cooled and then cooled and then you can make ice.
- Breastfeeding is the better choice. If you formula feed your child, provide ready-to-use formula, if possible, or the water must be boiled (not Microwaved or heated) and cooled. The boiled water should be used within 72 hours (Source: Allinahealth.org)
- You a water screening test on your temporary water source and your water source when it comes off the boil water advisory.
Handwashing – (After COVID you should be a PRO)
- In many cases, you can use tap water and soap to wash hands during a boil water advisory. DO NOT wash your hands in boiling water or hot water. Follow the guidance from your local public health officials.
- Be sure to scrub your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Then, rinse them well under running water, but make sure to dry your hands.
- If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol (Source: CDC).
Bathing and showering
- Be careful not to swallow any water when bathing or showering.
- Use caution when bathing babies and young children. Consider giving them a sponge bath to reduce the chance of them swallowing water. You do not need to use bottled water, but you can if you wish.
Brushing teeth
- Brush teeth with boiled water that has cooled or bottled water. Do not use tap water that you have not boiled. You may want to then store your toothbrush in some saline or salt water to prevent bacterial regrowth.
Washing dishes
- If possible, use disposable plates, cups, and utensils during a boil water advisory.
- Household dishwashers generally are safe to use if:
- The water reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66°Celsius), or
- The dishwater has a sanitizing cycle.
- At the end of the boil water advisory, we recommend running a sanitizing cycle and using a dishwasher cleaner tablet approved by the manufacturer.
- Sanitize all baby bottles.
- To wash dishes by hand:
- Wash and rinse the dishes as you normally would using hot water.
- In a separate basin, add 1 teaspoon of unscented household liquid bleach for each gallon of warm water.
- Soak the rinsed dishes in the water for at least one minute.
- Let the dishes air dry completely before using again.
Laundry
Washing Clothes (Assuming the drinking water is not discolored or turbid)
- Assuming the water is not discolored or turbid, it is likely safe to wash clothes as usual, but I would clean the unit by using chlorine or a citric acid cleaner or a clothes washer cleaner tablet approved by the manufacturer.
Do Not Drink Water Advisory
Local health authorities issue a do not drink water advisory when your community’s water is, or could be, contaminated with harmful chemicals and toxins, and when boiling water will not make it safe.
Authorities may recommend limited use of tap water for some tasks, depending on the harmful chemical or toxin contaminating the water. Follow health officials’ advice carefully to protect your health and your family’s health.
During a do not drink water advisory, use bottled water for: drinking and cooking, brushing teeth, washing fruits and vegetables, preparing food, mixing baby formula, making ice, and drinking water to pets and livestock.
In some instances, it will be safe to wash hands, flush toilets and shower; in other instances, it will not. You should be cautious when bathing a baby and young children; they might swallow water.
Do not drink or use water from any appliance connected to your water supply lines. This includes the water and ice dispensers in your refrigerator, freezer and dishwasher.
Do Not Use Water Advisory
Local health authorities issue a do not use water advisory when your community’s water is, or could be, contaminated with germs, harmful chemicals, toxins, or radioactive materials. Under this advisory any contact, even with the skin, lungs, or eyes, can be dangerous. Do not drink or use tap water from the impacted system for any purpose as long as the advisory is in effect, including for bathing. These types of advisories are rare.
EPA Health Advisory (HAs)
HAs primarily serve as information to drinking water systems and officials responsible for protecting public health when emergency spills or other contamination situations occur. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes EPA to issue HAs for contaminants that are not subject to a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) (Source: 42 U.S.C. §300g-1(b)(1)(F)). HA documents provide technical information on chemical and microbial contaminants that can cause human health effects and are known or anticipated to occur in drinking water. HA values/levels identify the concentration of a contaminant in drinking water at which adverse health effects and/or aesthetic effects are not anticipated to occur over specific exposure duration (e.g., 1 day, 10 days, a lifetime).
