In your mailbox over the past couple of months or even in recent days, there was something you should have paid attention to other than your bills: your water quality report. Every year, most of us get them in the mail. That is, except for some who live in multifamily units such as apartments or condominiums (whoever pays the water bill for those units get the report). Even so, everyone should take a look at it.
Federal law requires public water suppliers to mail out the report annually by July 1 so consumers can know what they're drinking.
The reality is, most of us would probably throw it away without realizing what it is. And even if we recognized the report, it looks all too complicated to pay it any mind.
Well, NSF International, a nonprofit public health and safety company, wants to help us decipher all the technical mumbo jumbo.
You might ask: Isn't our water safe? Why should I care?
Some details in the report could prove helpful.
For example, if you are allergic to arsenic, knowing that arsenic is present in your water could help you in deciding about a water-treatment system for your home.
"My recommendation to consumers is to take a look at the water quality report before buying treatment systems. Otherwise, we might not know if there's a small amount of arsenic," said Cheryl Luptowski, consumer affairs officer at NSF.
"Public water supplies are required to look for specific contaminants," Luptowski said. "Most of the contaminants present in the water don't have taste to them."
In addition to the water quality results, the report includes a telephone number to the local water utility, which consumers can call with questions about the water supply.
The report also includes contact information for the Environmental Protection Agency's safe drinking water hotline, which can answer general questions about regulation of public drinking water.
"There's a lot of good information in these reports," Luptowski said. "Unfortunately, a lot of people don't take a look at their reports."
Here's the Edge
• Contact the utility that supplies your water to get a copy of your public water quality report.
• To understand how to read your water quality report, visit NSF International's Web site, http://www.nsf.org/consumer/drinking_water/dw_quality.asp?program-WaterTre.
• Call the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday toll-free at 1-800-426-4791 to ask questions or submit comments about local drinking water quality.
Ivan Penn can reached at ipenn@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2332.
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