Water! Water! Water!

www.waterpurifier.org

I live in Riverside and I have to say I love my tap water. Riverside Public Utilities provides only the highest quality drinking water. They perform thousands of tests to ensure the water is safe to enjoy. Riverside water begins as snow or rain that touches the local mountains or foothills. In the underground aquifers it is filtered through percolation. The water sources allow Riverside Public Utilities to provide us with water independence. There are many wells and reservoirs that allow 26 billion gallons of water each year.

Photo Credit: www.riversideca.gov

California’s drinking water standards are among the highest in the United States. Tap water is regulated by state and federal guidelines.

Some things recommended to save water are:

Indoor:

Turn off the water when you brush your teeth – save 3 gallons per day.

Shorten your showers by one or two minutes – save 5 gallons per day.

Fix leaky faucets – save 20 gallons per day.

Wash only full loads of laundry – save 20 gallons per load.

Outdoor:

Water your yard only before 8am – reduce evaporation & wind interference – save 25 gallons per day.

Install weather-based irrigation controller – save 40 gallons per day

Use broom instead of hose to clean driveways – save 150 gallons each time.

Check your sprinkler system for leaks – overspray & broken sprinkler heads – save 500 gallons per month

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Did you ever wonder what federal agency is in charge of tap water?

Well Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1974 to protect public health by regulating the nation’s public drinking water supply and protecting sources of drinking water. SDWA is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its state partners.

Highlights of the Safe Drinking Water Act

• Authorizes EPA to set enforceable health standards for contaminants in drinking water

• Requires public notification of water systems violations and annual reports (Consumer

Confidence Reports) to customers on contaminants found in their drinking water -

www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr

• Establishes a federal-state partnership for regulation enforcement

• Includes provisions specifically designed to protect underground sources of drinking water- www.epa.gov/safewater/uic

• Requires disinfection of surface water supplies, except those with pristine, protected sources

• Establishes a multi-billion-dollar state revolving loan fund for water system upgrades -

www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf

• Requires an assessment of the vulnerability of all drinking water sources to contamination

www.epa.gov/safewater/protect

·   Drinking Water: Past, Present, and Future EPA-816-F-00-002

www.epa.gov/safewater

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What federal agency is in charge of bottled water you wonder?
FDA REGULATION OF BOTTLED WATER

In the United States, bottled water and tap water are regulated by two different agencies: FDA regulates bottled water and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates tap water, also referred to as municipal water or public drinking water. EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water has issued extensive regulations on the production, distribution and quality of public drinking water, including regulations on source water protection, operation of drinking water systems, contaminant levels, and reporting requirements.


Under our statutory authority, FDA regulates bottled water as a food. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act or the Act) provides FDA with broad regulatory authority over food that is introduced or delivered into interstate commerce. Under the FD&C Act, manufacturers are responsible for producing safe, wholesome and truthfully labeled food products, including bottled water products. It is a violation of the law to introduce into interstate commerce adulterated or misbranded products that violate the various provisions of the Act.


FDA has established specific regulations for bottled water in Title 21 of the Code of
Federal Regulations. These regulations include standard of identity regulations, that define different types of bottled water, such as spring water and mineral water, and standard of quality regulations, that establish allowable levels for chemical, physical, microbial and radiological contaminants in bottled water. FDA also has established current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations for the processing and bottling of bottled drinking water. Labeling regulations and regulations for foods in general also apply to bottled water.


FDA regulates bottled water as a food under the FD&C Act and is responsible for ensuring that bottled water is safe and truthfully labeled. Specific FDA regulations for bottled water cover cGMPs for bottled water production and standards of identity and quality. Recent regulatory activity includes adoption of maximum allowable levels for critical contaminants, including certain disinfectants and disinfection byproducts, uranium, arsenic, and the adoption of testing and remediation requirements for the prevention of E.coli contamination.


FDA will carefully consider the conclusions of the reports and factor findings into future regulatory decisions. But really bottled water just isn't as save as tap water.

Photo Credit: http://borealwater.com