Why Are U.S. Water Quality Regulations So Lax?

Many people who believe strongly in freedom, independence and self-reliance feel the government restricts too many liberties. They would prefer a more hands-off approach.

But one area where we see a lack of government control is the quality of water we use for drinking. Plus bathing, cooking and cleaning. In fact, sometimes water quality regulations in the U.S. fall far short of keeping us safe.      

Approximately 785 million people around the world lack clean drinking water. That's according to the World Health Organization. And at least 2 billion people rely on a drinking water source contaminated with feces. 

Many of the worst cases of water contamination exist in third-world countries. But America has its share of water problems. These issues have been going on for a long time. And they seem to be worsening as time passes.

A recent study analyzed water systems in 100 major U.S. cities. More than 300 pollutants in the water supplied to over 250 million Americans were found. Contaminants include arsenic, lead and even perchlorate, a main ingredient in rocket fuel. 

Disagreements in Contaminant Limits

To be fair, there have been laws in place for several decades. Including the

Clean Water Act of 1972, the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 and the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.

But many people concerned about water quality believe those laws do not go far enough. They say the regulations don't protect us from harmful chemicals. Here's one example.

The EPA tells us .04 parts per billion of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is safe. The agency claims its legal limits reflect the levels that protect human health.  

But some researchers disagree. Including those at the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. They say the drinking water standard should be as low as 0.001 parts per billion. Those two numbers are not even close to each other.

50% of Contaminants Are Unregulated

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) says there are no federal limits on 50% of contaminants in drinking water.

And establishing such regulations can take years. An example is chlorate. It's a disinfection byproduct that has been linked to serious health issues in high doses.

Regulating it was proposed in 2011, but nothing has happened since then. As Sydney Evans, science analyst for EWG says, "Legal does not necessarily equal safe." 

The EPA says it uses an unregulated contaminant monitoring program. It collects data for contaminants suspected to be present in drinking water. Then it reviews the list of contaminants every five years. 

Hundreds of Millions Exposed

"Federal drinking water standards are often woefully inadequate to protect public health." That's according to the EWG.

In addition, "there are no enforceable federal health standards for many chemicals known to pose risks." This leaves "the public susceptible to harm." Both from new and emerging tap water contaminants.

The EWG states that the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 was good for its time. And that it improved water quality to a basic level. But since then the government has failed to establish new standards. Especially for previously unregulated drinking water contaminants.

The group claims this represents "a pattern of inaction that has exposed hundreds of millions of Americans to a large and growing number of pollutants at potentially harmful levels."

Cleaning Up Your Tap Water

The lack of strict water quality regulations in the U.S. is concerning. Actually, I'd say it's very concerning. Most cities, states and even the federal government can't afford infrastructure changes to alleviate the problem.

As the EWG says, "For many contaminants there are no published health guidelines. Let alone enforceable standards."

The agency adds, "Drinking water standards and other environmental regulations are too often based on political and economic compromises." Those compromises are aimed at keeping treatment costs down.

If you're not currently drinking dangerously contaminated water from your faucets, you may be soon. We owe it to ourselves and our families to make sure the water we drink at home is as clean and safe as possible.

My recommendation for ensuring just that is the Patriot Pure Pitcher from 4Patriots. This pitcher removes up to 90% of fluoride, 97.5% of lead, 98% of mercury and more than 99% of chromium-6.

It also reduces up to 99.99% of chlorine and arsenic. As well as VOCs, pesticides, detergents, and industrial and agricultural chemicals.

Patriot Pure Pitcher Excels

How is this possible? A team of aerospace scientists, medical researchers and purification specialists developed the filtration technology inside this pitcher.

The result is a proprietary, carbon-based, ionic-adsorption micron filter. It protects you from many water impurities.

The pitcher is easy, fast and safe to use. It has a 1-gallon reservoir capacity. One-half gallon of water can be filtered in less than eight minutes.

Here's how to get yours...