HA: Health Advisory- An estimate of acceptable drinking water levels for a chemical substance based on health effects information; a Health Advisory is not a legally enforceable Federal standard, but serves as technical guidance to assist Federal, state, and local officials.
“One-day HA: The concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse noncarcinogenic effects for up to one day of exposure
Ten-day HA: The concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse noncarcinogenic effects for up to ten days of exposure.
Lifetime HA: The concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse noncarcinogenic effects for a lifetime of exposure.”
Drinking Water Advisories – Water Standards and Health Advisory Tables (2018)
Listing of Drinking Water Contaminants
EPA Health Advisory’s for PFOA, PFOS, GenX Chemicals– Hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) Dimer Acid and Ammonium Salts, and Perfluorobutane Sulfonic Acid and Potassium Salts (PFBS)
Drinking Water Health Advisories for Two Cyanobacterial Toxins
Water Treatment Systems
Crystal Quest – Point of Use, Point of Entry, Whole House, Coolers, Pitchers
US Water Systems – Disinfection, Iron, Manganese, PFOS, Taste, Odors
Healthy Homes, Healthy Communities, and Healthy Drinking Water Initiatives or Programs
Healthy Drinking Water and Healthy Homes
The Healthy Homes, Healthy Communities, and Healthy Drinking Water Initiatives or Programs
The Healthy Homes Program / Healthy Home Initiates
“Environmental hazards in the home potentially harm millions of children each year. The Healthy Homes Program addresses multiple childhood diseases, exposures, and injuries that may originate in the home. The Initiative has a focus on housing-related hazards and educating and informing the public. This was one of the key factors missing in the Flint Michigan Drinking Water Crisis. In response to Congress, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) launched its Healthy Homes Initiative (HHI) in 1999. The objective of the program was to protect children and their families from housing-related health and safety hazards.
HUD has developed a new Healthy Homes Strategic plan that lays out the next steps their office will take to advance the healthy homes agenda nationwide. The HHI builds upon HUD’s successful Lead Hazard Control programs to expand its efforts to address a variety of environmental health and safety concerns including: mold , lead , allergens/ asthma, air quality gases and VOCs , pesticides , and radon .”
Learn More – https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/healthy_homes/hhi
New Healthy Homes Strategic Plan -https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/DOC_13701.pdf
Healthy Communities
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) developed the Healthy Communities Program (HCP). The program uses local, state, territory, and national partnerships to attempt to prevent chronic diseases and reduce health disparities (Note: For me this is a buzz word related to equity, we will never have equal outcomes in communities because of genetics, individual choice, and economics, and lifestyle issues, but we can attempt to treat all individuals equally).
Nearly 50% Americans die of one chronic disease, such as: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer (polycythemica vera/ radon), obesity, and arthritis.
Chronic diseases make up 7 of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States and based on our recent experience with COVID, these diseases made individuals more vulnerable to the negative and adverse impacts associated with COVID-19. Not only can these diseases result in death, they can also be associated with chronic pain, inability to function and support an individual or family, limit daily activities, and significant impact a family’s budget and health care costs.
The Healthy Communities Program attempts to raise awareness and provide fact-based information, but also encourage citizens to make better choices, increase physical activity, make better food choices, and reduce the use of tobacco. These efforts addressed key factors that raise the risk of disease, including: CDC funded 331 communities and 52 state and territorial health departments through HCP .
Healthy Drinking Water/ Water Initiatives
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) implemented an education and information about healthy water, including drinking water, swimming / recreational water , diseases related to poor sanitation and hygiene and waterborne disease , and and how to make water safe to drink in emergencies for outbreaks, preparedness, and response.
The Know Your H20 Program started our education outreach efforts in 1985 and created a formal program known as the Homeowner Outreach Program in 1989 and part of our program includes educating users about current and historic hazards in their communities (Neighborhood Hazard Report), community outreach efforts, asbestos, “Forever Chemicals (pfos, pfoa)“, and fact based information on drinking water and other environmental contaminants.
