Then there are those in California, Texas, and all arid states in between that are in the midst of continuing drought. While the very best thing that you can possibly do if you live in a land of drought is to rip out that lawn and become friends with native plants, the fact is that you’ve heard it all before and if you were ever going to turn your front yard into a rock garden, you would have done so already.

Most of us don’t want to give up our lawns, even as we’re acutely aware that they’re a drain on resources and a strain on the environment. Thankfully, though, whether you’re trying to keep your lawn green in a state of drought or just trying to keep it greener and more weed-free than your next door neighbor, it’s still possible to limit the impact that your cultural practices have on both the quality and the quantity of our water supply.

Lawn Tips to Protect Water Quality

1. Test your soil, then give your lawn only what it needs

If you live in a home that was only recently built, you can pretty much guarantee that your soil needs a fertilizer boost in order to grow a healthy lawn. If your lawn has been established for a while, though, your soil might be pretty decent. A soil test kit can show you where yours is deficient. Then, only apply those lawn chemicals that you truly need. You get bonus points for choosing non-synthetic options like a light topdressing of compost or mature manure, cottonseed meal or blood meal.

When you over-fertilize, giving your lawn more than it needs or can use, the excess nutrients either seep down into the water table through the soil, or run off and enter waterways through gutters and storm drains. While excess nutrients seem like they would be harmless (nutrients are good, right?), too much accumulated nitrogen or phosphorous (the first and second numbers on a bag of fertilizer) can stimulate growth of aquatic plants in surface waters and remove the oxygen that fish and other aquatic organisms need to survive. The result is often a foul-smelling, slimy green lake, unusable for recreation and potentially even toxic to both its inhabitants and pets . In addition, excess nitrogen as nitrate in drinking water is harmful and potentially toxic to animals, babies, and pregnant women. Aquifers can span hundreds of miles, and storm drains eventually lead to surface waters, so your cultural practices will affect waterways no matter where you live. If you live on a lake or have a creek on your property, your responsibility is just that much greater and you’ll want to maintain a natural buffer of at least 10 feet between your lawn and the body of water.

2. Be mindful of your grass clippings

Bagging grass clippings just takes way too much work, right? Thankfully, allowing grass clippings to be dispersed over the lawn after a mowing can contribute to a healthier lawn, so that’s the route most of us take. A thin layer of clippings will decompose at the soil level, adding nutrients back to the soil and allowing you to reduce the amount of nutrients you have to add to keep your lawn healthy. Be careful, though, to keep the clippings out of street gutters, sewers, and streets where they can wash into storm drains. Even though the clippings are a natural source of the plant nutrient nitrogen, they are a source nonetheless.

The key here is to only leave a thin layer of clippings. A too-thick layer on the surface of the lawn can block sunlight and inhibit growth, causing patchiness. At the soil level, a thick layer of clippings can actually repel water, causing runoff and waste. If it’s been awhile since your last mow you’ll want to rake the clippings and add them to your compost, or bag them in a brown paper yard bag and call your local yard waste facility for pick-up.

4. Hire a lawn service that focuses on the health of the grass root

Like you, I’m busy and I’ve chosen to hire a lawn service to take care of my little plot in suburbia. While I don’t have control over what they put on my lawn and I can’t ask them to give me individualized care, I do have control over who I hire. I chose a service that focuses on the health of the root over the appearance of the blade. The stronger the root, the stronger the plant, and the less my lawn will need fertilizers and herbicides. While services like this tend to be a little more expensive, they produce a healthier lawn that can better withstand adverse conditions, and you’ll be able to reduce your reliance on them over time.

Lawn Tips to Conserve Water

1. Water deeply, less often

Your lawn is lazy and it’s not going to work any harder than it has to. While frequent, light waterings will keep your lawn green, the roots will concentrate in the first inch or two of soil and never even try to grow deeper. Instead, taper your watering schedule off to the point that you’re only watering deeply once or twice per week. Not only will you save water, but by encouraging the roots to grow deep into the soil, your lawn will be better able to gather and hold nutrients, which will allow it to grow better and look better, and keep those excess nutrients out of the water supply.

