Help Launch the Tap Water Safety Database!
The Environmental Working Group has just launched a campaign to update their tap water database to keep consumers informed about tap water safety issues across the country. And we think you should check it out!
The Environmental Working group is a great organization that stands up for the rights of the informed consumer. So many companies work to keep us in the dark about GMO labeling, farm subsidies, pesticides, chemicals in our body care products and more, but the EWG databases help consumers become more informed and lets us all exercise our right to know.
On EWG, you can find tons of resources and their collection of healthy living databases:
Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Food Scores
Toxic Chemical Reform
Pesticides in Produce
Guide to Food Additives
Household Cleaning Products Guide (we have written about this one before; click here to read the post)
Sunscreen Guide
Farm Subsidy Database
… and so many more.
Just this morning an email landed in my inbox from EWG about their new campaign, and I really wanted to share it here. Klean Kanteen is are hosting a matching gift program for all money donated to EWG to update their tap water database. Click here to see the 2009 ranking for your city’s tap water system.
Here’s what Klean Kanteen has to say about updating the EWG database:
EWG is re-launching its groundbreaking drinking water quality database to identify and map unregulated chemicals in our tap water, and [Klean Kanteen] jumped at the opportunity to help.
From their report on the toxic chemicals found in bottled water, to their water filter guide, EWG is committed to giving you the tools you need to live healthier.
EWG’s tap water database is due for an update, but the fact is EWG will not be able to re-launch this groundbreaking project without your support: testing water across the country takes enormous time and resources.
Did you know EWG discovered more than 300 pollutants in U.S. tap water in the 2009 update of its drinking water database? Half of those pollutants aren’t subject to ANY health or safety regulation while the other half are under regulations outdated since 2001. What’s more, EWG found agricultural chemicals, industrial pollutants and chemicals from urban areas and suburban sprawl in our drinking water. They even found arsenic. That’s right – arsenic.
And if you think you can avoid these potentially toxic pollutants by simply switching to packaged water – you’re wrong. The truth is, the government does not ensure that packaged water meet even basic safety standards. In fact, you could just be drinking unfiltered tap water in a plastic bottle. And paying for it.
Here’s another big reason we need to be concerned about our water supply from the EWG blog post, Is Your Drinking Water Contaminated?
When you drink a glass of water, you expect it to be clean and pure, not contaminated with invisible toxic chemicals. But nationwide testing has found that 6.5 million Americans in 27 states are drinking water tainted by an industrial compound that was used for decades to make Teflon.
The chemical, known as PFOA, has been detected in 94 public water systems. The amounts are small, but new research indicates that it can be hazardous even at the tiniest doses. PFOA and closely related fluorinated chemicals – including PFOS, once used to make Scotchgard – can cause cancer, birth defects and heart disease and weaken the immune system.
EWG’s interactive map below shows every U.S. county where the chemicals were detected. Click on your county to see if your water utility found any.
Click here to read the full report: Teflon Chemical Harmful at Smallest Doses
Even if you can’t donate today, you can arm yourself with resources to help you take back the tap and fight for access to safe drinking water:
Learn more about bottled water from the Story of Stuff in this adorable eight minute video.
Fracking is compromising ground water safety
How chromium 6 got into our tap water
Why bottled water is a terrible idea
How industrialized animal agriculture is ruining groundwater
Why we can’t take tap water for granted
What’s the best bottled water? It’s the one from your tap that’s put into a reusable water bottle!
Bottled water image from Shutterstock
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