Drinking water comes from a variety of sources including public water systems , private wells , or bottled water. Ensuring safe and healthy drinking water may be as simple as turning on the tap from an EPA-regulated public water system. Other water sources may need to have point-of-use or whole house filtration systems, citizens educated and informed, water quality monitored, water distribution systems flushed and septic systems need to be serviced or inspected. It is important to know where drinking water comes from, how it’s been treated, and if it’s safe to drink. Therefore, it is important to Know Your H20 and Get on the Path to Clean Water.
Call to Action:
Step 1: Get Informed
Step 2: Get Tested
Step 3: Get Treatment
Learn More at https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/index.html
Cordova, Illinois 3M Agrees to EPA Order to Sample and Provide Treatment for PFAS Contamination in Drinking Water
3M Agrees to EPA Order to Sample and Provide Treatment for PFAS Contamination in Drinking Water near Cordova, IL Facility
EPA Enforcement Part of Agency Strategy to Characterize and Address PFAS Releases from Major Manufacturers
WASHINGTON (November 3, 2022) – Today, the 3M Company agreed to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) order to sample and provide treatment to address contamination from per- and polyfluoroakyl substances (PFAS) found in drinking water in the vicinity of 3M’s Cordova, IL facility. Recent sampling results provided by 3M indicate the widespread presence of a mixture of at least 19 different PFAS chemicals in drinking water within a 3-mile radius of the Cordova facility. Given the unique circumstances affecting this community, including more than five decades of PFAS discharges and the many types of PFAS chemicals found, EPA has concluded that the situation constitutes an imminent and substantial endangerment under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.
“I have directed EPA staff to use every enforcement tool at our disposal to require manufacturers of PFAS to address potential endangerment to the public and to compel them to characterize, control, and clean up ongoing and past PFAS contamination,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Communities have suffered far too long from exposure to these chemicals. This settlement is a critical step forward in our work to protect communities from pollution and hold polluters accountable for their actions.”
As part of this settlement, 3M is required to offer treatment to all private well owners within 3 miles of the facility and to the Camanche Water Supply in Iowa, in an effort to remove PFAS from the drinking water. 3M is also required to offer drinking water sampling out to 4 miles from the facility for private well owners and out to 10 miles from the facility for public water systems as well as to the Quad Cities’ public water systems, using EPA protocols and conducted under EPA oversight.
3M’s sampling of the drinking water in private wells near the facility detected a range of concentrations including: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) of non-detect to 25 ppt, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) of non-detect to 30 ppt, hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), or “GenX” of non-detect to 59 ppt, and perfluorobutane sulfunate (PFBS) of non-detect to 51 ppt. 3M did not use EPA test methods for this sampling. As a result, the order issued today requires 3M to sample these wells again following EPA test methods.
3M was one of the original companies developing and producing PFAS within the United States, and their Cordova facility operations and discharges containing PFAS chemicals date back to the 1970s. 3M’s agreement to the terms of the Order including completing the work required under EPA’s oversight is an important step to begin addressing the problem created by decades of contamination. This settlement is part of EPA’s ongoing efforts to compel major PFAS manufacturers to characterize and control ongoing releases from their facilities.
Background
Last year, EPA launched the PFAS Strategic Roadmap, a whole-of-agency approach for addressing PFAS. The Roadmap sets timelines by which EPA plans to take specific actions and commit to new policies to safeguard public health, protect the environment, and hold polluters accountable. In the national PFAS Roadmap, EPA commits to investigate releases of PFAS and where needed require manufacturers to characterize and control their PFAS releases. In the Roadmap, EPA also commits to take swift action to address potential endangerments to public health. EPA is actively working with its state partners on this effort, which will build upon valuable work led by a number of states.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively called “PFAS,” are a group of man-made chemicals that have been manufactured and used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. There are thousands of different PFAS chemicals, some of which have been more widely used and studied than others.