You’ll need to be aware, though, that watering like this can tend to dry out the top layer of soil, and dry soil + heavy watering = runoff. If your soil is dry when it’s time to water, give it a very light watering at first. Wait an hour or two, then water it deeply. By pre-moistening the soil, it will be better able to absorb the deep watering.

2. Overseed with location-specific varieties

If you’re starting fresh with a new lawn, you have the advantage of choosing the grass that best fits your needs right off the bat. For the rest of us, we’ll need to overseed with the chosen turf seed. A quick internet search should arm you with a list of turf varieties that thrive in your area, but here’s a short list of drought-resistant grasses to get you started. Another option is to choose a mix of grass and non-grass turf, like Earth Turf which uses Microclover in conjunction with drought-tolerant grass varieties. The Microclover requires less water than grass, and as a bonus it will shade out weeds and actually help nourish the soil, cutting the need for both herbicides and fertilizers.

Whether starting fresh or overseeding an existing lawn, you’ll want to wait until the fall. While spring is technically cool and wet enough to get new grass growing, its roots won’t have time to establish before the heat of the summer and you’ll end up having to water far more often just to keep your new lawn alive. Waiting until fall will ensure a healthier lawn, with a much lower water footprint.

3. Time Your Watering

You’ve heard this before, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t include it here. Don’t water in the heat of the day. Up to 30% of water is lost due to evaporation when you water when the sun is at its hottest. Rather, water early in the morning or wait until the evening.

4. Aerate in the Fall

Aerating your lawn pulls cores from your lawn’s soil profile, which reduces compaction, helps your lawn establish better, and allows water to penetrate deeper, all of which lead to a healthier lawn that’s less reliant on water resources. The practice exposes your lawn’s roots to the sun, though, so you’ll want to wait until fall. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself applying more water to keep your lawn healthy.

5. Get a Rain Barrel

Hook a rain barrel up to one of your gutters and you not only have an instant water source for your lawn and landscape, but you’ll also be capturing and using water that might otherwise run off your lawn carrying debris and contaminants into the storm sewer. Check around to see if your city offers free rain barrels, make one out of a plastic tote bin, or purchase a ready-made barrel to start conserving.

6. Check Your Mowing Practices

Keeping your mowing height taller will shade the soil, thus preventing it from drying out and allowing you to use less water. A taller lawn also shades out weeds, so you’ll enjoy the bonus of having to use fewer lawn chemicals to keep the weeds at bay.

You’ll also want to keep your mower blade sharp. A dull blade will give a rough cut to your lawn, causing ragged edges that appear dry and brown, which might lead you to believe it needs more water than it actually does.

7. Keep it free from thatch

Thatch is a thick layer of organic matter like dead roots, stems and clippings. Accumulated thatch will act as a barrier and actually repel water. Keeping your lawn free from thatch by using a thatch rake or a dethatching machine, or mowing often to clippings small and light, will ensure that your lawn absorbs every bit of water so you can water more sparingly.

I’ll offer this final bit as another option: Don’t worry about it! As a young horticulture student, I was shocked to hear one of my esteemed professors confess to having a “salad bowl” for a lawn. She knew exactly what to do for a perfect lawn, but as one who was very well acquainted with the ecological and health concerns of lawn chemicals, she decided that perfect wasn’t worth it. If you have any other tips for keeping your lawn healthy while protecting the local water supply, let us know in the comments below!

How to Clean Your Dishwasher

1. Remove debris from the drain

Pull out the bottom rack and visually inspect the drain(s) for bits of food, glass, small utensils, bits of paper (remove labels before washing glass jars!), or anything else that might have become trapped there. Remove what you can see, using tweezers or needle-nosed pliers if necessary, taking care not to scratch the finish on the dishwasher.

