• AP study shows contamination appears in every state
LISLE, IL, Sept. 25, 2009 -- Following a comprehensive Associated Press study revealing that the drinking water in thousands of schools contains lead and other toxins, the Water Quality Association today urges administrators to look into treatment systems to protect their students.
The AP today reported it found "that contaminants have surfaced at public and private schools in all 50 states -- in small towns and inner cities alike." Roughly one of every five schools with its own water supply violated the Safe Drinking Water Act in the past decade, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency analyzed by the AP.
The report follows in the wake of AP studies last year showing that up to one in six Americans might be ingesting some level of pharmaceuticals in their drinking water.
Filtering systems provide the highest technology available to treat drinking water, said Peter J. Censky, executive director of WQA. Less than two percent of all water consumed is ingested by humans, making these "point-of-use" systems the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly available. Filtering systems act as a final contaminant barrier and can further purify water for drinking, Censky emphasized.
In addition to home-based devices, many companies offer filtering systems for larger facilities, such as commercial enterprises and schools.
WQA provides Gold Seal certification for products that remove a variety of contaminants. These products are tested according to independently developed standards of the highly respected ANSI (the American National Standards Institute).
In addition, consumers can find locally certified dealers by visiting the WQA's Find A Professional feature. Dealers are certified though rigorous study and testing. More information about contaminants is also available at WQA's Water Information Library, which includes a search function.
Visit wqa.org to take advantage of these features.
WQA is a non-profit association that provides public information about water treatment issues and also trains and certifies professionals to better serve consumers. WQA has more than 2,500 members nationwide.
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