What Is Lurking In U.S. Tap Water?

The U.S. ranks only 23rd in the world for safe drinking water, which is near the bottom of comparable nations. There are issues with both what is in tap water and how it is transported. Toxins like PFAS, arsenic and lead pollute some drinking water. The EPA just passed a rule regulating PFAS, but some estimates claim it will cost at least $47 billion to comply. Watch the video to find out how safe tap water is in the US, how to protect yourself and how investments can clean up US water.
1:44 Chapter 1 - Water distribution
4:52 Chapter 2 - Contaminants
7:58 Chapter 3 - Toxins
10:34 Chapter 4 - Filtering the water
Produced and Edited by: Lindsey Jacobson
Animation: Jason Reginato, Mallory Brangan
Additional Camera by: Mark Licea, Andrea Miller
Additional Footage: Getty Images, American Water
Additional Sources: Environmental Protection Agency, Yale University, Environmental Defense Fund
» Subscribe to CNBC: cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC
» Subscribe to CNBC TV: cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision
About CNBC: From 'Wall Street' to 'Main Street' to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more.
Connect with CNBC News Online
Get the latest news: www.cnbc.com/
Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Facebook: cnb.cx/LikeCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Twitter: cnb.cx/FollowCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Instagram: cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC
#cnbc
What Is Lurking In U.S. Tap Water?

[@justayoutuber1906]

Thank you DuPont and 3M for giving us PFAS in our drinking water.

[@ldIezz]

We need to make them pay for the $50 billion dollar bill and we need a chemical control act or something that ensures harsh or exotic chemicals are properly contained, the fact this or something similar wasn't talked about after east Palestine was shocking like c'mon at least upgrade the rail lines and cars transporting the harsh chemicals.

[@joeyrinard6997]

First a citizen has to file or press charges for this

[@ChessMasterNate]

@@joeyrinard6997 You can get people active for a time, but they will soon forget. The companies stick around and contribute to political campaigns. We have to stop companies from having a political voice. Companies are not people. They are not voters, and their interests are often contrary to ours. The Supreme court has made some terrible decisions in this area. Corporations are, by design, sociopathic. But we need them. So they must be regulated effectively to protect the public interests.

[@Nat-ster]

​@ldIezz unfortunately they could manipulate passing a bill that 'sounds' good but that won't do anything. It's all being done on purpose and intentionally to make people sick

[@feliciahardy9723]

​@@ChessMasterNateBest intelligent comment that's 100% true!

[@AwokenEntertainment]

it's scary how unpredictable our water can be living here in the United States..

[@markgallagher5908]

Thats what happens when business has too much control over the regulators that are supposed to monitor them, making corporate donations illegal would help otherwise politicians will continue to chase the money to the detriment of the environment, the country and the people that they're elected to serve.

[@hectorr6299]

The most common chemicals found in tap water after treatment when it is tested is fluoride, chlorine, nitrates, pesticides, and salts of mercury, arsenic, and lead. This is equally as disturbing.

[@toastranger72]

A guy I worked with brought in a water report from a very nice city in NJ. It was above the legal limit on about 13 chemicals, including chromium. It said "Waiver" next to each of them. That waiver should keep you healthy, right?

[@lilaclizard4504]

yup, that's why life expectancy in the US is declining - the only major country (other than those at war) in the world where that is the case!

[@Fido-vm9zi]

Just think of all the "stuff" not tested for!

[@supertrucker99]

I'm on my I own well.... We use 5 way filter system. Grow up or get a helmet

[@toastranger72]

@@supertrucker99 Uh, yea... Wow. Thanks for that. I can certainly see why you put the super in trucker.

[@lilaclizard4504]

@@toastranger72 but can you figure out why he put the "i" between "my" & "own", cause I can't. Seems like maybe the filters haven't worked lol

[@r22gamer54]

Im a high schooler studying PFAS in my cities municipal water wells, I discovered that granulated carbon is the best and cheapest way to solve for PFAS as many systems already use it to remove other chemicals. Right now Im in the process of testing water, and it is surprising how many regulations i had to follow when collecting water. The air might have pfas so i had to open the bottle cap very very fast and close it very fast. I couldnt shower, I couldnt eat breakfast, and so many other crazy things cause EVERYTHING has pfas.

[@richardbrown4486]

Good For You...any recommendations for residential water filtering ?

[@r22gamer54]

@@richardbrown4486 A reverse osmosis system works great, I have one in my house. Reverse osmosis removes pfas and other contaminants and is worth it in the long term, to operate all you have to do is fill the machine with salt crystals that you can buy in many stores for cheap like $5 per bag and you need like 1 for each month depending on your filter.

[@Agent-ie3uv]

You seems creating your own ghost 👻 stay living in (irrational ?) fear lol

[@r22gamer54]

@@Agent-ie3uv what is bro saying lol 💀

[@beemo9]

Carbon filters for home use vary widely in quality, any many are poor. The better ones tend to have a slow flow rate, since there's more carbon and the pieces are smaller.

[@thomas_jay]

German here. We have a very good public water supply and sewage disposal in place. If you need development aid, contact our government, please.

[@GungaLaGunga]

I was a home inspector 30 years ago. I can't believe they haven't finished replacing all the lead in the system yet. 2032???!!! Too late. Tragic.

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Pump sewage importance of safety

[@miles5600]

@@NazriBwhat lies?

