Today as I was changing a filter for one of my customers in Concord, MA, she asked me what we know about the water in her town. I told her that yes, there was lots of chlorine in the water, reason enough to use a Multipure Filter. Then I added: “What we know is just the tip of the iceberg.” What did I mean by that?
This metaphor is a way of saying that most of the potential contaminants in water are like the bulk of the iceberg: hidden from view, hidden from scrutiny, hidden from even the most conscientious testing.
In this modern world, we live in a virtual sea of chemicals. Tens of thousands of chemical compounds circulate in our air, in the soil, in the oceans, rivers, lakes and streams. These are the byproducts of industrial living. Rachel Carson taught us of the ways that carcinogenic chemicals like DDT persist in the environment and bio-accumulate even years after it was banned. More chemicals are introduced each year and our knowledge of the health consequences always lags far behind.
The EPA requires that municipalities test for approximately 100 out of those tens of thousands of chemicals. But what about the rest? What about the vast portion of the iceberg below the surface? Who is testing for drugs and pharmaceuticals in our water? Every year there are new emerging contaminants of concern. Since most of these compounds are tasteless, colorless and odourless, how can we know? How can the underfunded water utilities possibly test for all of them?
And if nobody really knows about the iceberg below, how can we protect ourselves? There are two and only two answers to that question:
1. Advocate for and support higher testing standards for your municipality. That means electing enlightened policy-makers, supporting green awareness, pushing the EPA to demand more testing, and voting to fund all those projects.
2. Ultimately, each family unit should purchase and install a Multipure Drinking Water System at the point-of-use. It is the most highly-effective, NSF certified and tested system on the market and offers the greatest potential for reducing the greatest number of contaminants.
We’ve used Multipure in our home for 27+ years. Wouldn’t do without it.