More information on EPA Order to sample drinking water near the 3M Cordova Facility
EPA Enforcement Actions Help Protect Health of Vulnerable Communities from Lead Paint Hazards
WASHINGTON (October 28, 2022) – As part of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highlighted several federal enforcement actions completed from October 2021 through September 2022, as well as future planned investigations. These actions ensure that renovation contractors, landlords and realtors comply with rules that protect the public from exposure to lead from lead paint. By bringing companies into compliance with these rules, EPA protects future customers and their families.
Lead-contaminated dust from chipped or peeling lead-based paint in homes built prior to 1978 presents one of the most common causes of elevated blood lead levels in children. Infants and children are especially vulnerable to lead paint exposure because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults do, and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead.
“Because lead-based paint is the most common source of elevated blood lead levels in U.S. children, EPA is taking action against those who violate federal lead-based paint regulations and ensuring the public understands the danger of this hazard,” said Larry Starfield, EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The enforcement actions EPA took this past year send a clear message that EPA is committed to enforcing regulations designed to protect the public from lead-based paint exposure.”
Reduction of childhood lead exposures is a high priority for EPA. These enforcement actions reflect the agency’s continuing commitment to implementing the Federal Lead Strategy and EPA’s Lead Strategy and result in reducing or eliminating lead exposures, particularly to children.
Regulations under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (LHRA) apply to most pre-1978 dwellings and child-occupied facilities such as pre-schools and child-care centers. TSCA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP) and Lead-based Paint Activities Rule require contractor certification and lead-safe work practices. LHRA’s Section 1018 Lead Disclosure Rule requires disclosure of information about lead-based paint before the sale or lease of most housing built before 1978. By ensuring compliance with federal lead-based paint requirements, EPA addresses a major source of lead exposure that occurs in communities across the nation.
The cases below involve alleged noncompliance with at least one of these lead paint requirements. These cases highlight the range of the Agency’s work, including:
- criminal prosecution in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ),
- a focus on geographic areas that suffer from disproportionate levels of lead exposure, and
- bringing civil administrative actions against renovators with a far-reaching influence on the compliance landscape locally, regionally or nationwide.
By ensuring compliance with federal lead paint requirements, EPA strives to address major sources of lead exposure that occur throughout the nation and particularly in areas of environmental justice concern. In addition to EPA’s actions, the Agency supports states, tribes, and territories on the implementation and enforcement of the EPA-authorized lead-based paint programs.
Although the federal government banned residential use of lead-based paint in 1978, it persists in millions of older homes, sometimes under layers of new paint. Lead exposure, particularly at higher doses, continues to pose a significant health and safety threat to children, preventing them from reaching their fullest potential for their health, intellect, and future development. Even small amounts of lead dust can cause harm to children living in the home.
Case Highlights:
GB Group, Inc. Settles to Resolve Alleged Renovation Violations
Property Management Firm Settles Alleged Lead Renovation and Asbestos Violations
Property Manager Sentenced for Failure to Properly Notify Tenants about Lead Hazards
Owner of Maryland Lead Inspection Company Sentenced
To see additional highlights of FY2022 enforcement actions involving lead, see EPA’s 2022 Lead Enforcement Bulletin.
Members of the public can help protect our environment by identifying and reporting environmental violations. Learn more about reporting environmental violations.
Healthy Home and Health Community Articles
Lead in Drinking Water and Impacts on Wildlife
Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral created by geochemical processes within our planet. Although infamous for its link to cancer, it also has many potential beneficial properties. The difficulty is to avoid the negative aspects of this potentially dangerous mineral while enjoying its positive aspects.