2. Remove debris from the spinning arm

Check the spinning arms on the top rack of the dishwasher. Are any of the holes clogged by debris or hard water build-up? Clear them with a toothpick, tweezers, or a bent wire, or simply scrub with a toothbrush and baking soda.

3. Clean the inside edge of the door

Use a toothbrush or soft cloth with a thin paste of baking soda and mild dishwashing liquid to clean around the inside edge of the door, paying special attention to the bottom area where the door meets the bottom of the dishwasher  and the inner parts of the door seal. Both can collect lots of junk! Be sure to rinse well to remove all residue as the water from the dishwasher doesn’t touch this area.

4. Clean the utensil caddy

Fill your sink with hot soapy water and soak your utensil caddy. Scrub, taking special care to clean the bottom where junk from dirty spoons, forks, and knives can collect.

5. Remove and scrub the drain

If you’ve had enough for one day, just move on to the easy stuff in step 6. If you’re going for a really great clean, though, you’re going to have to remove the drain(s) that you inspected in step 1. First, unplug the dishwasher (the plug is most likely under your sink). Then, very carefully, unscrew any screws that are holding the drain in place. Take care to remember the order in which you’re removing any parts (take pictures if necessary), and make sure not to drop any screws down the drain! Scrub the drains in hot soapy water, focusing on the undersides. Once fully clean, replace drains and screws and plug the dishwasher back in.

6. Run a cycle with vinegar

Now for the easy part! Fill a bowl with white vinegar and place it upright in the top rack of the dishwasher. Run a short cycle at the hottest temperature possible, but without the heat dry cycle. You’ll want to make sure there are no other dishes in the washer for this step. The vinegar will help wash away any loose grime, as well as break down hard water deposits that might have collected on the walls of the dishwasher, on the spinning arm, or on the heating element. While removing build-up from the walls makes your dishwasher more pleasing to the eye, removing it completely from the heating coil and spinning arm is imperative to getting your water hot enough and circulating enough to really clean your dishes, so repeat this step if you notice excessive hard water build-up. Once the cycle finishes, you’re done and your dishwasher is ready to keep your dishes as clean as possible!

Now that your dishwasher sparkles, you’ll want to test out different detergents to find the one that works the best for your water conditions and your dishwasher. We’ve tested just about every product out there for use with the EasyWater No-Salt Conditioner, and we’re pleased with the results of the Finish Powerball tabs. We also recommend Lemi Shine , which is a powder detergent additive, to help with spots. With your newly clean dishwasher and the right detergent, you still might not want to eat out of the dishwasher, but you will for sure feel far more comfortable eating off of the dishes that come out of it!

1. Water utilities only monitor for the presence of about 100 contaminants.
   Unless there’s a good reason to test for other chemicals – like the massive chemical spill in West Virginia – they simply won’t test for anything beyond the 100 or so they’re required to test for. This is perfectly ok. Can you imagine how much your monthly water bill would be if your utility kept up on testing for 82,000+ possible contaminants? This is how, though, the additional leak of PPH went undetected for so long. How would the water company know to test for it? The fact is, there could be any number of contaminants that could be in our water and we’ll never know.
2. Water is not treated to remove everything.
   Water utilities have very specific treatment equipment and processes, much of which is based on the local water supply and the age of the treatment plant. Different types of filters are designed to remove different types of contaminants. This means that in the event of a water emergency, your local water treatment plant just might not have the materials or resources it needs to treat the problem effectively.
3. Set safety thresholds are usually one-size-fits-all.
   Safety thresholds are set for the general population, but there’s no telling how your individual body will react to any given chemical. Young children, pregnant women, or those who are immune compromised might suffer negative effects from even the tiniest concentration of contaminant. In West Virginia, pregnant women and children under 3 were warned against drinking the water several days after the water supply was declared as safe. Why take the risk?
4. Problems could recur at any time, without warning.
   Water problems can recur at any time – or not go away entirely. Most recently, some West Virginia schools were again closed when children and teachers started smelling the licorice smell that indicated that MCHM might still be in the water supply.
5. The consequences of water contaminant combinations are unknown.
   Any two chemicals in the water supply might be found to be harmless in low concentrations, but what happens when they mix? We can only know by testing – and we know that’s not being done.

