Water Quality InformationWritten By Actual Experts

Anya Alvarez  |  Contributor

Each year new chemicals enter the environment through new products and manufacturing processes, making it important to understand how these chemicals are determined to be safe for consumers, especially since those chemicals can end up in water supplies.

Back in 1976, when the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was passed, it aimed at providing rules and regulations for the Environmental Protection Agency to follow when allowing chemicals on the market. It was an illusion that gave people in the United States that the government was doing its due diligence in making sure no unsafe chemicals would enter commerce. What in fact took place under the act might surprise you: more than 60,000 known chemicals already in commerce were grandfathered in. This means these chemicals were exempt from any further review from the EPA, and did not require chemical makers notify the EPA when they manufactured or developed a new chemical.

In addition, it left the EPA with its hands tied when it came to its authority to ban chemicals. The EPA actually bears the responsibility of having to prove a chemical poses an “unreasonable risk.” Because of this, the EPA has only banned 5 chemicals (dioxin, PCBs, chlorofluorocarbons,, asbestos, and chromium 6) since the bill’s passage.

With that in mind though, the EPA also has to consider the financial costs of regulating a chemical. When the EPA tried to ban asbestos, the Fifth Circuit of Court appeals in 1991 overturned the EPA’s ban because it had not considered the the cost of banning it.

Keep in mind with how different the rules and regulations are for countries in the European Union

• Chemicals in the EU cannot go on the market until the company (not the government) proves they are safe
• When there is any absence of evidence that a chemical is safe, the EU does not take chances and instead does not allow the chemical on the market at all

Several bipartisan efforts have taken place in order amend certain parts of the TSCA. In 2015 Sens. David Vitter (R-La.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.), introduced a bill that would replace the TSCA’s core provisions. Their TSCA reform bill would still not put the burden of proof on companies, but instead would companies show their substances meet standards before they would go on market.

Probably one of more important parts of the bill, though, is that it would no longer require the EPA to consider financial costs if a substance poses an “unreasonable risk,” also requiring the EPA to address 25 substances the agency believes pose a high risk.

Such bills in the past that have tried to overhaul provisions of the TSCA have failed simply because some on one side of the aisle think the government is overstepping its reach. And when the proposed bills have loosened its regulations, environmental and health groups have pushed back saying the bill doesn’t go far enough.

Just last year though, a bipartisan bill, Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2576), was passed and signed into law by President Obama.

Under the new law:

• The EPA is required to evaluate existing chemicals, with at least 20 chemicals at a time, under enforceable and clear deadlines. As soon as a review of a chemical is complete, the EPA must begin a new chemical review.
• Chemicals will be evaluated based on potential health risks they pose. The old Toxic Substances Control Act regulations made it incredibly difficult for the EPA to take action, even when a chemical posed a known health threat. Under the new provisions, the EPA will take necessary steps to eliminate any potential risks they find.
• The EPA will now the power to collect up to $25 million a year in user fees from chemical manufacturers and processors, in order to pay their new responsibilities and to make improvements in their ability to limit harmful chemicals on the market.

With the new administration, it will be important for the EPA and legislators to keep a close eye on new appointments and be prepared for any loosening of Toxic Substances Control Act regulations on chemical companies. For most legislators they understand how crucial it is to have give the EPA control in how it regulates chemicals on the market, which is why so many bipartisan efforts have taken place over the last 40 years to give the EPA more control to do so. Let’s hope it stays that way.

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Eric Roy, Ph.D.  | Scientific Founder

There has been some recent press coverage about arsenic contamination in drinking water. Predictably, our email and support line have been filled with questions on the topic. While we have written other articles in the past about well water in general, the purpose of this article is to specifically answer FAQs about health effects of arsenic in drinking water, and to dispel some myths about arsenic in drinking water.

Why Should I Care About Arsenic In Drinking Water?

Arsenic is a toxic substance that is linked to a long list of health problems in humans. For example, arsenic can cause a number of different cancers (e.g. skin, bladder, lung, liver, prostate), as well as create non-cancerous problems with cardiovascular (heart/blood vessels), pulmonary (lungs), immune, neurological (brain), and endocrine (e.g. diabetes) systems. Simply put, the health effects of arsenic in drinking water are bad news, and you can't see, taste or smell it in water.

What Are The Different Types Of Arsenic Found In Drinking Water?