Radon – Radionuclides – Cancer (Polycythemia vera (pol-e-sy-THEE-me-uh VEER-uh)) – Radon is a gas produced by the radioactive decay of the element radium whose remote parent is either uranium or thorium
Forever Chemicals – What Are PFOA, PFOS, PFAS, and PFCs ? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a grouping of man-made fluorinated organic chemicals that have a wide range of use in industrial application and commercial goods
Drinking Water Testing Kits Corrosion Lead Copper Metals – My Drinking Water is it Safe?
Article for: private well owner, spring user, city water customer, regulated water supply, water utility customer, homeowner, landlord, tenant, drinking water
The Flint water crisis reportedly started in 2014 and ended in 2019, but in reality the “crisis” started prior to 2014 and probably has not ended. Why? The problem with corrosion within the water system and individual’s homes clearly started prior to 2014 and the customers and users within the system were not aware of the short-comings in their drinking water quality, the need for corrosion control, need to replace service laterals, plumbing within their homes, the need to be proactive in protecting your personal and families’ health, lack of public outreach and education, and not knowing the wrong signs of a corrosion problem The main purpose of this article is to help identify the warning signs of a potential corrosion problem with your drinking water. The signs of a corrosion problem come in many forms, but it is important for the user to take responsibility for keeping their eyes open. Corrosion of our drinking water supplies is a very common water quality and public health issue that is related to not only the raw water quality, level of pretreatment, status of the community distribution system, the internal plumbing for a building, the usage and management of water within the building, and the fixtures used within the system. This sounds overwhelming, but there are clear warning signs you may have a problems.
The most common signs of a problem with corrosion included the following:
- Blue-green or greenish water or even reddish brown or brown water that may be intermittent and worse in the hot water than the cold water.
- Staining of porcelain fixtures, such as sinks, drains, or tubs that appear green, blue-green, and reddish brown.
- Coatings on aeration devices that appears greenish-gray or bluish green and particles on the screen of the aerator that appear green, bluish-green, greenish-gray, reddish-brown, yellow-brown, or even bluish-gray.
- Discoloration of water piping near solder joints and/or pin-hole leaks in piping and the premature failure of water appliances and water heaters.
- Old piping in a home that may include lead pipes or piping that was installed using high lead solder, such as lead service lines and galvanized piping.
- The first flush of the water from the tap may have a bitter taste.
What is the age of your home, when was the house last remodeled, and the piping in your home?
YOUR household plumbing may be the cause for lead in your drinking water. In older homes, lead was used to make the piping and/or solder. In homes, built prior to 1930’s water pipes were primarily made from lead. These pipes can be identified because the piping tends to have a dull gray color, can be scratched with a key, and a magnet will not stick to the piping. In buildings built between the 1930’s and early 1980’s, copper pipes were often used, but the solder contained elevated levels of lead. The primary source of the lead includes the use of lead pipes, lead lined tanks, and use of 50/50 lead/tin solder. Because of the concern with lead, the EPA banned the use of high lead solders in 1986.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s galvanized water lines was utilized in new home construction. Currently, this type of piping is not widely used, but it is more commonly used with well water applications. This piping is steel piping that has a zinc coating to reduce the tendency for the piping to corrode. When this pipe corrodes, the pipe rust from the inside of the pipe and then works outward. When this occurs, the water may produce intermittent discolored water that tends to be brown, yellow, or reddish brown, and the piping will likely clog with rust and most likely collapse over time. This does not mean that a newer home is safe from lead contamination; in fact, the available data suggests that buildings less than 5 years old can have high levels of lead.
In fact, buildings built prior to 1986 likely contain some lead plumbing. Prior to 2014, the legal definition for “lead free” was plumbing fixtures with a lead content of less than 8 %. In 2014, the term was redefined to include only fixtures with a lead content of 0.25% and newly installed fixtures must use the “lead free” materials, but this did not apply to fixtures currently in use.
What You Can Do to Protect Yourself and Your Family?
After getting this information, you should do the following:
- Inspect your plumbing system for signs or evidence of a corrosion problem and low cost lead screening testing (water) or (paint,dust, soil).
