• New York Times reveals water for 20% of Americans in federal violation
LISLE, IL, Dec. 8, 2009 -- Following a comprehensive New York Times report today revealing that twenty percent of Americans face water in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Water Quality Association today urges consumers to explore installing final contaminant barriers in their homes.
The newspaper reported since 2004, "the water provided to more than 49 million people has contained illegal concentrations of chemicals like arsenic or radioactive substances like uranium, as well as dangerous bacteria often found in sewage."
The New York Times report follows in the wake of Associated Press studies last year showing that up to one in six Americans might be ingesting some level of pharmaceuticals in their drinking water.
"Filtering systems in the home 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.
While utilities are required to meet safety standards set by the US EPA, the New York Times has reported that there have been more than half a million violations of the Clean Water Act since 2004. Fewer than 6 percent of the water systems that broke the law were ever fined or punished by state or federal officials
"Home filtering systems act as a final contaminant barrier and can further purify water for drinking," Censky emphasized.
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 (American National Standards Institute).
In addition, consumers can find locally certified dealers by visiting WQA's Find A Water 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 not-for-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 internationally.
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