Nearly all arsenic found in drinking water is inorganic. There are two types of inorganic arsenic, Arsenic(III) and Arsenic(V), and both are toxic. The ratio of the two forms depends on what part of the country you live in, and whether or not your water is chlorinated, because chlorine quickly converts Arsenic(III) to Arsenic(V). 

How Does Arsenic Contaminate Drinking Water?

While arsenic-containing pesticides can contaminate water, most arsenic contamination comes from the area's natural geology. This means that arsenic can contaminate seemingly pristine water in certain parts of the country, including private wells. The map below is from USGS and shows arsenic groundwater concentrations. In this map, you can see prevalent arsenic hot spots in places like Maine, Wisconsin, Texas, and various areas across the western part of the US.

How Much Arsenic Is Toxic?

EPA acknowledges that there is no safe level of arsenic for drinking water (MCLG = 0), but has set a regulatory limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for arsenic in drinking water. When this level was negotiated, scientists were pushing for 3 ppb, but ultimately EPA decided that the cost of lowering the allowable level to 3 ppb would "not justify the benefits." We recently wrote a dedicated article on how EPA determines acceptable levels of contaminants in drinking water that you can read if you would like more information on this topic.

It's also worth pointing out that a large number of people in the US draw water from private wells, and that most well water "checks" do NOT test for arsenic. If you live in an area on the map with hot spots, we highly recommend getting arsenic testing done by a qualified water testing lab. Test kits from hardware stores are not accurate, and cheap TDS meters and "water testers" tell you nothing about arsenic. 

What Can I Do To Reduce Exposure To Arsenic?

A growing number of people are realizing that regulatory limits are not always in line with current studies, and are choosing to eliminate arsenic, lead, and chromium 6 from their drinking water, even if their city is "in compliance" with EPA regulations.

Unlike lead, which leaches into water from pipes, arsenic comes from the source water itself, so flushing pipes or replacing plumbing will not reduce arsenic concentrations. Boiling water also does NOT remove arsenic. Arsenic must be removed from water using a filter that is specifically designed to do so.

Whole House Filters

While some whole house filters can reduce arsenic levels to some extent, we don't recommend most whole house water filters due to their high cost and unnecessary filtration of water when it isn't consumed (such as flushing the toilet). Instead, we advocate for point-of-use water filters, which are more efficient and cost-effective for filtering water that is being consumed. 

In cases where arsenic levels are very high and exceed our performance specifications, we may suggest considering a specialized arsenic removal filter at your home's point of entry to bring the levels within our operating parameters. Once this is achieved, you can use a Hydroviv filter at your point of use for further arsenic reduction.

Point Of Use Filters

The most cost-effective way to remove arsenic, chromium 6, and other contaminants is through a point of use filter. When shopping for these systems, we encourage you to make sure that the filter actually filters arsenic (most don't). While we believe that our advanced under sink water filtration systems have unique benefits and use filtration media that effectively remove both Arsenic(III) and Arsenic(V), some systems that use reverse osmosis can be a good choice for people who are willing to accept the downsides. No matter what... make sure that your filter removes what you think it does!

If you have any questions about filtering arsenic from your home's water, we encourage you to take advantage of Hydroviv’s “Help No Matter What” approach to technical support, where we will help you select an effective water filter system, even if it’s not one that we sell. This free service can be reached by emailing support@hydroviv.com

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Roughly 15 percent of Americans get their tap water from private wells, and this percentage can rise to 40% in rural states like Maine and Vermont. It's no surprise that we receive a lot of questions from people with wells who are are concerned about water quality.

1. Getting A Well “Checked” Is Not The Same As Comprehensive Water Testing

There is a misconception that if someone gets their private well “checked,” it will reveal water quality problems. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works. A basic water screening has a lot of "blind spots" and gives no information about levels of lead, arsenic, chromium 6, mercury, or VOCs unless you test specifically for those chemicals. Some states have certain testing requirements, but the scope of testing varies from state to state, and most states do not require comprehensive testing. Many banks require that certain water tests be conducted before they will issue a mortgage, but the goal of this testing is often to ensure that there are no faulty systems in the home, not to protect the health of the residents.

Bottom line: The well's owner is responsible for having tests run. Don't assume that the tests that were done as part of the home buying process were comprehensive.

2. Well Water Contamination Often Comes From Natural Sources, Not Humans

Some private well owners are surprised to learn that they have contaminated water, because there are no obvious contamination sources nearby. This is because some contaminants (like arsenic) can occur naturally groundwater at unsafe levels. 