Water companies just don’t have the resources to make sure your water supply is 100% safe, 100% of the time. Why not invest in home water treatment? A complete home system that includes high-quality carbon filtration, UV disinfection, and RO for drinking will keep you covered in the event of a water supply disaster.

Reverse osmosis water, less than 1% of: erythritol and stevia leaf extract (as natural sweeteners), calcium lactate and calcium phosphate and potassium phosphate and magnesium lactate (electrolyte sources), citric acid, natural flavors, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), gum acacia, beta-carotene, sorbitol, modified food starch, vitamin B3 (niacinamide), vitamin E (alpha-tocopheryl acetate), vitamin B5 (calcium pantothenate), glycerol ester of rosin, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin B12, phosphoric acid

Clearly, there’s more in the bottle than just water. Here’s another:

Water, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Malic Acid, Contains Less than 2% of Natural Flavor, Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium (Sweeteners), Potassium Citrate, Red 40, Blue 1, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative).

And another:

Reverse osmosis water, crystalline fructose and cane sugar (sweeteners), less than 0.5% of: citric acid, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), fruit and vegetable juice (color), natural flavors, berry and fruit extracts (apple, pomegranate, açai and blueberry), magnesium lactate and calcium lactate and potassium phosphate (electrolyte sources), vitamin B3 (niacinamide), vitamin B5 (calcium pantothenate), beta-carotene, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin B12, manganese citrate, gum acacia

And yet another:

Purified water. Contains less than 2% of natural flavor, citric acid, sodium citrate, sucralose,sodium hexametaphosphate, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate to protect flavor.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. Something’s wrong here. Why do bottled fruit-flavored waters need so many added ingredients?

1. Sugar

You might think you’re making a healthy choice by choosing flavored water, but one brand I looked at had 32 grams of sugar in one serving, equal to 7.6 teaspoons!

2. Artificial Sweeteners

Sucralose and acesulfame potassium are the artificial sweeteners most commonly used in flavored waters. While they don’t contribute calories, there is speculation about the safety of both sweeteners. While yet unconfirmed, we think it’s best to stay away from artificial additives in food and drinks as much as possible. Our bodies just weren’t made to process them.

3. Artificial Colors

 Artificial colors are petroleum-based, and have been linked to ADHD, anxiety, migraines and cancer. Again, why choose to add something artificial to your body if other, better choices are available?

4. Preservatives

Some of the listed preservatives are derived from natural (although highly processed) sources. Potassium Sorbate, on the other hand, has been shown to cause changes in human DNA and stress the immune system, while Sodium Benzoate is a rocket fuel that forms the carcinogen benzene when combined with citric acid (one of those natural preservatives)!

5. Stabilizers

Propylene Glycol, also used as an ingredient in anti-freeze and to de-ice airplanes, is used in one brand to ensure the flavor remains consistent throughout the entire bottle. It has also been known to cause allergic reactions on the skin, and kidney and liver damage.

Can you see why we’re a little dubious about the health benefits of getting your daily hydration from flavored water? Why not instead learn to love plain old water? You might just find water filtered with RevitaLife to be quite tasty and refreshing. And when a craving hits? Just add fresh fruit!

