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Unsafe Lead Levels in Tap Water Not Limited to Flint

nytimes.com

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Re: Unsafe Lead Levels in Tap Water Not Limited to Flint

#31

Post by djrogers »

voltagex_ wrote: post #10

If I travel to the US (Let's say Los Angeles, Seattle and New York) how do I know if the tap water is safe to drink? In the EU I normally just ask a local. In Germany it's safe to drink but in the Czech Republic you might be better off drinking bottled water (last time I checked was ~10 years ago, sorry if it's changed).

If I travel to Europe, how do I know if the local knows the water is safe to drink?

Unless you're in Flint, or a paranoiac, tap water in the US is safe. Period.

Flint's problem is not endemic, it was isolated. The article is really reaching - they cite 3 instances over ~15 years of problems in city water supplies. In 2 of the 3 cases it was caught and rectified quickly - Flint is the exception.

Re: Unsafe Lead Levels in Tap Water Not Limited to Flint

#32

Post by tn13 »

You can cheap water testing kits on amazon which you can use. Also not water is 100% safe and it makes a lot of sense to diversify the water sources. We use tap water for cooking, bottled water from different brands at home and workplace. That probably is good enough.

I have tested water at home for lead and pesticides and found it to be safe to drink. [Sunnyvale]

Re: Unsafe Lead Levels in Tap Water Not Limited to Flint

#33

Post by CamperBob2 »

overcast wrote: post #5
dmm wrote: post #4

Nassim Taleb taught me that the absence of known danger is not the same as safety. Repeat that to yourself the next time you read your cities water report. It's not "I know my water is safe" it's "I know I don't face these specific dangers. What else could be in the water that they don't test for?" Look into reverse osmosis.

Drinking distilled water is not a good idea, which is basically what reverse osmosis gives you stripping out essential minerals. It's also an incredibly wasteful 4:1 process. Look into three stage filtering, that's all you need.

This is a rather ridiculous myth, in the same tradition as moon-landing denial or Korean fan death. You get minerals from food, not water. You (presumably) have kidneys and other organs that maintain the mineral balance in your body. A few micrograms more or less in your water isn't going to make much difference.

Re: Unsafe Lead Levels in Tap Water Not Limited to Flint

#34

Post by elijahparker »

iofj wrote: post #21
ohthanks wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Carbon filtration will not remove dissolved solids (lead, heavy metals) without added ion-exchange resins. RO is generally the most effective broad spectrum treatment method for drinking water. The mineral issue is pretty much bunk, if the lack of trace minerals in your water is a concern you need to see a doctor. Food is your body's preferred source of minerals, you have to drink a lot to have much effect on your da…

You will notice the taste difference though.

I use RO with a mineralization filter stage and absolutely love the taste of the water. I'm using the 7-stage RO system by iSpring.

Re: Unsafe Lead Levels in Tap Water Not Limited to Flint

#35

Post by serge2k »

akg_67 wrote: post #15
voltagex_ wrote: post #10

If I travel to the US (Let's say Los Angeles, Seattle and New York) how do I know if the tap water is safe to drink? In the EU I normally just ask a local. In Germany it's safe to drink but in the Czech Republic you might be better off drinking bottled water (last time I checked was ~10 years ago, sorry if it's changed).

Default to not drinking from taps directly. I live in Seattle. We only use tap water after filtering with a Brita Filter for drinking and cooking. When we are outside home, we either bring filtered water with us or buy bottled water. At restaurants, if in doubt we ask if water is directly from tap. Since the flint lead news, I have been exploring how can I get my tap water tested on a routine.

Ridiculous. First off, evidence that Seattle water is unsafe?

Second, brita is useless http://www.naturalnews.com/046536_water_filters_heavy_metals...

