The Water Issue

Mom has been obsessing about drinking water since the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve. I'm not sure why she's obsessing about but it's taking up a lot of time, time that should be spent with me.

Our water comes from Lake Michigan via the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency (CLCJAWA). We receive a water quality from our village at the end of each year, in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, and Mom is anxiously awaiting the 2009 report. Did you even know that there was a Safe Drinking Water Act? It is the main federal law that ensures the quality of Americans' drinking water. The EPA sets standards for drinking water quality and oversees the states and water suppliers who implement the standards.

I think Mom is obsessing about water because of the report that came out a couple of months ago that listed the quality of water in big cities around the country. Surprisingly, Chicago did not rate very high on the list (meaning Chicago's water isn't that great) and Austin, TX had the best water in the U.S. Since our water comes from the same source as Chicago, Mom got to thinking that maybe our water isn't all that great either. Enter the water quality report.

First some background info. Lake Michigan is a surface water source and is susceptible to all kinds of contaminants. Anyone could potentially dump anything they want into the lake, though dumping is illegal. There is no way to guard the shores of the lake from individuals' contaminating it. Businesses are subject to laws regarding what they can and cannot dump, and hopefully they abide by these regulations. Fines are stiff for breaking these laws, however some businesses are never caught.

Even though water is the most common substance found on Earth, only 1% is available as drinking water and of that 1%, 20% of it is located in the Great Lakes. We are very lucky to live close to such a great water source and we never take this for granted.

Our water is constantly monitored by our village, the Illinois EPA, the CLCJAWA lab, as well as independent labs throughout the county. It is even checked for water clarity every 10 seconds! The US EPA sets limits for contaminant levels in water and it is the job (and responsibility) of the agencies responsible for our water to make sure that contaminants levels are below the set limits. Contaminants come from everywhere - farms, acid rain, animals, and even medicine that is flushed down the toilet (this is a big no-no!).

The water purification process that CLCJAWA employs is pretty complex and unique, but for some reason Mom is still unsure about the safety of it. Mom has been drinking this water since she moved here 13 years ago and before that she drank good old Chicago water. She doesn't have any contaminants in her (that she's aware of) yet she insists we have our water tested to ensure it is the best it can be.

Mom is now on the hunt for a water testing kit. She is also (though prematurely) on the hunt for a water purification system. With all the buzz around Brita pitchers you'd think they would be a good choice but they're really not. They only remove chlorine and lead leaving all the other contaminants in the water and in you. Hmmm. The Brita faucet filter is a better choice but it doesn't remove everything. There are some water filters on the market that remove 99% of most contaminants but Mom worries about the filters themselves. Why you ask? Because only recently has Brita committed to a recycling program for their used filters and Mom wonders if other companies have similar programs (Brita filters are recycled via Preserve). Mom cannot imagine putting more unnecessary trash in landfills.

Reverse osmosis is another option but according to the research Mom has done thus far, this process only removes chemicals, not contaminants. People using this option over long periods of time have been shown to have chemical deficiencies, primarily calcium and magnesium. This process also doesn't ensure the purity of the water.

What's a pug to do with a crazy water obsessed mom? I see it this way. My only option at this point is to smile and support Mom as she goes about the water testing process. If she finds our water to be subpar (translation: not fit for pugs), I will stand by her as she spends hours upon hours researching the best water filtration process for our house. At least she can do her research in the comfort of home, on the sofa or bed with me by her side.