So now let’s get real here, since we’re doing all of this in the name of health and safety. Most antibacterial gels and pretty much all antibacterial soaps rely on a registered pesticide by the name of Triclosan to do their dirty work. Triclosan is effective in killing bacteria in part because residue remains on hands and continues to kill bacteria even after they have been rinsed and dried. Unfortunately, that residual power is what makes it a real menace when it gets out into the environment – and get out it does, considering families all over the US are literally washing it down the drain every time they wash their hands! Wastewater treatment plants can’t effectively remove Triclosan from wastewater, so it’s been found in wastewater effluent and in decades-old sludge at the bottom of lakes. It is toxic to aquatic organisms, and even worse, it’s been found to have synergistic effects when combined with other common contaminants in waterways, potentially increasing its toxicity¹.

But you care about your family more than you care about aquatic organisms, right? I do too. That’s why when I first learned about Triclosan, I immediately checked every bottle of soap in the house to make sure it wasn’t labeled “antibacterial”. Like BPA and similar chemicals with long names, Triclosan is a suspected endocrine disruptor, mimicking our natural hormones and potentially causing unwelcome changes in our bodies. It is absorbed through our skin when we wash our hands or rub in the hand sanitizer, then accumulates in our bodies. Right now, it’s estimated that 75% of us in the US carry trace amounts of Triclosan around at all times ². Of even greater concern, it has been implicated in antibiotic resistance – and when antibiotics no longer work for us when we really need them, then we’re in big trouble.

Are you scared? Don’t be. If we just stick to washing our hands with plain old (non-antibacterial) soap and water, we won’t have to worry about any of this ³ – and we’re really not out much, since antibacterial soaps and gels don’t work on the cold or flu viruses anyway! If you’re out and about and you don’t want to take the time to find a sink to wash up, stick to alcohol-based hand sanitizers that don’t contain questionable antibacterial ingredients, or even better, make your own using essential oils (the internet abounds with recipes). As the law stands right now products containing Triclosan must be labeled, so double-check your favorite brands of soap, toothpaste, dish and laundry detergent, make-up, and other personal care products. Making this one small change can keep your family healthier, and keep waterways safer for everyone else long into the future.

1 http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/triclosan_fs.htm

2 http://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Triclosan_FactSheet.html

3 http://www.cdc.gov/features/handwashing/

The funny thing is, this blogger has been against bottled water for so long that I’ve honestly forgotten that so many of my friends and neighbors really do rely on bottled water for their hydration. It’s necessary sometimes, for sure. On vacation in a country with unknown or poor water quality? Absolutely. You might even want to keep a few cases in your (temperature-controlled) basement in case of emergency. For everyday hydration, though, do your body a favor and skip water that’s been bottled in plastic.

Aside from the obvious buy-a-reusable-bottle advice, here are a few things that have worked for my family in the real world to stay hydrated, without relying on the bottle:

1. Reuse glass drink bottles

Buy a dozen or so glass-bottled single serve drinks. There’s at least one brand of iced tea carried at major grocery chains that bottles in glass. Enjoy the tea, then keep the bottle. The advantage is that these bottles are dishwasher safe so they’re easy to clean, and you’ll always have a few on hand to fill up when you’re headed out the door. Bonus: if they break, you’re not out anything.

2. Use an insulated thermos

Get one of those nifty heavy-duty stainless steel thermoses – you know, the kind that construction workers bring their coffee to work in every day. When filled with ice, these thermoses keep water cold for 24 hours or more, even in a hot car! We take ours to the beach, the pool, outdoor festivals, and even out into the yard when we’re doing yard work.

Looks good, and tastes good too!

3. Rock the mason jar

Pinterest has made the mason jar an actual accessory. Now, wouldn’t you rather drink from this than from an ugly plastic bottle?

4. Just use a glass

Why drink bottled water at home? Get a glass. Fill it with ice. Fill it with filtered water.

Oh, and you know how we feel about unfiltered tap water as well. Here’s an easy way to contact us to find out more about our all-of-the-good-stuff, none-of-the-bad-stuff reverse osmosis drinking water filtration.

