• Is it safe to drink water directly from a garden hose?
• Do you fluoridate your water?
• Have you experienced cloudy water in your home or business during the winter? Water, that when run into a glass or container seems cloudy and then clears from the bottom up in a short time?
• Is bottled water as safe as tap water?

Is it safe to drink water directly from a garden hose?

No. A standard vinyl garden hose has substances in it to keep the hose flexible. These chemicals, which get into the water as it goes through the hose, are not good for you. They are not good for animals or pets, either, so filling drinking containers for them out of a garden hose is not a good idea unless the water is allowed to run a while to flush the hose before using the water.

Do you fluoridate your water?

Fluoridation of the public water supply is one of the most popular water quality questions we receive from our customers. There are many schools of thought regarding this matter with scientists, medical professionals, legal experts, and politicians on the bandwagon proclaiming either the virtues or the imminent dangers of water fluoridation. With so much contradictory information and rhetoric being touted by all sides, the fluoride agenda has become one of our nation’s most controversial health and water supply issues.

Levels of natural fluoride are usually non-detectable or at trace levels in the water supplies of this area. The North Wales Water Authority does not, nor has immediate plans to fluoridate the water we distribute to our customers. We are neither scientists nor medical experts and make this decision based solely on our experience as water professionals. With this in mind, listed below are some of the reasons that we do not fluoridate our water:

• Of all the water produced and distributed by the Authority, less than 3% is actually consumed. Most residential water is flushed down toilets, used for showers and baths, for cleaning purposes, in washing machines and dishwashers, watering lawns and gardens, fire protection, or a myriad of other non-consumable uses. However, cost would need to be incurred to fluoridate the entire water supply because we have little control as to how and where the water is used.
• It is impossible to consistently supply any medication through the drinking water system because the effect is proportional to the quantity consumed in relation to the size, weight and condition of the individual. Besides, people are unique in their sensitivities and their reactions may vary.
• Many consumers simply object philosophically to any type of government mandated mass medication of the public through the drinking water system.
• Once used in insecticides and rodenticides, fluoride is the only toxic element added to finished drinking water for medicinal purposes. Even the proponents of fluoridation admit the relatively narrow range between the therapeutic dental dose and the onset of toxicity. Fluoride appears on the EPA’s Primary Standards List of Contaminants as toxic in dosages of 6 milligrams per liter (mg/L) and above, Secondary Standards List of Contaminants as a health hazard in dosages between 2 and 6 mg/L, and as medicinal in dosages of up to 2 mg/L.  (1 milligram per liter is equivalent to 1 part per million, or 1 penny in $10,000.00).
• The most common additive used in the water fluoridation process, Hydrofluorosilicic acid, is a waste product of the phosphate fertilizer industry. It is becoming extremely difficult to obtain as many manufacturing facilities have closed or relocated overseas due to increasingly stringent regulations and safety concerns. This hazardous compound is extremely toxic and costly to transport and store. It is also corrosive to equipment and poses health-related dangers to operating personnel.
• Inferior industrial-grade fluoride additives that have made their way into the drinking water sector as a cheap alternative have been found to be laced with mercury, arsenic and lead which are all toxic and included in the EPA’s Primary Contaminants List.
• The equipment necessary to add fluoride to the water supply and regulate the dosage to these strict parameters is very costly and each individual entry point would need to be outfitted.
• Many water users such as electronics manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and food processors cannot tolerate fluoride in their process water. Removing it from the water is very difficult and extremely costly because the fluoride molecule is very small.
• Fluoride remains in food and beverages that are processed with fluoridated water. Fluoride from all sources can accumulate in the body and exceed levels that can initiate adverse health effects in humans.
• People who are ‘immune deficient,’ undergoing chemotherapy, dialysis or are experiencing various other health problems cannot consume fluoridated water.
• Pediatricians and dentists can prescribe fluoride treatment for children. Both liquid and tablet forms are available depending on the age, weight, and dosage requirements. Fluoride prescriptions are of minimal cost and assure each child proper dosage.
• Last and not least is that fluoride at moderately low levels may be linked to skeletal fluorosis and contribute to the onset of osteoporosis. With the aging of the population as a whole, fluoridation of the public water supply may seem counterproductive by some consumers.

