When you live in an old farmhouse that uses well water, like I do, you have to adopt some "green living" practices just to keep living at all. No pesticides or herbicides of any kind are allowed near my well, for example. I also test my water at least once a year for nitrates, bacteria and other contaminants.
That's why I'm reading the new "Toxic Waters" series in The New York Times with such alarm. Across the country, in big cities and small towns, drinking water is contaminated with deadly pollutants -- and nobody's doing anything about it.
The in-depth report reveals that the EPA, as well as state and regional water quality boards, allow companies to dump illegal amounts of cancer-causing agents, heavy metals and other chemicals into groundwater and surface streams, where it eventually enters the drinking water of millions of homes.
According to this terrifying article, in 2008, "...40 percent of the nation’s community water systems violated the Safe Drinking Water Act ... More than 23 million people received drinking water from municipal systems that violated a health-based standard."
The horror story details how children in one community emerge from their bath with painful scabs all over their bodies. Kids' teeth gradually decay and rot. Area residents report an unusual number of cancer cases in recent years.
Even if you get your water from a municipal water supply, it's a good idea to test your water for contaminants. With more people drinking more tap water these days, it's particularly important, especially for homes with children.
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