Environmental Working Group Asks, "What's In Your Water?"

The New York Times has been running a series of articles over the past several months titled “Toxic Waters,” which paints a frightening picture of “worsening pollution in American waters and regulators’ responses.”

Articles have focused on how sewage, power plants, agricultural runoff, industrial waste and herbicides affect our water supply.

A great resource to help us learn more about what is in our water is the Environmental Working Group’s National Drinking Water Database. Test results from water utilities throughout the country (47,667 to be exact) are available; simply enter your zip code, identify your water company and see what’s in your water.

According to the EWG, “testing by water utilities has found 316 pollutants in the tap water Americans drink . . . More than half of the chemicals detected are not subject to health or safety regulations and can legally be present in any amount.”

After you’ve had the bejesus scared out of you, visit the site’s water filter buying guide, which will help you “pick a filter that will reduce your exposure to those chemicals.”