Although 4 out of 5 dentists may recommend it, a half-century after its introduction in the United States the debate over whether or not to fluoridate the public water supply remains as pleasant an experience as having a root canal performed. There are still many unanswered questions regarding the fluoridation issue and the volatile mixture of ‘science and scare’ tactics that are being used by both sides to promote this issue are, unfortunately, playing on public sentiment.

The production and delivery of safe potable water at the lowest reasonable cost is the object of greatest priority to the North Wales Water Authority. We are fortunate to have one of the most technically advanced water treatment facilities in the United States and can provide our customers with an abundant supply of superior quality water to meet their demands. But, as water quality standards are dramatically on the increase and water purveyors are under constant regulatory scrutiny to upgrade systems and initiate new programs, issues such as fluoride need to be addressed in a cost effective manner that will not compromise the long term health and safety of each and every consumer.

Have you experienced cloudy water in your home or business during the winter? Water, that when run into a glass or container seems cloudy and then clears from the bottom up in a short time?

This system-wide occurrence, which appears throughout the cold weather months, is related to water temperature. Unlike ground water supplies where water temperature remains relatively constant throughout the year, the temperature of the surface water supply fluctuates seasonally with the weather. As the temperature of the water decreases, the capacity of the water to retain dissolved oxygen increases.

At our Forest Park Water Treatment Plant, ozone is used as the primary disinfectant and injected into the raw and finished water as part of the overall treatment process. The colder the water supply entering the plant, the more entrained oxygen remains in the water throughout this process. As the treated water flows through our distribution system, the temperature rises due to the fact that the mains and piping are buried well below the frost line. As this temperature increase occurs the water must release this dissolved oxygen, but cannot because the distribution system is operated under pressure.

As you run your tap and the entrained oxygen dissipates, the water appears cloudy. The important thing for you, our customer, is to know is that this phenomenon is not an indication of compromised quality or distribution system problems but a natural, physical property of water.

Is bottled water as safe as tap water?

For years, the bottled water industry has distanced itself from tap water by making bold claims about the superior quality of their product. It has been the fastest growing commodity in the beverage industry as consumers grow increasingly convinced that bottled water is a better alternative to tap water. But now the boom is in danger of fading as regulators are asked to set and enforce stricter rules on bottled water and bring it inline with public water supply regulations. Now, the bottled water industry is claiming their product is as safe as tap water.

Unlike public water suppliers who are regulated by both federal and state guidelines, bottled water falls into a gray area with little or no requirements. New regulations could create major changes to an industry in which perceived quality is the most important ingredient.  

Nearly 70 percent of the bottled water sold in the United States is exempt from any FDA contamination limits and specific bottled water standards because it is bottled and sold in the same state. Additionally, products described on the ingredient label as water, carbonated water, disinfected water, filtered water, seltzer water, sparkling water, or soda water are not considered bottled water by the FDA and are not covered under the standards.

Price, appearance and advertising have all contributed to bottled water's success and perceived value. According to the Beverage Marketing Group this strategy continues to work. During the past decade national bottled water revenues have tripled to about $4 billion per year. Americans drank an estimated 3.6 billion gallons of the product in 1998 (about 13.3 gallons per person) and sales have been increasing nearly 10 percent annually.

Unlike the bottled water industry, the North Wales Water Authority is a licensed purveyor of public drinking water. We are regulated by the Federal and Pennsylvania Safe Drinking Water Acts which require the routine monitoring and reporting of approximately 90 drinking water contaminants. We are also required to provide these results in an annual water quality report to every consumer that we serve.  As a North Wales Water Authority customer, you are guaranteed that we are delivering the finest drinking water available.