Bottled water health issues aren’t just about the water: There’s the impact of the plastic bottles themselves.
And we don’t like anything that’s got hormone-disrupting phthalates in it, as PET does.
The water in municipal systems is regulated, but there are ongoing rollbacks to the Clean Water Act (signed into law in 1972), and that comes at a time when our knowledge of contamination problems and their health risks is increasing.
A National Resources Defense Fund report last year found that 18 million Americans are served by water systems that are in violation of Environmental Protection Agency standards for lead and copper.
There’s no regulation of well water; it’s up to the 45 million folks in the U.S. who use well water to monitor its safety.
They may leach lead, copper and rust.
So testing your water is smart even if you believe your basic water supply is safe.
Well water should be tested at least once a year.
To find out what you should test for, go to cdc.gov and search for “well testing.” Shallow wells that use surface water should be tested seasonally.
If you find your water needs purification, install a filter.