# Chemical contamination in the water supply



## Howitzer19 (Feb 18, 2017)

Worrying about this stuff. It's not just flouride, there's all kinds of chemicals in there, Really shocking. I've read over 50% of American water has levels of some heavy metal or pesticide above the healthy limit. You wonder why the kids nowadays are so screwed up... they've been drinking this stuff since day one. Anybody else have a water filter to protect their families? I have a Big Berkey myself, but I'm wondering about getting a whole house water filter system. Anybody else have one, is it worth the expense?


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Believe it or not, li'l ol' chlorine removes a lot of heavy-metal crap from system water.
Our 20-family water system has enough manganese coming out of our well to make commercial recovery of it almost worthwhile. Almost, but not quite.
But the addition of about 5% chlorine removes it.

Actually, mere aeration of the water by spraying it into the air inside our system's storage tank causes the manganese to precipitate as manganese dioxide.
But maintenance of the sprayer-head, and cleaning the precipitate out of the tank, proved troublesome, so we switched to added chlorine.

In our house, we get by with a single drinking-water filtration setup: a cascade of four different filter mediums, into a one-gallon storage tank.
Our home filter system runs on water-system pressure, usually about 35psi. The (expensive) filters get changed approximately yearly.
But for washing us, our clothes, and the dishes, we use our water system's chlorinated water right out of the spigot.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

Howitzer19 said:


> Alex Jones got me worrying about this stuff. It's not just flouride, there's all kinds of chemicals in there, Really shocking. I've read over 50% of American water has levels of some heavy metal or pesticide above the healthy limit. You wonder why the kids nowadays are so screwed up... they've been drinking this stuff since day one. Anybody else have a water filter to protect their families? I have a Big Berkey myself, but I'm thinking of getting a whole house water filter system. Starting to get convinced by the blogs I read that's the best sort of water filter for serious protection. Anybody else have one, is it worth the expense?


I don't know, but what does this have to do with guns?


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

desertman said:


> I don't know, but what does this have to do with guns?


It's in the Off-Topic, General Discussion area.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

desertman said:


> I don't know, but what does this have to do with guns?


Another way to get lead poisoning besides getting shot maybe


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## BigHead (Jul 5, 2015)

Flouride I can live with, if it were fluorine, that would be a different matter. But even then, if the levels were low, I would not get too worried. 
Look at India for the alternative method, and all of the deaths that filthy water causes there. There are dead cows floating downstream, and dead bodies too; not to mention crap. 
So I think we have it pretty good here in America.


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## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

Nothing wrong with the water supply here. Just ask the government.:drinkers:artyman:


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

tony pasley said:


> Another way to get lead poisoning besides getting shot maybe


Now that explains everything. Thanks Tony!


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

About twenty-five years ago, a Democrat mayor somehow got the city commission to agree on one of the most expensive fresh water treatment facilities in the nation. This was not for sewage treatment but for fresh water. Most of us thought it was a colossal waste of tax payer money. She sold it on the grounds tourists would hate our sulfur tasting water we'd all grew up with and couldn't tell. The new system had all kinds of new innovations including the adding in of natural minerals to give it a "Rocky Mountain" flavor according to the manufacturer. The filtration was supposedly better than any in-home system then available and supposedly good against anthrax terror attack. This was all the mantra of the incumbent Democrats and the Contractor. We weren't at all sure it was true. It was very expensive. 

Today, city residents brag on our water. It is that good and considered safe, as well. I'm in the county but our little political subdivision voted to hook up to Orlando water and I'm happy to pay the extra dollar or so per month. It's easily as good as any bottled water and when I go to a restaurant which is in an area not hooked up, you can really tell the difference. I'm totally sold. The cost is just a tiny bit more for me because my sewage is a septic tank and my irrigation is a well and a rain barrel. There are still a few out there who are constant complainer types who refuse to admit our water is better than bottled water.

Drive a quarter mile up the road to the Cracker Barrel then take a sip of the water they bring to the table, trying not to toss your cookies. Then go back to my house and take a sip of tap water and see. :smt1099

The point is, they can do it. People just have to be willing to pay.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

I'm not a real big fan of drinking water. So, unless it's quite good, I don't drink it out of the tap. 

My parents lived in Spokane, WA. They lived on the north-side and were served by the Whitworth Water District. Best damn water I've ever tasted coming out of a tap. No smell, weird taste or after-taste. 

And from what I recall, their water bill was no higher than anyone else's. They also had unusually high water pressure. You could wash your car on the driveway and it felt as if you were at a self-serve, coin operated car wash. Pressure was so high, that a few years ago, I installed a water pressure reduction valve to lower the pressure to about 40 psi from about 85 psi. 

Their water district had a reputation for having some of the best quality water in the whole state.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Yeah. I'm spoiled too.
I grew up on New York City water, from the Ashokan Reservoir, and it was then considered the best-tasting city water in the US, if not the world.
Los Angeles water was a terrible shock, and, as soon as I could afford it, I went to bottled water.
Now we live on a water system fed by an underground river that's loaded with manganese. But our one drinking-water filter system gives us good, old-fashion, New York City water again.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

Our refrigerator, which is not all that old, has a screw in charcoal filter that does a miraculous job of delivering some of the best tasting water I have ever had. Better than any of the yuppy water I've tried. I just replace the filter when it tells me to do this, which works out to every six months, and enjoy the best water I've had. Of course, this filter also treats the water which makes it into the icemaker as well.


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## boatdoc173 (Mar 15, 2014)

you would be hard pressed to find any water inthis country that doe snot have chemicals galore

in my area, we had a maste r plumber install huge water filters for our home. He called the local water company to find out what chemicals they were using. Turns out MANY and they change depending on the weather( amount of rain) and who know what other reasons they have for poisoning us--SCARY


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

boatdoc173 said:


> you would be hard pressed to find any water inthis country that *doe snot* have chemicals galore...[emphasis added]


No wonder you need to filter your water! :anim_lol:


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Ewww......snot in water? :smt104


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## BZimm (Feb 29, 2016)

I'm recalling how many times I've begun typing on this thread and decided against it.

After 41 years in the municipal and industrial water production/distribution industry...I have to say, you guys are fun to watch... :smt1099


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Aha!
So it's *YOU* who's putting all that stuff into our water supply! :box:

:goofy:


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## BZimm (Feb 29, 2016)

Yup, and I got real good at it too. :watching:


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Not sure if anything has changed since the mid 1970's, but when I was stationed in Europe, you had to be real careful where you drank the water. It was that bad. 

Even in restaurants, you weren't given water with your meal, unless you asked for it. Some places even charged a nominal fee for it.


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## glentlor (Mar 21, 2021)

I would recommend iSpring WGB21B to anyone, we are completely satisfied with this whole house water filter. Easy to install and easy since having this unit our water is significantly improved, delicious and much cleaner; no more strange smells and tastes.


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