Wastewater treatment plants were originally designed to protect the environment, cleaning up rivers that were once open drains of human waste. In recent years, many states have relied on wastewater treatment plants to even return clean water back into our drinking water system for relatively quick reuse. Now, Minnesota Public Radio tells us that there [...]
I’ve been writing about water issues for a long time now, and was so relieved when, about a year ago, I determined that I could finally quit harping on the fluoridation issue. Many states and municipalities finally listened to consumers and the many scientists who argued that ingesting fluoride is not only pointless, but dangerous [...]
Ultimatums and drinking water just don’t mix. The only option for drinking water from the tap should be pure and safe in order to do its job correctly for your health. But all over the country, in cities and small towns, we are finding out about harmful contaminants in drinking water that can cause some [...]
Perhaps you read the Desert Sun’s recent article about some California wells containing huge amounts of Chromium-6. In some cases, wells contained 1,000 times the amount deemed safe by the State. Hexavalent chromium is a potentially carcinogenic (cancer causing) metal that Erin Brockovich brought to the media’s attention some time ago. Because scientific studies on [...]
Most people remember uranium from their high school chemistry class as being an element, but most homeowners aren’t aware of the ways it gets into drilled wells and into drinking water. The element uranium is a metallic gray and found naturally in rocks and soil. It is the result of volcanic activity, making it radioactive, [...]
Arsenic isn’t new to drinking water. It is a naturally-occurring mineral toxin that pops up in various water sources throughout the United States, just like one Texas community was faced with in an online news article. The residents there were drinking, bathing in, and cooking with drinking water that was plagued by the toxin without [...]
Of course we all know that lead is not good for us, but that our bodies can tolerate a certain amount without observable negative effects. If you are pregnant, however, that amount is much, much smaller. A recent headline on Science Daily’s website announced, “Lead exposure may affect blood pressure during pregnancy”. The Occupational Safety [...]
We have all done it. Drank a bottle of water or a soft drink, and when we think no one is looking, thrown it away in the garbage, left with a twinge of guilt. On the other hand, many households attempt their hand at recycling, which in many cases also leads to plastic waste somewhere [...]
It has been used for animal feeds, herbicides, pesticides, lead batteries, and wood preservatives among others. We’re talking about arsenic – a cancer causing carcinogen. So why is it still contaminating our water? And why isn’t every municipal water source scrambling to filter out this toxin for its residents? According to the US Geological Survey’s [...]
Recently, researchers from Columbia University and the University of New Hampshire have been doing some testing on elementary students in central Maine studying the connection between high concentrations of arsenic in groundwater and intelligence levels. These researchers are specifically studying third, fourth and fifth grade students that live in areas having high arsenic content in [...]
Water "Spots" is an educational service provided by Rayne Water Corporation to help consumers stay informed about the water they use in their homes. It includes the latest water news and information as well as links to current water events.