- Take note of the visual and aesthetic signs of a corrosive water problem.
- Try our Free Drinking Water Diagnostic Tool.
- Order the Drinking Water Guide.
- Get Your Drinking Water Tested and the Results Reviewed by a Professional. At a minimum, we recommend the “Corrosion Check” Water Test Kit.
- Act to improve your drinking water quality by reporting problems to your local water authority for public water supplies or if your water comes from a private water source take the necessary action to reduce the risk to the health of yourself and your family and to reduce the potential costs associated with the premature failure and/or invalidating the warranty of water related appliances, water leaks and associated damage, and/or the additional operational costs associated with inefficiencies associated with clogged or corroded piping/equipment.
- Update fixtures and piping and consider the use of point-of-use filters or a whole-house water treatment system. Before installing a water treatment system, please get a comprehensive water quality test (City Water) or (Well Water).
Our Motto is ” Learn / Diagnose / Test “
Learn – learn about your source and system.
Diagnose – determine the warning signs or symptoms of a problem and get the water tested and problem diagnosed.
Test – implement an approach to mitigate the problem and test to make sure the problem is corrected.
Source: Oram, Brian; “Lead In Drinking Water – Is There Lead In My City Drinking Water ?”, Water Research Center / Know Your H20 Program, 2020.
Recommended Reading:
The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water
More on Lead
Well Water Safety
Well Water Safety
If your water comes from a private well, you know that the safety of your drinking water is up to you. Most states have regulations related to private well construction and placement and a few states have regulations that quality of water from the private well water or require that the water is regularly checked. The CDC and EPA does recommend that you test your well water at least once a year. You may want to check the quality of your water more often if there are known problems with wells in your area or if you have experienced any flooding or land disturbances near your well. Indications of a change in water quality include cloudiness, odor, and unusual taste and if you interested we helped develop a Know Your H20 phone app and the Water Diagnostic Web App.
Another low cost option for tracking your water quality is the use of the TestAssured’s Well Water Testing Kit. This kit is a great screening test to help you determine the quality of your water by you running a screening test in your own home. This single kit includes all of the following water tests:
• Chlorine
• Copper
• Nitrates & Nitrites
• Iron
• Alkalinity
• pH
• Hardness
• Bacteria (total coliform)
Specially designed for people on well water, the Well Water Testing Kit includes 8 tests for a complete water analysis. You’ll be able to identify the presence of chemicals, metals, and even bacteria like E. coli. These easy to use tests will give you results within 10 minutes, with the exception of the bacteria test which takes 48 hours for full results. There’s no need for expensive equipment or to mail samples to a lab. Each test is calibrated to the EPA standards. Once you have your results, compare them to the EPA recommendations and guidelines for water quality limits.
If you are looking for well water testing, check out the NTL Program and Tap Score.
Recommended Reading:
Lead in Drinking Water Part of the Problem Awareness
Lead in Your Drinking Water
Prepared by Guest Author – Samantha Oram
Despite measures taken by the EPA and many states, lead poisoning is still a serious concern. Lead can be found in old water taps as well as interior and exterior piping. As water sits in these pipes, the water can react with the piping and based on a combination of corrosion or physical dislodging of chemical coatings the lead and metal content of the water can increase. Drinking water high in lead can contribute to lead poisoning, but most sources of lead in the blood are related to the exposure to lead in paint, dust, soil, and consumer products that contain lead. Individuals at most risk to lead include those living in older homes that have not been remodeled, individuals in mining or smelting towns and communities, young children, pregnant women, and the elderly. If your tap water has lead levels exceeding 15 ppb (0.015 ppb), you should take action immediately to minimize your exposure and if your our on a private well or private source if the level is above 5 ppb (0.005 mg/L) you should act.
