Water Conservation City of YachatsMyths & Realities
Myth: Bottled water is safer than tap water.
Reality: Not necessarily. The safety of bottled water and tap water initially depends on the source of the water. Monitoring and source protection, treatment, and testing ultimately determine the quality of the finished product. In the United States, the reauthorization of the Safe Drinking Water Act only now requires that bottled water be monitored and tested in the same rigorous manner that tap water has been subject to for years.
Myth: Using a home water treatment device will make tap water safer or healthier to drink.
Reality: Some people use home water filters to improve the taste, smell, and/or appearance of their tap water, but it does not necessarily make the water safer or healthier to drink. Additionally, all home treatment devices, regardless of the technologies they use, require regular maintenance. If the maintenance is not performed properly, water quality problems may result.
Myth: If lead is in your water, it’s the utility’s fault.
Reality: The most common source of lead in drinking water is the plumbing in your home. Your plumbing may have lead pipes or lead solder in the connections. Lead is a contaminant that is particularly harmful to pregnant women and young children. If you are concerned about lead in your water, contact your local health authorities to find out how you can have your water tested by a certified laboratory. If tests reveal that the lead content of your water is above parts per billion, you should reduce your exposure to it. Since warm water absorbs more lead than cold, when you cook, always start with cold water. Because water standing in pipes tends to absorb lead, clear the pipes before drinking by letting your tap run until the water is cold. Catch the running water and use it to water your plants, then fill a pitcher to store the drinking water in the refrigerator.
Myth: There are more pollutants in drinking water today than there were years ago.
Reality: There may be more contaminants that can enter our water sources today. We did not have the technology to know what was in our drinking water years ago. Today we have sophisticated testing instruments that enable us to know more about our water than ever before. With this knowledge, the drinking water community is taking steps to treat what’s in our water.