Los Angeles, California: Speaking of air quality, looks like Angelenos’ tap quality is similar to the stuff they breathe. Local water has tested high in concentrations of a slew of contaminants. We’re talking turbidity, trihalmoethanes, copper, halo-acetic acids, chlorine, and nitrate. The National Resources Defense Council found that the disinfection process also left elevated levels of cancer-causing by-products, like radon.
Now What?
Honestly, I found myself a little worried about my local water after reading these studies. But instead of living in paranoia, the EPA recommends checking out our consumer confidence reports (every area has one) to decide how safe our local water actually is.
A carbon filter, like the ones found in Brita or Pur containers that fit in the fridge, removes lead, chlorine, and other impurities. Bottled water fanatics should be aware that many bottled brands actually get their water from the same places our taps do—local municipal supplies. This means investing in a simple filter is the definitely the way to go. Plus, with your handy filter, you can quit that nasty bottled-water habit. Clean and green? Gotta love that.