Lead in Home (Dust, Paint, and Soil Test Kit)
Lead in Drinking Water Test Kit is designed to test for lead in water and corrosion related issues. This test is compatible with municipal water and private water systems. If you live in a home with older pipes or frequently drink from a water fountain where lead piping could be used, you should check the lead levels. This fast acting Lead in Drinking Water Test Kit includes all the instructions and supplies you need to quickly test your drinking water for the presence of lead. In only 10 minutes, the Lead in Drinking Water Test will let you know if there are harmful elements in your water.
This simple test kit can easily be used in your home, classroom, office and anywhere else where you would need to test water quality. Quickly and accurately test well water, city/municipal water, tap water, residential drinking water, groundwater, and spring water sources. The results are fast and easy to read by following along with the included color chart and instruction manual.
Learn More – Corrosive Water and Lead
Lead and Corrosion Testing of Your Drinking Water – It is important to Know Your H20 !
Suggested Reading:
Brain-Eating Amoeba (Naegleria Fowleri) Swimming in My Pond?
We were recently asked about “brain-eating amobeas” here is a summary of what we found:
- The brain-eating amoeba is actually known as Naegleria fowleri and it was discovered in 1965.
- It leaves in a cyst (egg-like stage) and a trophozoites (active stage).
- Size – Small – 8 to 15 um (micrometers) For the record, a penny has a width of 1500 micrometers.
- They do not like salt or saline water.
- They like warm stagnant freshwater, including pools and spas not properly treated.
- Organism enters the body through the NOSE !
- Infections are Rare and mostly in the southern states.
- Incubation Period – 2 to 15 days- average is 5 days
- Symptoms: headache, fever, stiff neck, loss of appetite, vomiting, mental confusion, seizures, and coma. I am sorry when coma is a symptom – WOW!!!!
Want to read more and get the details – We Suggest Web MD !!!! Source Information for this Summary!
We were asked about water testing – we could not find anything specific, but this would be two solid screening tests for surface water for this issue.
A. Total Microbiological Quality (E.Coli, Coliform bacteria, Legionella, Pseudomonas, Streptococcus, Clostridium, Heliobacter Pylori, Sphingomonas, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus and more)
Or
B. General Pond Water Screening with Bacteria
Hot New Concern in Drinking Water GenX and PFAS ! (Emerging drinking water contaminants)
Recomended Reading
Master Watershed Steward Program and Training in Watershed Management
The Keystone Clean Water Team has been involved in watershed training and citizen based science programs since the foundation of the organization. We have conducted rain barrel workshops, training sessions on low impact development and rural/urban landowner stormwater management, citizen science and stream and lake monitoring programs, education on conservation of water, resources, and energy, private well owner outreach, groundwater/watershed education, and stream and watershed assessments.
In June and July of 2019, we were asked by the Penn State Master Watershed Steward Program to conduct 2 training sessions for their education efforts.
Program 1: “Earth- Was Not Always a Big Blue Ball”
Program 2: “Pennsylvania – Balancing Natural Gas/Development/ Groundwater and the Environment ”
If you are looking for other resources on these topics, please consider the following:
Educational Booklet on Drinking Water In Pennsylvania
Know Your H20 Store – Neighborhood Hazard Reports (Nationwide) and Water Testing Services
Interesting Reading: The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water
Training Courses
Natural Gas and Fracking – Environmental Consequences
Stream Restoration (Course 1 of 6)
Stream Monitoring Program – Use our Surface Water Quality Index Calculator (give your stream or surface water a Grade)
You can find information on the Penn State Master Watershed Steward program was established to educate and empower volunteers to protect environmental resources. Training and volunteer service are coordinated at the county level by extension staff, partners, or trained volunteers. Generally 15-20 people are selected for the program each year. Those accepted to the program attend training classes that focus on a broad range of water resource topics, including groundwater, stream ecology, wetlands, invasive plants, water recreation and stormwater management. There is a one-time registration cost to those accepted into the program. This is to cover the cost of the manual, name tag, and cost of the meeting facilities. Master Watershed Stewards work with the community to improve the health of our streams, rivers and other natural resources.
