How pure is your drinking water? That's an easy one; it isn't.
Pure water, water with only the H20 molecule doesn't exist in nature. Rainwater comes close, but by the time it passes through a less than pristine atmosphere it's no longer pure. And when it enters the Earth's hydrologic cycle through surface water or soil it picks up more impurities.
The real question is: How impure is your drinking water? This one is not so simple. The answer depends upon whether it's municipal water, private well water, and your personal standards. Let's start with municipal water.
Drinking water standards are established primarily by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the state, in this case, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
But before going further, it is necessary to understand the incestuous relationships that exist between these agencies and corporations.
Government agencies are highly susceptible to lobbying by private industry. That doesn't mean they give commercial interests a free pass, more like they're handed a ticket at a reduced price.
Example: In 1992, a group of 1200 of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) own scientists provided evidence showing that fluoride causes cancer. They also provided evidence of scientific fraud in the FDA's Maximum Contaminant Level of fluoride in drinking water. It was brains vs. business. Business came out on top.
In 2008, more than 60 influential scientists including more than 40 Nobel laureates fought for reform of the FDA and the EPA. It was a rematch of brains vs. business. Again, business won the decision.
At the state level we come to our own governor, Tom Corbett. Candidate Corbett was given $1.6 million by natural gas lobbyists for his election campaign. The reader must decide for himself whether this money was donated because the industry believed that Corbett and his DEP appointee would best represent the citizens of his state or the interests of the natural gas industry.
That said, back to municipal water.
If you're getting municipal water it's cold comfort knowing that because of corporate influence in formulating EPA and DEP regulations its standards are lower when compared with the rigorous standards of disinterested experts.
Moreover, municipal water contains chlorine to kill bacteria. It does so admirably well; it should. Chlorine was the poisonous gas of choice during WW I. In drinking water, chlorine reacts with other impurities to form numerous byproducts all of which are carcinogenic.
The best that can be said for chlorine is that it is the lesser of two evils.
Municipal water, as it is in Susquehanna, is often adulterated with an unnatural form of fluoride to strengthen teeth and prevent decay. However, it does neither. Topical fluoride may be beneficial but ingesting it is not. Further, dosing household water with fluoride cannot control the amount one ingests.
Additionally, municipal water contains dozens of chemicals with legally allowable Maximum Contaminant Levels.
What about private water wells?
If you obtain your water from a backyard well, you're an orphan. Neither the EPA nor the DEP regulates private wells. You're on your own.
The DEP recommends that your well should be tested every year for bacteria, nitrates, dissolved solids, and pH level. Home testing kits are available at hardware stores.
If fracking is imminent within a mile of your house, you should have a certified lab do a chain-of-custody test. While such a test is expensive it may prove to be a worthwhile investment. This test must be done before fracking begins.
The difficulty is knowing what to test for. There are 750 chemicals used by gas companies for fracking. Each company has its own mixture the contents of which are protected by patents and secret. If you don't know what to look for, you can't find it. Clever.
A second difficulty is that there are 80 chemicals that are common to municipal water, private well water, and fracking chemicals. Examples are: arsenic, cadmium, barium, strontium, sulfates, trichloroethlene, a dozen volatile organic chemicals including benzene, and many more.
Tracing contaminants to a particular gas company can be daunting. More so since these companies can call upon a bank of experienced lawyers with federal and state agencies disposed to their favor.
Lastly, what are your personal standards? Are you satisfied with your drinking water? If you are, Salute!
If not, a very effective and the least expensive way to improve your water quality is a carbon-coated ceramic water filter. These filters require no plumbing or electricity. You simply pour a couple of gallons in and out comes water free of chlorine, fluoride, and dozens of other contaminants.
Sincerely,
Bob Scroggins
New Milford, PA