When we think of drinking water, we think of healthy, clean, pure water. But the truth is that rarely do we see that, let alone drink that. The truth is much more startling than you imagine.  Many of the worst polluting states are also the most industrialized.  And even the states with the lowest number of contaminants in their drinking water, still exposed millions of their residents to the effects of nitrates, pharmaceutical drugs, arsenic and lead.  And Massachusetts was no exception. 

From 1998 through 2003, although Masschusetts ranked among states with the least number of violations and the smallest levels of contamination, the statistics were still startling:

* Out of 620 water systems present in MA, 409 had violations of regulations regarding water quality. 

* 130 communities in MA were served water with with contaminants above health-based limits.

* Some of the 17 contaminants found in MA drinking water were chloroform,  nitrates, arsenic and even radium.  Most were the result of industrial pollution.

* The total MA population that was exposed to contaminants above health-based limits was 5,617,520.

Much of eastern Massachusetts receives its drinking water from the Quabbin Reservoir located in western Massachusetts and is overseen by the Mass Water Resources Authority (MWRA). The water from this reservoir is unfiltered as it reaches your tap. Instead, the MWRA chooses to add chemical agents and ozone in order to clean the water and bring up its alkalinity from 6.8 to 9.5 in order to meet federal mandates.

The first step is to use ozone gas to kill pathogens in the water. Then fluoride is added, followed by sodium bicarbonate which acts as a buffering agent to make the water less corrosive to the pipes through which it has to travel, reducing lead contamination common in many older areas of the district. Hundreds of miles of the pipes utilized in the delivery of drinking water are over 50 years old, with some more than 100 years old, many containing lead and will continue to affect drinking water until they can all be replaced, a gradual and expensive process.

Currently the EPA allows 10% of homes tested to have lead levels in their drinking water above federal limits without any action being required. This compensation for lead contamination also raises the pH dramatically and carbon dioxide must be added to reduce the pH to more acceptable drinking levels. Next monochloramine is added as a “mild, long-lasting disinfectant combining chlorine and ammonia to protect the water while it is in the local pipelines.”

Although regular testing is done per EPA guidelines, it is important to know that the EPA allows up to 5% of monthly tests to be positive for coliform bacteria and still be within federal requirements. This is because Federal guidelines permit up to 25% raw sewage can be added to water destined for drinking prior to standard purification methods.  But are these methods enough?

Water disinfection by the MWRA leaves levels of monochloramine, fluoride, nitrates, trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids-5 in the water that reaches your tap. In fact the MWRA states that “the presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.” 

Is this the water you want your children to be drinking?