Re: Unsafe Lead Levels in Tap Water Not Limited to Flint

#36

Post by Gibbon1 »

detaro wrote: post #3
staunch wrote: post #2

Ancient Romans knew that lead water pipes were unhealthy and so they preferred terracotta pipes. It's hard to imagine why the U.S. ever had a single lead water pipe, let alone huge numbers of them. Updated with a reference for the downvoters: Sheets of lead were used to line Roman aqueducts (as was cement) and lead pipes to convey water. But lead also was known to be unwholesome and, for that reason, pipes made of cl…

> Ancient Romans knew that lead water pipes were unhealthy and so they preferred terracotta pipes. Do you have a source for this? At the same time, they used lead acetate to sweeten wine and food, which is way more dangerous. If they made the weaker connection between health and water pipes, they should have been able to connect health and this as well.

Yeah and they knew that was bad too. Probably if they had a good way of testing for lead acetate, they'd probably have thrown the occasional wine merchant to the lions.

I have a copy of De re Metallica[1] it has a whole chapter on stuff like this and that's 1500's Europe. Lead is kinda tricky since it tends to get passivized most of the time by sulfate and phosphate. Except when it doesn't and then it's insidiously bad.

[1] Translated Herbert Hoover (yes that one).

Re: Unsafe Lead Levels in Tap Water Not Limited to Flint

#37

Post by datashaman »

serge2k wrote: post #35
akg_67 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Default to not drinking from taps directly. I live in Seattle. We only use tap water after filtering with a Brita Filter for drinking and cooking. When we are outside home, we either bring filtered water with us or buy bottled water. At restaurants, if in doubt we ask if water is directly from tap. Since the flint lead news, I have been exploring how can I get my tap water tested on a routine.

Ridiculous. First off, evidence that Seattle water is unsafe? Second, brita is useless http://www.naturalnews.com/046536_water_filters_heavy_metals...

you're using 'natural news' as a source? this is one of the worst sites on the internet, literally riddled with unproven BS.

Re: Unsafe Lead Levels in Tap Water Not Limited to Flint

#38

Post by the_mitsuhiko »

DamnYuppie wrote: post #6
staunch wrote: post #2

Ancient Romans knew that lead water pipes were unhealthy and so they preferred terracotta pipes. It's hard to imagine why the U.S. ever had a single lead water pipe, let alone huge numbers of them. Updated with a reference for the downvoters: Sheets of lead were used to line Roman aqueducts (as was cement) and lead pipes to convey water. But lead also was known to be unwholesome and, for that reason, pipes made of cl…

It is also most likely that terracotta pipes were easier and cheaper to manufacture then lead pipes.

And broken easier and required to be replaced. So I doubt that they would have preferred it without reason.

Re: Unsafe Lead Levels in Tap Water Not Limited to Flint

#39

Post by the_mitsuhiko »

voltagex_ wrote: post #11
staunch wrote: post #2

Ancient Romans knew that lead water pipes were unhealthy and so they preferred terracotta pipes. It's hard to imagine why the U.S. ever had a single lead water pipe, let alone huge numbers of them. Updated with a reference for the downvoters: Sheets of lead were used to line Roman aqueducts (as was cement) and lead pipes to convey water. But lead also was known to be unwholesome and, for that reason, pipes made of cl…

Doubtful: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/23o92d/on_co...

That one specifically mentions that the Romans knew about problems with lead?

Re: Unsafe Lead Levels in Tap Water Not Limited to Flint

#40

Post by the_mitsuhiko »

djrogers wrote: post #31
voltagex_ wrote: post #10

If I travel to the US (Let's say Los Angeles, Seattle and New York) how do I know if the tap water is safe to drink? In the EU I normally just ask a local. In Germany it's safe to drink but in the Czech Republic you might be better off drinking bottled water (last time I checked was ~10 years ago, sorry if it's changed).

If I travel to Europe, how do I know if the local knows the water is safe to drink? Unless you're in Flint, or a paranoiac, tap water in the US is safe. Period. Flint's problem is not endemic, it was isolated. The article is really reaching - they cite 3 instances over ~15 years of problems in city water supplies. In 2 of the 3 cases it was caught and rectified quickly - Flint is the exception.

> Unless you're in Flint, or a paranoiac, tap water in the US is safe. Period.

Given the size of the United States that's a very brave statement. Water quality in Europe is typically measured on on commune level and even in countries like Austria which pride themselves for drinkable tap water there are incidents which cause tap water to not be drinkable at times.

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