The fact is that the huge majority of water that’s processed by water treatment plants is used for things other than drinking or bathing. Industry uses fresh water for things like product fabrication, processing, cooling, washing and sanitizing of equipment. Think about all of the water required by hotel laundries and restaurant dishwashers and car washes, and add in all the toilets that get flushed and the lawns and landscaping that require water. When it comes down to it, only a tiny percentage of water treated by your local water treatment plant will ever have direct contact with humans. For that reason, the California Department of Public Health had to shoot for a maximum contaminant goal that could be considered “reasonably attainable” – one that balances the need for public safety against the cost (to ratepayers and taxpayers) of attaining that safety. Now, here’s the sticky part. Back in 2011, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment set a public health goal of .02 ppb for Chromium-6 in drinking water. This casts last week’s decision in a new light. Clearly, 10ppb of Chromium-6 in drinking water is not considered “safe” – it’s 500x higher than the original goal! Rather, it’s “reasonably safe”, a calculated risk weighed against the high cost of true safety.

Now, we want to be clear about something. Having an official limit of the cancer-causing chemical is a HUGE victory for Californians, and possibly for the rest of us as well. More research than you or I could ever imagine was conducted to arrive at this goal, and we can trust that our hardworking water utilities will work diligently to make sure our treated water meets or exceeds the new public safety goal. But, should we really be making our iced tea and coffee out of water that has 500x more cancer-causing pollutant than the original public health goal? That’s where home water treatment comes in. The fact is, your city’s water treatment plant will never be able to catch everything. This one contaminant spent 17 years in the limelight before a maximum contaminant level was determined in one state. The final goal number was based on economics, not public health. When you consider this, plus all the other contaminants that could possibly be in your water that are not yet known or regulated, doesn’t home water treatment just make sense? We think so.

1. Pressure has changed in your city’s water lines

From water main breaks to routine maintenance like the flushing of city water lines, changes in the pressure of the water flowing through the lines can stir up the dirt, rust particles and sediment that coat the inside of city water lines (Check out this picture of what city water lines look like on the inside!). Unfortunately, these types of disturbances will only get more common as our water infrastructure ages across the country.

City water incidents can happen quickly. If your water suddenly changes from clear to murky in the same day and all of the faucets at your home have discolored water coming out of them, the problem is most likely due to a pressure change in your city’s water lines. Typically these problems clear up within a couple of hours, but can take as long as several days to return to normal. In temporary situations like this we recommend not using hot water at all if possible, to keep the discolored water from being drawn into your water heater. If discolored water is a continuing problem in your city, you might want to consider installing a whole-home filter like EasyWater Toxin Shield+ or Toxin Shield Cartridge.

The sample on the right in the picture above was taken after the routine flushing of the city’s water lines, and it took several hours for the water to return to normal. If you use city-supplied water and have had problems with discoloration, flushing of the lines is the most probable cause.

2. Older water lines in your home are corroding

Many homes built before 1960 were plumbed with galvanized steel water lines. As these water lines age, they can collect a rusty sediment that can come out at the tap when you turn on your faucet.

If the discolored water is only present at one or several faucets (but not all of them), or if your water is discolored every morning but runs clear once you’ve had the tap running for a few minutes, chances are good that the problem is with the water lines in your home. A point-of-use treatment system like RevitaLife will make sure that your drinking water is clean, clear and tasty. As a long term solution, we recommend working with a plumber to replace your water lines.

3. Periods of high rains or drought have changed the water table

Many homeowners that get their water from a private well know they have iron problems, however extremes in weather can cause changes in the water table that would surprise even the most seasoned well owner. In many cases, the fluctuation can be so severe that existing water treatment equipment won’t be able to handle the excess iron. If discolored water due to extreme weather is a problem for you, we recommend choosing a powerful iron removal solution like Iron Shield+ which can handle up to 10ppm of iron (typically water softeners only treat up to 2 or 3 ppm).

