Clean Water, Happy Body: The Importance of Water Filtration

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importance of water filtration

An Overview of of the Water in Portland Oregon and A Brief Look at Federal Drinking Water Standards

Did you know that there are acceptable levels of poisons allowed in our drinking water? Or that there are contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals and fuel additives that our water is not tested for? These are just a couple of reasons highlighting the importance of water filtration.

I had always assumed that our water was safe. I mean water is life. It is our most basic necessity for survival. In order to convey why we need water filtration of some sort I will share my journey of understanding water quality.

The water in the city I live in originates from a lovely place called the Bull Run Watershed in the Cascade Range. I assumed it was healthy and when I had moved to a home without a built in water filter I drank water straight from the tap, unfiltered.

Source: Portland.gov

As a health educator and trainer, I am always working on my own fitness plan. And find that maintaining hydration can still be a challenge. I was pleased to be reaching my hydration goals by drinking more water. However I found I was not feeling so well.  

I also noticed an unpleasant taste in the water. It was a combination of chlorine and something I am not quite sure how to describe.

I Hope that this Overview Helps You Understand Your Water Better and the Importance of Water Filtration

I began to feel reluctant to drink the tap water, even when I was thirsty. My body seemed to be trying to tell me something. And I always try to pay attention to what my body is saying. So I went online and found the water quality report (Portland Water Report).

This began a string of research into our drinking water. And has had a big impact on my approach to reaching my hydration goals. And the information I share with clients.

I would like to share this with you. I hope that by giving you an overview of the water in my city and federal laws. And that it helps you understand the water in your community better.

Let’s take a look at the water report for Portland. To find your own water report you can do an internet search. Search “the name of your community” water quality report.

When analyzing your own communities water consider asking yourself. Where does the water come from, (the water source)? What is added to the water? What is the water quality monitoring process? Is it filtered? What is the PH level? What contaminants have been found?

Here are some key findings from the Portland Water Quality Report:

  • Water Source: The water supply originates from two sources. One is the Bull Run watershed in the Cascade Range and the other is the Columbia South Shore Well Field, near the Portland International Airport.
  • Additives: Chlorine is added to combat microorganisms like bacteria and viruses. Ammonia is introduced by treatment operators to create a more enduring disinfectant. Sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide are added to minimize metal corrosion.
  • Water Quality Monitoring: The Portland Water Bureau conducts regular monitoring for over 200 regulated and unregulated contaminants in the drinking water.
  • Is it filtered? The water does not undergo filtration.
    • Due to ongoing low-level Cryptosporidium findings in Bull Run water since 2017, Portland is setting up a filtration plant for Cryptosporidium treatment. The filtration process of Bull Run water is expected to be finished by 2027.
  • PH Level. The pH level of Portland’s drinking water typically falls between 8.0 and 9.0.
  • The contamination report is from a year ago and not a current snapshot of the water quality.
  • Lead. Lead traces in the drinking water mainly stem from service lines and household plumbing materials.
  • Contaminants found. Some of the identified contaminants include lead, copper, arsenic, barium, fluoride, manganese, fecal coliform bacteria, Giardia, haloacetic acids, total trihalomethanes, nitrate, nitrite, radon, and sodium.

Let’s take a closer look at some of this information.


To briefly note: coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation are steps in water treatment that aid in eliminating impurities and particles from water, making it safer for consumption. Here is a link to learn more about these processes (Link).


In this article, I mainly focus on disinfection and touch briefly on filtration in the context of public water treatment.

According to the CDC (source) water treatment at public water systems often uses a series of water steps that include coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection. Many of the reports I have read simply say treatment.

The Source of Water

I was surprised to learn that we actually get our water from two sources. The Bull Run Watershed and from The Columbia South Shore Well Field. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is always good to have more than one source of water. Portland shifts to the well system when there are drought conditions or turbidity events, like when there is a landslide, affecting Bull Run. This way we still have access to water.

I decided to explore the water sources of two other water systems. One of the systems was a water district in the Sacramento area, which draws water from Folsom Lake and local wells. Additionally, I looked at the water sources for New York City; where they rely on three surface sources for their water supply. The Croton Watershed east of the Hudson River and the combined Catskill and Delaware watershed system.

Additives to Water

When referring to additives in drinking water it is part of what they call water treatment. Thus the name water treatment plant. When reading a water quality report they may simply say the water is treated. You may have to dig deeper to find out how it is treated.

Nearly all water systems use chlorine. It is added to combat microorganisms like bacteria and viruses. Chlorine has been used for over a hundred years in water systems. Chlorine added to our water does not hurt us right away. However, over time it can. Chlorine is an easy thing to deal with if you have a filter.

