Every morning I make my way to kitchen sink and drink from the tap. In the 29 years that I have been on this earth I have always preferred to drink from the tap than anywhere else. Part of that is just based on the fact that I'm from San Francisco and have really just loved the taste, but also because it's free and really safe to drink. While at times I can find myself being the modern day conscious consumer at CVS or Walgreens buying a fancy bottle of water because of poor planning on my part, overall I try to carry a bottle of San Francisco's own with me in order to stay hydrated and happy. In reviewing the quality of San Francisco's water, I wasn't surprised at what I found to be in the water, after all the source is not next door, but at the Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite. So acknowledging that the road to me is a great one, I was able to make justification for the San Francisco water commission and its efforts in providing residents of the City and County great drinking water.
What's Put In the Water? San Francisco follows state law by putting fluoride in the water that goes to all individuals who consume the drinking water. This practice has been proven to prevent tooth decay and has been approved by the CDC. Chloramine is also put into the water in order to disinfect it, thereby making it ready for consumption.
Run Off and that Fun Stuff! Some items that have been found in the water include: aluminum, chloride, and sulfate which all seem to naturally occur and make its way into the water supply as runoff from the natural deposits. Looking at the source in particular the Water Commission makes special note to inform consumers that the source water is vulnerable to viruses and other bacteria and other inorganic contaminates that are due in large part to pollution. While the water is treated and tested before it makes its way into the homes and drinking stations people use it is important to note that the presence of this organic and inorganic material can cause harm to individuals, especially those with compromised immune systems (HIV/AIDS is an example) therefore it is important to do personal tests on ones own drinking water and to consult with ones personal physician regarding next steps.
Filtration: I do not use a filter. I know it's bad, and it's something that I have always thought about especially when considering my home's history of not being updated. I live in a pretty old part of San Francisco's Mission District (right off of 24th) and while I know that the main water lines were updated in my lifetime (I will never forget a very dry summer as a kid), I have no recollection of the lines that go to my sink being updated. That being said, I most likely will not be using a filter anytime soon.
Miguel,
ReplyDeleteI had some classmates once give a presentation on how hospitals in San Francisco dump medications down the drain in order to dispose of medications so that they don't get into the wrong hands. I was shocked to learn about this because now those medications are in our water and we all are drinking it. And the worst part is that we can't do anything about it. Compared to many places, our water supply is better than most places but we have a long way to go. We need to realize that not everything belongs down the drain and not everything belongs in our water supply before people start getting sick and resistant to antibiotics and other drugs that are supposed to be life saving.