4. High demand for water in times of drought

Some cities draw their water from surface rivers and streams. In times of drought when water is in the highest demand, the fresh surface water will mix with sediment from the river bottom and deliver murky water to your tap. If you notice that your faucets deliver discolored water at the same time every year (typically in the fall, after water volume has decreased over the summer), you might want to consider installing a sediment filter like the EasyWater Sediment Shield.

5. Filtration equipment isn’t working correctly

While it’s rare, some small towns might experience discolored water simply because their water treatment equipment wasn’t designed to handle the correct volume, or the equipment is in need of repair. If what you’re noticing doesn’t fit with any of the other situations presented above, you might want to put a call in to your city to find out what’s going on. If the problem is ongoing, installing a whole-home filter like Toxin Shield+ or Toxin Shield Cartridge will keep your water clean and clear.

Why Should You Be Concerned About Nitrates?

While this year is an especially heavy year for nitrate contamination, nitrates are one of the more common drinking water contaminants. Typically found in the highest concentrations in heavily agricultural communities, nitrates can also wash into the city water supply from the overuse of lawn care chemicals, and be carried hundreds of miles to city water treatment plants via underground aquifers.

When ingested, nitrates are converted to toxic nitrites, which can prevent oxygen from moving from the blood to the body. This is especially dangerous for infants, causing an oxygen deprivation condition called “Blue Baby Syndrome” and potentially leading to infant death. Many studies have shown a link to birth defects, goiter and 15 different types of cancer, including tumors in the bladder, stomach, brain, bone, kidney, liver and pancreas. In fact, nitrates have now been linked to a wider range of tumors than any other group of carcinogens.

How Can You Protect Yourself Against Nitrates?

So how can you protect  yourself against excess nitrates in your drinking water? First, know your water supply. If you use  water from a city supply, learn how to read your Consumer Confidence Report. The excerpted report below is for the city of Indianapolis. You can see that the MCLG (maximum contaminant level goal, what the city shoots for) and MCL  (maximum contaminant level, what the EPA requires) for nitrates are the same, at 10 ppm (parts per million). For the period represented, Indianapolis did achieve compliance by having nitrates under 10 ppm, with an average of .78 ppm. Results ranged from “none detected” (ND) to 4.4 ppm as you can see in the next column. If you use well water, test for nitrates regularly. The levels of contaminants in your water can change from season to season, or gradually increase over time – and don’t use your neighbors’ wells as a gauge of the health of your own well!

Learn how to read your annual Consumer Confidence Report. The highlighted section shows the levels of nitrates for the city of Indianapolis.

Once you know more about your water supply, question it! While the EPA maintains that the Maximum Contaminant Level of 10 ppm for city water supplies is safe, this has been debated for years. Some are concerned that since the MCGL and MCL are the same, there is no margin of safety (if tumors were shown to form at 10 ppm, wouldn’t you want your water supplier to shoot for a level much, much lower?). In addition,  several reported cases of Blue Baby Syndrome have occurred at levels lower than 10 parts per million ¹, and one study shows a three-fold increase in the risk of thyroid cancer at just 5 parts per million.

Concerns over nitrates in drinking water has lead many other countries to set maximum limits at less than half of that set by the U.S. EPA.¹  So why do we maintain a 10 ppm safety level? There has been some conjecture that the 10 ppm goal was initially set before laboratory equipment could reliably measure nitrates below 10 ppm, and some suspect that the 10 ppm goal is maintained simply because the financial cost of lowering the goal wouldn’t outweigh the benefit for the majority of the population.² Whatever the reason, and whether you use city water or water from a private well, it just makes sense to use an in-home point-of-use drinking water filter. Our recommendation? The EasyWater RevitaLife Drinking Water System, of course!

¹  http://www.ewg.org/research/pouring-it/health-effects-nitrate-exposure

² http://www.watertechonline.com/articles/165463-nitrates-in-drinking-water