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If you live in an older home, or your plumbing is out of date, there may be some risk of consuming small amounts of lead.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.

5 Reasons to Drink Tap Instead of Bottled Water

Agua, wasser, eau, water- It doesn’t matter where you come from or which language you speak, we all know that our bodies need water! We grow up being told the “8x8 rule”- drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day- to properly hydrate our bodies. The dilemma is, have you ever really thought much about the water you’re drinking?

It may sound silly at first and you're probably thinking “Water is WATER- no calories, no fat, no sodium…” but would you believe that there is a big difference economically, nutritionally, and environmentally between tap and bottled water? Here are 5 reasons why you should switch to tap water:

Grab the Microscope
With the FDA regularly testing, you can always be sure that you water is clean of E. coli and bacteria. Bottled water companies do not have to follow these protocols, so you better keep a microscope nearby if you choose to drink bottled.

Another Money Saver
Eating at home, using coupons, and turning lights off are all effective ways to save money, but did you know you could save over $250 a year by eliminating bottled water use? Check out the Bottled Water Cost Calculator and see how much money you could save by switching to tap.

No Bottle, No Problem
Drinking tap water is much more convenient than bottled. Instead of having to first purchase from a store, haul into your home, and then unpack your water into the fridge, all you have to do is grab a glass, turn on a faucet, and voila… water!

Local Support
Increasing your tap water intake will slightly bring up your water bill (still MUCH less than buying bottled), but paying your local water bill helps support the economic circulation in your area, not a giant bottling corporation.

Know What You Are Drinking
With tap, you understand exactly what you are getting in your glass. Bottled water companies do not have to disclose where the water comes from, how it is purified, or what chemicals exist on the bottle. Without these factors, how can customers be sure of what they are putting into their bodies?

In 2009, a large city in Australia became the first city in the World to completely ban the use of bottled water. Now, many other large cities like San Francisco and Chicago are implementing their own rules against bottled water as well. The trend of #DrinkTap is growing globally. The positives of drinking tap water continue to outweigh the negatives… Will you make the switch?

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!