A big thank you to Jamie Oltman for being my guest writer of this article. For more information visit www.groundwater.org
Do you ever think about the water you drink? Where it comes from or where it’s going? To get you thinking a little bit more about our favorite pre and post workout refreshment here is a few drops of info about water:
- We could live only for about one week without water. Water dissolves and transports nutrients through and wastes out of our bodies. Up to 60% of our bodies are made up of water.
- Drinking water comes from one of two places surface water (lakes and rivers) or groundwater (water stored underground aquifers.) Over 50% of the entire US population relays on groundwater for their drinking water source and over 99% of the rural population. In Nebraska the majority of us drink groundwater!
- Water is known as the “universal solvent.” Water has the ability, more than any other liquid, to dissolve other substances. Because of this property water is can vulnerable to contamination.
- Americans drink more than 1 billion glasses of tap water per day. Water provided to consumers by a public water supply system is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA sets standards for over 90 contaminants that can be found in water. If the water from a public supply becomes contaminated and is a potential health risk, the water supply system is required to notify the public and provide an alternative safe source of water. In addition community water systems send out an annual report sharing with its customers the quality of their water source.
- If the water you drink comes from a private well, this includes about 15% of the US population, the owner of the well is responsible for having the water tested. This should be done on a regular basis to make sure the water quality is sufficient for drinking. Water from private wells is not regulated by law however the EPA sets guidelines for private well owners to follow.
- Americans spend over $10 billion dollars on bottled every year. If you drink bottled water it may come from a public water system or a private source. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates bottled water and set standards for contaminants based on the EPA standards. When EPA creates a drinking water standard the FDA must either establish a new standard for bottled water or show proof that the EPA standard is not applicable to bottled water. When a FDA regulated contaminant is found at high levels in bottled water the FDA will enforce action such as removing the product from stores. To learn more about the quality of bottled water consumers must contact the bottler directly.
- Of all the water on Earth less then 3% is freshwater (rivers, lakes, groundwater, glaciers, and the atmosphere.) Less then 1% of the freshwater is available for drinking and the majority is stored in groundwater aquifers.
- Nebraska sits over one of the largest aquifers in the world, the High Plains Aquifer or more commonly known as the Ogallala Aquifer. Recently the US Geological Survey released a report stating that the water from the High Plains Aquifer was generally of acceptable quality, (http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1337/.)
- There is no new water. We use and drink the same water that was here when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. You can help make sure the water you drink continues to be safe and plentiful for years to come by learning about your water source and taking action. To learn more about what you can do visit www.groundwater.org, www.usgs.gov, and www.epa.gov.
“Anything else you’re interested in is not going to happen if you can’t breathe the air and drink the water.” ~ River Quotes, quoting Carl Sagan, astronomer.
Article created by: Jamie Oltman
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