Tips to Keep Your Drinking Water Safe

National Drinking Water Week will take place May 1st – May 7th. The American Water Works Association and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week for more than 35 years. Although the United States has one of the safest drinking water supplies in the world, the recent drinking water stories from Flint, Michigan have caused concern about the safety of their water. Though it remains very unlikely that Minnesota will see a similar problem, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your home drinking water is safe.

Education is the Key

Public water suppliers provide an annual water report called the Consumer Confidence Report. It has the most current testing data and outlines where your tap water comes from and if it is in compliance with EPA regulations. If you have questions, contact your water supplier. They are the best resource to help educate you on what you can do to ensure your tap water is safe.

Protecting Yourself from Lead

If you live in an older home, or your plumbing is out of date, there may be some risk of consuming small amounts of lead. “If you have a lead pipe in front of your house, if you were in my family, I would tell you to never, ever drink that water without filtering it,” says Marc Edwards, Virginia Tech civil and environmental engineer. There are filtering systems on the market that tackle your entire house, but experts say your best defense takes place at the sink. Water filtered through a whole-house filtration system still needs to travel through pipes (possibly lead pipes) to reach your faucet. This is why it is best to invest in a filtration system at your kitchen sink. You don’t need to worry about showering in water. “There’s no harm; it doesn’t go in through your skin,” Edwards says.

Private Wells

Public water sources are regulated and tested often, but private wells are the responsibility of the homeowner. If you get your drinking water from a private well, you should: ● Test your water frequently - at least once a year. Be sure to use a state certified laboratory. You may want to test more often if someone in your household is pregnant or nursing, someone becomes ill, you notice a difference in taste or smell, or you replace any part of your well system. ● Make sure to maintain your well and the related equipment. Well installers will service your equipment to ensure it is operating properly. ● Become educated on the aquifer and any well-head protection efforts that are implemented to ensure it remains a safe supplier of your water.

Purifying Your Water

What happens if you are alerted that your home tap water isn’t safe? Well, (pun intended) there are a few steps you can take to make absolutely sure it is safe to drink. Passing water through a muslin cloth or a home treatment device will help remove most impurities, but can still leave you vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. The best way to remove all impurities is to boil it - bring the water to a rolling boil, and continue for 1-2 minutes.

Containers Make a Difference

With so many water containers on the market today, don’t store your water in recycled containers from your home, like old milk jugs or juice containers - sugars and milk proteins settle at the bottom of these bottles and can cause bacterial growth. Start with a clean, NEW container to ensure the cleanest water. Thanks to the billions of dollars invested in water systems across the country, water contamination in the United States is, thankfully, a very rare occurrence. Recent news stories have caused concern, but there is little reason to fear a problem in your tap water. To keep your mind at ease, follow the above tips and you will no doubt have the safest drinking water possible. Happy Drinking Water Week from Minnesota AWWA.

Preventing Frozen Pipes

Can you believe winter is here already? Whether or not we’re ready for the bitter cold and mounds of snow, the next season has arrived with a bang! Besides breaking out your winter jacket, snow shovel and ice scraper, there is one way you need to prepare your home.

If not properly winterized, pipes in the winter can be very damaging to your home and property. Minnesota homes are typically built with water pipes located on the inside of the building insulation, which protects the pipes from freezing weather. However, when weather becomes extremely cold or there are holes in the building that allow a flow of cold air to come into contact with pipes, it can lead to freezing – which may lead to busted pipes. Pipes in attics, crawl spaces and outside walls are the most vulnerable to freezing.

 

 

The first thing you should always remember to do is to wrap any pipes located in exposed or unheated areas to prevent them from freezing. Ask an associate at a local hardware store for the best materials to use.

Another way to prepare your home and protect your pipes is to seal off any openings. Be sure to cover up any doors, open cracks and air vents not used during the winter months. You can also install an electric fan on the furnace and direct it to blow hot air onto exposed basement water pipes.

Finally, always be mindful of your home’s temperature. This is especially important if you leave for a vacation. Turning thermostat down may save on a heating bill but be sure to leave it a reasonable temperature. We recommend no lower than 55 degrees.

 

If you suspect that you may have a frozen pipe, don’t take any chances- call a plumber immediately. If a water pipe bursts, turn off the water at the main shut-off valve and leave all faucets open. We highly recommend you do not try and fix this issue yourself for it may only cause more problems in the end.

Do you have any other winter tips for keeping your pipes in tip-top shape? Comment and share them below!

Surface Water Treatment Workshop 2014

Starting Tuesday, April 29, 2014, Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota American Water Works Association chapters gather in Fargo to kick-off the 2014 Surface Water Treatment Workshop (SWTW).

The SWTW is a three-day workshop that covers current and future issues surrounding all things water. Industry professionals, scientists, and operators alike gather to discuss issues that range from optimization and treatment to technology and case studies. 

Surface water is becoming an alarming issue due to rooftops, roads, parking lots, driveways and other impenetrable surfaces no longer allow rainwater to be absorbed into the ground; rainfall becomes a dangerous runoff. Elements such as trash, chemicals, oil, fertilizers and animal waste all have effects on the quality of water, and once these are exposed will affect the quality of water. These elements all contribute to the degradation of water quality all over the world.

To effectively prevent surface water degradation and pollution, it is critical to come up with advanced solutions and systems to prevent further harm to waterways. This event will cover strategies, case studies, effects of impact and advancements that deal with surface water-related concerns and issues.

Members and employees of AE2S will act as the event’s keynote speakers. AE2S is an environmental and civil engineering consulting firm based out of North Dakota that specializes in electrical, structural and water services. AE2S’ CEO Steve Burian just recently participated in, and won “Dancing with the Special Stars,” to help support North Dakota Special Olympics. 

On Tuesday, April 9, as part of the SWTW '14 event, k-12 students submitted posters were featured along with the three selected winners of the poster contest. The poster contest’s key message this year was “Trust the Tap,” educating younger generations of the safety and convenience of tap water over bottled, and learning more about public and private water issues. Over 900 submissions were submitted by students of all ages throughout the state of Minnesota.

The three-day event will conclude with a facility tour of Fargo’s Ground Storage Reservoir, Moorhead Public Service Red River Pumping Station and Industrial Treatment Facility (Fargo Brewing Company). Pre-registration is required to attend tours and a lunch will be provided.

AWWA gives you the information and resources you need to deliver safe water to the world. Since its inception in 1881, AWWA has provided the information and leadership needed to advance policies that protect the public’s health. Becoming a member of AWWA is easy and has many benefits. As a member, you will enjoy access to technical resources, networking opportunities, advocacy efforts, career development resources, and more!