The other contaminants
/
Turn the tap and water comes out. It’s something we take for granted, and safe drinking water is essential for our health. But contaminated water can be deadly. Before our knowledge of bacteria and purification, drinking fresh water was a known danger. “Water is nat holsome sole by it selfe for for an Englysshe man … water is colde, slowe, and slake of digestyon.” according to Andrew Boorde, his Dyetary of Helth published in 1542. Thankfully science and spelling have improved since then.
Drinking water contaminants are regulated in the US by the EPA. Technically, anything that is not water molecules is a contaminant. And the presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate a health risk. For example mineral water might contain more, good for you, magnesium and calcium.
Bottled contaminants?
Peñafiel brand water was pulled from store shelves in 2019 after it was revealed that the product contains potentially unsafe levels of arsenic.
Think you can skip all this because you drink bottled water? Think again! 259 bottles from 11 brands were purchased across nine countries. Only 17 bottles were free of the dreaded microplastic. Each liter sold contained an average of 325 pieces of tiny plastic according to the Forbes article Study Finds Microplastics In 93% Of Bottled Water.
And bottled water is not necessarily free of arsenic. In 2019 Consumer Reports found the Peñafiel brand by Keurig Dr Pepper had an average level of 17 parts per billion of arsenic, and Whole Foods’ Starkey Water recalled 2,000 cases when that water showed unsafe levels beyond the EPA’s threshold of 10 parts per billion.
The Maximum Contaminant Limit
The MCL is the maximum allowable amount of a contaminant in drinking water which is delivered to the consumer. This is usually measured in parts per million (ppm) or parts per billion (ppb) depending on the risk of the contaminant.
Arsenic
This is the most significant contaminant on Lummi Island, and we did a whole article on that here. Drinking safe, clean water is one of the most effective ways to minimize accumulating arsenic in your body.
Primary Contaminant
Hazard: Chronic
Type: Chemical
MCL: 10 ppb
Type tips
The EPA separates contaminants into four types:
Physical
This affects the appearance of your water, such as sediment or suspended organic material.
Chemical
Elements and compounds that may be natural or manufactured, like metals, salts, pesticides, and drugs (please don’t flush your pills!).
Biological
Organisms or microbes that include bacteria, viruses, and parasites. This is the reason why smart travelers avoid tap water, and why water systems issue “boil water” notices.
Radiological
You might think of radioactive substances coming from nuclear power plant waste, but naturally-occuring radiologicals are found everywhere in nature. Don’t panic, even potassium is radioactive.
Disease-causing organisms (pathogens)
If fecal coliform bacteria or E. coli is confirmed a Health Advisory will be issued within 24 hours to alert all water users that there is a health risk. The use of boiled or bottled water will be recommended for drinking and cooking in most cases.
Primary Contaminant
Hazard: Acute
Type: Biological
MCL: zero
Disinfection byproducts
DBPs are a side effect to the benefits of chlorination, protecting us from diseases like E.coli infection, typhoid, cholera and dysentery. Since most groundwater has low levels of dissolved organic substances, formation of DBPs is not a serious health concern.
Primary Contaminant
Hazard: Chronic
Type: Chemical
Total Trihalomethanes MCL: 80 ppb
Haloacetic acids MCL: 60 ppb
Appearance versus danger
Primary contaminants are regulated by the EPA because those toxins present a risk to human health. Often these contaminants are invisible and have no taste or odor. The EPA’s enforceable standard is called the “maximum contaminant level” or MCL.
Secondary contaminants are not a threat to health, but may cause the water to appear colored, or to taste or smell bad. This may cause people to stop using water from their public water system even though the water is actually safe to drink. The EPA does not enforce these "secondary maximum contaminant levels" (SMCL).
Nitrates
Usually caused by fertilizers or seepage from septic systems, just one exposure to nitrate contaminated water can cause a serious health condition in infants due to lack of oxygen. We look at nitrates more in the next article about septic systems.
Primary Contaminant
Hazard: Acute
Type: Chemical
MCL: 10 ppm
Sooner or later
Another important consideration is if the contaminant is an acute or chronic risk.
Acute contaminants may affect a person’s health within hours of exposure. “Montezuma's Revenge” or Traveler’s Diarrhea is commonly a result of E.coli bacteria in drinking water. Water with nitrate levels over the MCL can reduce the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen, causing “blue baby” syndrome in infants.
Chronic contaminants become a problem after continuous long-term exposure. Arsenic, lead, and copper catch up with you over time and accumulate in your body, eventually causing disease. So the health effects of drinking a single glass of water with arsenic over the MCL is negligible. Drinking that water everyday, for years, may give you cancer.
Lead and Copper
Lead and copper contaminants do not usually occur in your source water, but from your plumbing and the pipes leading to your faucet. Copper can get into drinking water either by directly contaminating well water or through corrosion of copper pipes if your water is acidic. Corrosion of pipes is by far the greatest cause for concern.
The danger of more acidic water—when the pH is less than 6.5—is that it can leach metals from the well and from the pipes that bring you water. These metals include lead, manganese, copper and iron, and they can be toxic in large amounts. So acidic water obviously poses a health risk. Knowing the pH of your drinking water is important to your health and the health of your plumbing.
Primary Contaminant
Hazard: Chronic
Type: Mineral
Lead MCL: 15 ppb
Copper MCP: 1.3 ppm
(in more than 10% of customer taps sampled)
What’s in your water?
Lummi Island Scenic Estates’ Drinking Water Quality Report
Group A public water systems (15 or more connections) are required to provide their customers with a report each year about the quality of the water they serve. The Consumer Confidence Report, sometimes called an Annual Water Quality Report, summarizes the water quality data that the water system has already collected. It will also include compliance, source water, and educational information.
Public water systems are required to sample for contaminants depending on their status and history. These compliance test results are publicly available at the Washington State Water System Data, Sentry Internet. Search for your water system and then select the Samples tab.
The other end of your water system
In our next article it’s time to talk about septic systems, also called on-site sewage systems. There is no municipal wastewater treatment on Lummi Island, so that means everyone here maintains their own system. What does this have to do with your drinking water? You might want to know!
Iron and Manganese
These minerals are essential for your health at the right amount. But if iron and manganese exceed the standards below you may notice stains on your fixtures and a metallic taste. When your tub starts looking reddish brown, it’s most likely one of these two guys, so have your water checked and ask about treatment solutions.
Secondary Contaminant
Hazard: low
Type: Chemical
Iron SMCL: 0.3 ppm
Manganese SMCL: 50 ppb
Hydrogen sulfide
Usually not a health risk in drinking water, hydrogen sulfate can cause a rotten egg or musty smell.
Secondary Contaminant
Hazard: low
Type: Chemical
SMCL: 250 ppm
Co-Authors
Mike Skehan | email
MANAGER OF RIDGE WATER ASSN, PAST OWNER OF LUMMI WATER WORKS, MGR OF HILLTOP WATER AND SUNSET BEACH WATER, (WATER DISTRIBUTION SPECIALIST, BASIC TREATMENT OPERATOR), RETIRED.
Isaac Colgan | email