3. Well Water Is Often Corrosive & Can Leach Lead From Plumbing

The lead crisis in Flint put a spotlight on the fact that corrosive water can leach lead from pipes, soldered joints, and plumbing fixtures. Unfortunately, a lot of well owners don't realize that well water can be inherently corrosive, so if a their plumbing predates 2014, (when lead-free standards were fully adopted for home plumbing components) there is potential for lead to leach into the tap water.

4. Contaminant Concentrations (And Recognized Safe Levels) Change With Time

We cannot emphasize enough that people should get their wells tested on a regular basis, because contaminant concentrations and thresholds for “safe” water both change over time.

5. Private Well Owners Are Responsible For Monitoring Their Water Quality, Not EPA

Private wells are not regulated by EPA or State Regulators, so the owners (or prospective owners) are responsible for all well water quality testing. However, figuring out which tests to do and making sense of the results can be confusing. Some states have guidelines and recommendations, but even these can be confusing and contradictory.

Often times, prospective home owners turn to a real estate agent for advice on water quality testing, but we often hear from people who received terrible advice. Most of the time, the mistakes are honest, but there are times when it looks like the agent was trying to facilitate a quick sale.

Ultimately, ensuring water quality of a private well is the individual responsibility of the well’s owner or prospective owner. In support this responsibility, we encourage people to take advantage our Technical Support Team’s “Help At All Costs” policy, and lean on us to provide guidance on which lab to select in your area, which tests to run, and to help interpret the results. This free (no obligation service) can be reached by emailing us (support@hydroviv.com) or by using the live chat function on this page.

We do not have financial agreements or arrangements with water quality test labs, and we do not “over-prescribe” testing.

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5 Things You Need To Know About Chromium 6 In Drinking Water
Why TDS Meters Don't Tell You Anything About Lead Contamination
Does Boiling Or Freezing My Water Purify It?

Updated 5/17/2018 To Include Video

Cover image is screenshot of map taken from http://www.wnyc.org/story/wnyc-map-lead-contamination-water-fountains-nyc-public-schools/ taken at 23:59 on April 2.

Over the last several weeks and months, parents that send their children to New York City Public Schools have received letters notifying them that water from certain points of use in the schools (e.g. drinking fountains, hose bibs, faucets) have tested positive for high levels of lead. We recently wrote a more detailed article  that focuses specifically on why so many schools have such high levels of lead in their water.

Even though there is no safe level of lead for children, New York City is quick to point out that their tap water meets all federal standards, despite over 100 points of use in schools testing over 15 parts per billion, more than 30 having measurements over 400 parts per billion, and some measurements over 6500 parts per billion. This interactive map (updated regularly) shows the levels as the data are coming in.

While WNYC is doing a fantastic job assembling data, we encourage people to lean on Hydroviv's water quality experts for questions about water quality. Our water quality experts will answer your questions, even if you have no intention of buying a Hydroviv Water Filter. 

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Eric Roy, Ph.D.   |  Scientific Founder 

Since a nationwide story broke about widespread chromium 6 (also known as hexavalent chromium) contamination impacting about 200 million people in the US, we have been getting a lot of questions about the toxicity, regulation, and removal of the carcinogen from drinking water. This article discusses the only effective ways to remove chromium 6 from drinking water.

There Are Two Effective Ways To Filter Chromium 6 From Water:

1. Cartridges With Chromium 6 Filter Media

Certain types of filtration media are extremely effective at removing chromium 6 from water. They can be blended with other types of filtration media, and built into cartridges that remove chromium 6 as water flows through them. The advantages to this approach over reverse osmosis include: better flow rate, easier to install, and less expensive to maintain. Obviously, we are partial to our under sink water filtration system, but there are other high-end competitors that build quality chromium-6 water filter systems using the same approach successfully (albeit at double the price than Hydroviv).

2. Reverse Osmosis

The other way to effectively filter chromium 6 from drinking water is using a properly maintained reverse osmosis (RO) system. In addition to the common complaints of RO users, it’s critical to diligently replace the pre-filtration cartridges, because if not, the RO membrane can become compromised, rendering the system ineffective. 

Myths About Chromium 6 Removal

Contrary to the words & advice of certain internet naturopathic gurus, boiling, freezing, adding Himalayan sea salt or coconut oil to your water does NOT remove chromium 6 from water, or lessen/reverse the toxic effects of it.   

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