Example projects
- Organizing educational events such as rain barrel building workshops and seminars on backyard stormwater management.
- Participating in stream restoration projects.
- Sampling water quality and stream assessments.
- Coordinating and conducting stream clean-ups.
- Working with municipal officials on stormwater.
- Planning and carrying out habitat improvement projects.
- Teaching adults and children about the environment.
On Climate, I do recommend:
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change (The Politically Incorrect Guides)
Global Warming-Alarmists, Skeptics and Deniers: A Geoscientist Looks at the Science of Climate Change Paperback – Illustrated, January 20, 2012.
The New Year Has Started, and We Need to Change How We Address Water Issues.
Riparian Buffer Zones – A Critical Element to In Stream Water Quality
Article by Pike County Conservation District: By Rachel Posavetz, Watershed Specialist.
“Riparian buffer is the term for an area of vegetation that grows along a waterway to help prevent substances from reaching the water. The fact that this type of area has its own term should be telling of its importance. As water flows across the land, or the watershed region, it carries with it a whole slew of pollutants: sediment, chemicals, nutrients, bacteria, litter, etc. These pollutants are filtered and absorbed by the plants and soils growing in riparian buffers, and therefore prevented from entering the water.
Riparian buffers provide flood water storage and help to prevent soil erosion during high rain events and along high motion waters such as streams and lake shores. They also provide cooling shade which helps heat-sensitive aquatic organisms survive (such as brook trout), and control algal growth by blocking sunlight.
Where do we need riparian buffers? Every stream, lake, wetland, and pond will benefit from these helper plants filtering out harmful substances, holding in the soil, and allowing excess water to infiltrate into the ground water system. These plants are most crucial along the waterway edge, and the greater the riparian buffer width, the better.
What makes a good riparian plant? Almost anything with roots, and preferably native species that are tolerant to wet conditions. Trees and shrubs, grasses and forbs (wildflowers), and sedges and rushes, have strong root systems that lock in the soil and are adapted for surviving in our seasonal weather changes. Trees are the most beneficial because they establish long-term roots, continue to grow over time, and provide the most shade, food and shelter proportional to the space they occupy. A healthy riparian buffer mimics the natural the habitat for the area in which it is located, whether it be a forest or a meadow, with a diversity of plant types and heights. Sod, or mowed grass, has leaves too short to aid in filtering, and roots too shallow to aid in erosion protection.
Reference: Riparian Rights
What else do they do? Riparian buffers add to the available habitat and food sources for wildlife such as birds, pollinators, mammals, and other critters, including aquatic ones. Did you know “trees feed trout”? The aquatic insects at the bottom of the food chain, like caddisflies, munch on the tree leaves and their biofilm (algae and bacteria) that have fallen into the streams. Trunks and branches that fall into the stream create aquatic habitat variety as well.
Who can make a riparian buffer? You can! If your property borders a waterway, you can enjoy designing a grow zone that suits your liking. Though it will require some maintenance until the new plants establish, you can enjoy the beauty of the flowers right away. Check the links below to learn more.
Lastly, riparian buffers can serve as a reminder to us that water levels fluctuate within the floodplain, and we should keep development a safe distance from the water’s edge.” (Article link)
Our thoughts on riparian buffer zones:
1. Overall we agree, we should protect and restrict encroachment on stream channel, floodway, floodplain, wetland, and hydric soil boundary.
2. This should not be a one-size fits all “safe distance”, but based on site-specific information and conditions.
3. Most beneficial chemical reactions happen at this critical transition zone – if you want to protect streams from nitrogen impact from nitrate – maintain the anoxic zone and transition zones between uplands and streams.
4. Featured Training Course: Stream Restoration – Corridor Processes
Take the first step to get back to zero : Harvest the Rain, How to Enrich Your Life by seeing Every Storm as a Resource