Ammonia is introduced by treatment operators to create a more enduring disinfectant. Ammonia is a chemical compound made of hydrogen and nitrogen. Municipal water systems have been using ammonia as a drinking water treatment for over 70 years. It boosts and prolongs the disinfectant effects of chlorine.

When chlorine and ammonia are both added to drinking water, they react with each other to form chloramine. Most often, some part of the ammonia does not combine with the chlorine and remains in the water as free ammonia.

Sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide are added to minimize metal corrosion. They both increase the PH of water making it more basic. By reducing alkalinity it makes the water less corrosive. This is important so that it does not leach metals and other chemicals off the pipes the water runs through in the water system.

Sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide are introduced to minimize metal corrosion by raising the pH of the water, making it more alkaline. This adjustment decreases the water’s corrosiveness. It is crucial to prevent the leaching of metals and other chemicals from the pipes in the water system, a common source of lead contamination.

Water Quality Monitoring

In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets the drinking water standards and regulations. This is based on the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) passed in 1974. These rules apply to public water systems, not private wells or small community systems. Please be aware the EPA does not monitor bottled water this is done by the American Food and Drug Administration (source).

Public water systems must publish a Consumer Confidence report each year. This report contains information about local drinking water quality: including, the water’s source, contaminants found in the water, and how consumers can help protect their drinking water.

Contaminants

The EPA requires monitoring for just over 90 contaminant levels. Here is a link to a list of regulated contaminants (Link to List). Under the SDWA, EPA sets the standards for drinking water quality and monitors states, local authorities, and water suppliers who enforce those standards. There is actually an Office of Water in Washington D.C. it is part of the EPA.

In Portland they monitor for over 200 contaminants in our water which is beyond the requirements. In Sacramento they test for “over 100 contaminants”. I could not find a specific number of contaminants ofr New Yprk City. They simple said they take thousands of samples a year.

Remember, there are acceptable levels of contaminants in our drinking water. This is because of a few reasons. One is, there is typically not a filtration process that removes all contaminants. If there is a filtration process at all. Since many water systems have no filtration.

Also, contaminants enter the water when going through the pipe system, after treatment. Another aspect to consider some contaminants are not found in the water source. Because they DO NOT TEST for all contaminants in our water.

For instance, my City will be adding a filtration process. We currently do not have one. As I said earlier Portland will be filtering water in the next few years. The water treatment plant is currently under construction.

Unregulated Contaminants

When it comes to unregulated substances, the absence of regulations means there is no oversight or treatment. For instance, PFAS (referred to as forever chemicals) found in numerous water sources through independent testing, lack a standard monitoring protocol at present. While monitoring standards are being developed, these chemicals could be present in our water supply. They are likely in the water we drink and bath in them.

In New York City, the water system is unfiltered, whereas in Sacramento, the water is filtered. Although I was not able to find the exact process of filtration, without a lot of digging (let me know if you do).

For instance, the EPA has not determined whether standards are necessary for pharmaceuticals in drinking water. These include prescription, over-the-the counter, and veterinary medications. These can enter water systems after use by humans or domestic animals and have been measured at very low levels in drinking water sources. Another significant source of pharmaceuticals in water is concentrated animal feeding operations that treat livestock with hormones and antibiotics.

When it comes to chemicals in our water, it’s common to hear that you’d need to consume a million gallons for it to reach a toxic level. However, considering the accumulation of all the small doses of chemicals our bodies encounter, I prefer to minimize exposure as much as I can.

There have been cases where communities faced serious health issues due to unmonitored chemicals in their public drinking water. This highlights the importance of recognizing potential risks and implementing essential measures to safeguard ourselves and our environment.

Significant Water Contamination Incidents

Some well-publicized incidents of water contamination include hexavalent chromium in the Hinkley water supply. Highlighted in the movie Erin Brockovich (Learn about the Hinkley Water Contamination). And the water crisis in Flint Michigan (Learn about the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis). And the contamination of Hoosick Falls, New York’s (Learn about Hoosick Falls Water Contamination) water supply with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Not to mention the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that dumped dangerous chemicals in their water source (Learn More Here).

These instances highlight the importance of being mindful of the source of our drinking water. In these scenarios, water mismanagement led to people’s concerns about its impact being dismissed. Be sure to click on the links above to delve deeper into each of these water contamination events.

Here are some key take aways:

  • Water naturally contains impurities sourced from the environment or from potentially toxic substances that have entered our water source.
  • While my water system in Portland still needs filtration before consumption, it is generally good.
  • Managing a community’s water is a significant responsibility with numerous factors to consider.
  • Portland exceeds the required number of contaminant checks.
  • The chemicals used to process our water may not be ideal to drink over time.
  • Meeting current regulatory water quality standards does not guarantee protection against dangerous contaminant levels.

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