Is your tap water safe to drink?

First, be assured that there are measures in place to check your drinking water before it reaches your lips. Federal law requires all water utilities to create and provide their customers with an analysis report yearly, done by a reputable company. If you don't receive one of these, feel free to call up and request the latest report or go to your local library and see if it's on file. But what should you be worried about anyway? Here's a short list of possible contaminants that can be found in your drinking water.

Total coliform: If this bacteria is found in high numbers it's likely that E.Coli is present in your water and may cause vomiting, nausea and duplicate the effects of food poisoning. For the very young and the elderly this can lead to dehydration and a major health threat.

Lead: Still found in old houses and in paint, lead has been linked to health problems in children. Even if your report says that there is a very low lead count you need to be concerned if you have an old home or are linked to an ancient plumbing system that may still use lead solder to connect the pipes. This solder has been replaced for years, but obviously an older dwelling may still have amounts that can leak into your drinking water. If you are concerned, call a plumber and have him/her check out your system and see if you need to replace some of your pipes. Another option if you're not sure about if your pipes are a threat is simply to run the cold water for a few minutes before using the water. Any lead that has seeped into the water while sitting in the pipes will be washed out and back down the drain with the old water.

Believe it or not, arsenic can be found in almost everyone's water in minute amounts as well as cryptosporidium, a small parasite that can get into your water from animal waste products near your water source. If you do see either one on your water report, don't panic. Small amounts aren't considered to be dangerous, and your report should reflect what level of concern you should place on it.

But what can you do to help make your drinking water safer? Well, the most obvious one is to add a water filter to your tap and use it as a secondary line of defense against contaminants. There are a lot of choices on the market, so be sure to investigate each one thoroughly to see how efficient each one is overall. You may want to discuss this with your doctor to see if he/she can recommend a certain brand that has proven more efficient over time in giving you cleaner water. But beware of high-priced systems that require filters to be changed daily - it may be worth your while to invest in buying bottled water if the cost of a purification system is too high.

The Environmental Protection Agency or EPA is responsible for maintaining the purity of all drinking water in the United States. Feel free to contact them if you have any questions regarding your local report or wish to find a good filter for your drinking water as well as keeping up to date with current concerns in your area about possible contamination.

It used to be that you wouldn't have a second thought about drinking out of your garden hose on a hot summer day, or run into the house to grab a fast glass of water from the kitchen sink. But nowadays that seemingly clear glass of water can make you deathly ill, to say nothing of creating health problems that can follow you for years. But with a little research and knowing what to look for in your yearly water report, you can create a safe and healthy atmosphere for you and your family.