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U.S. Water Among Safest Says CDCA recent report from the U.S. Center for Disease Control(CDC) states, "Drinking water supplies in the United States are among the safest in the world." According to the CDC very few deaths can be attributed to waterborne illnesses in the United States. Yet the CDC admits, cases still arise, 31 outbreaks occurred in one recent year alone. Over 1000 illnesses were attributed to bad drinking water and even seven deaths in that same year. The CDC takes efficient and thorough steps to ensure clean drinking water for the United States. Even so, individuals are cautioned to rely on their own intelligence and common sense in securing clean and healthy drinking water. Over 15% of Americans still rely on private wells and are responsible for testing and maintaining their own water purity. A large number of older homes are also known to have used lead based solder to connect copper piping. In many of these older systems lead seeps into individual water supplies. Ingesting lead can have deleterious effects especially for children. Lead poisoning can cause a reduction in IQ, and retarded physical and mental development. It can manifest itself in a host of symptoms including nausea, headaches, and anemia. Yet, there are ways to reduce lead intake. Run water before use (it builds up in some metal pipes as the water sits). Do not use hot water from the tap for drinking or cooking. Use a water filtration system. Chemicals are typically added to water at treatment plants. These include chlorine and fluorine. It is known that these chemicals kill many or most of the bacteria and viruses that may be found in ground water. But many question what effect chlorine and fluorine might have on human health. The thought is that chlorine may react with substances in the water that might have a negative effect on the human system. Here again water filtration might be in order. As noted in the CDC report, U.S. water is among the safest in the world. Most people can drink water in a restaurant or from the tap while visiting someone's home. However, for drinking and bathing in water on a daily basis a whole house water filter is recommended by many experts. For plain drinking water reverse osmosis filtration is thought to be the method that achieves the highest purity levels, although it may be too slow for some applications. The CDC has not seen 100% water purity in the U.S. Nevertheless, it continues to strive for that goal. It investigates waterborne illnesses, investigates the health effects of exposure to contaminants in ground water, investigates the impact of household water filtration systems on public health, and provides recommendations on how to prevent waterborne diseases. If you think that there is a problem with your own public water supply, visit the www.CDC.gov website. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Rayment
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Water Filters
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