[@HUMANOID6969]

Too busy spending money on wars

[@drakesanders5271]

I was having migraines from the tap water in Louisiana. I switched to bottled water and improved my health I told my doctor and she said I was wrong but an allergy specialist said it was bacteria in the tap water causing my migraines.

[@lilaclizard4504]

There's a lot more likely culprits than bacteria in causing migraines! Bacteria cause gastro issues, migraines are generally from chemicals

[@thedeadman3848]

What part of Louisiana?

[@drakesanders5271]

@@thedeadman3848 New Orleans

[@thedeadman3848]

@@drakesanders5271 I’m in Lafayette and get migraines as well. I’ll try switching to botted to see if it helps, Thanks 😉

[@Wakereu]

It's chlorine a d fluoride in the water. That's what you're allergic to but also there could be localised leaching minerals that are not controlled by EPA

[@gorillabang79]

Better question would be 'what is not lurking in our drinking water? '

[@Jashan77114]

My annual hike

[@anuragchakraborty8766]

A living wage?

[@nosh62]

Walter White

[@AMITKUMAR-nf8in]

At 11:55, it is reasonable to assert that those accountable for contamination or pollution should be held responsible for the environmental damage and the decline in people's health. However, both product-oriented and service-oriented companies tend to raise the prices of their products and services to cover the costs associated with their environmental responsibilities. Consequently, whether consumers choose personal water filters or not, both groups find themselves shouldering the burden of these increased costs. Individuals are compelled to purchase these products and services at inflated prices, with businesses consistently transferring the environmental costs to consumers whenever they sell their services or products. *Moral of the story:* Businesses often prioritize their balance sheets and profits, overlooking the well-being of individuals in the process.

[@Sacto1654]

This is why I have a Brita water dispenser in my refrigerator. You'll be shocked at how much dissolved minerals there are in water, and the water filtered through the dispenser tastes quite different than straight tap water.

[@billstreet5043]

britas do nothing actually

[@rippleffect360msn]

Fyi, Brita has been sued due to filtering almost nothing. Google brita vs reverse osmosis.

[@Favorite-catNip]

Phoenix AZ Suburbs. We moved Like 3 miles. The water tastes great. This past summer, major road reconstruction, tore absolutely everything up. Traffic nightmare. The H20 Now** tastes like crap ???

[@iseeflowers]

I have stomach issue drinking Brita filtered water. Not sure why.

[@dixonpinfold2582]

The best, cleanest and most healthful water contains considerable dissolved minerals. The human body expects and needs them. The most expensive and best tasting (glass-) bottled water is called mineral water, and it's for a reason. It's no doubt good to filter out many things from water, but not the minerals.

[@kenmore01]

This is why I drink beer. No other reason.

[@Adila10]

Beer still requires water to brew.

[@oliviao2238]

Beer is usually filtered often; however, there are other answers than drinking beer. I am just putting that out there @@Adila10

[@rickstevenson9585]

The brewers are using the same water to make the beer that’s going to peoples taps. No difference.

[@m.k662]

Reinheitsgebot

[@GungaLaGunga]

Wasn't this why beer and distilling were invented in the first place. To sterilize and store drinking water safely. Not all these toxins now though. We are screwed.

[@sergey4162]

Me and my family have been using reverse osmosis filter for a decade already. Not only for drinking and cooking, but also for steam ironing, air humidifiers, dryer machine with steam. Also all my relatives have bought such filters. No problem so far except for the water tank life, the rarely make it for more than 1-2 years.

[@sootuckchoong7077]

I have been using just normal water filter for nearly 40 years. Most important is, filtered also need to boil it to be totally safe.

[@sergey4162]

@@sootuckchoong7077 , water from an osmosis filter doesn’t require boiling. Well, of course, you have to regularly use the system to keep the filter and the water tank fresh and clean. And I’ve already forgotten what the kettle scale is, all my kettles and jars have no scale at all.

[@DavidJohnson-dc8lu]

My best buy ever is a domestic water distiller, pure fresh water everyday. You have to fill it with tap water and it steams around 4 liters of water in 4 hours, usually do it overnight, but the state of the distiller were the tap water goes highlights how dirty tap water really is. You can use distiled water for so many other things too.

[@NickDrinksWater]

I don't even need to distill tap water to see how gross it is, I just pour it into a regular clear glass cup or bottle of some sort, shake it up a little bit and it barely looks clear at all. Sometimes I don't even like showering or brushing my teeth using tap water.

[@josuesepulveda6319]

How do you remove the chemicals out of the distilled water?

[@TheValiantZero]

You want purified water, not distilled water. Distilled water both lacks mineral nutrients, AND leeches a small amount of nutrients from your body. Try out a reverse osmosis filter if your distiller breaks

[@DavidJohnson-dc8lu]

@@TheValiantZero Been drinking distilled water for 2-3 years now, and never felt so much better (headaches that blighted me from my teenage yes gone). Get minerals from my foods and you can also add trace minerals if your body is giving you lack signs. You can even leave the water to soak in a copper cup, and then add mint leaves and lemon juice. As of now I am more or less a very clean eater and my food is homemade. I don't drink sodas, sugar fake drinks, coffee, or hot chocolate. Its just water, a herbal tea and very rarely freshly squeezed juice. In a day an age where there is so much toxins with pesticides and BPAa plastics in everything especially water, we really need distilled water to flush it all out. It is also said distilled water is good for the Pineal Gland. Harden Pineal gland is linked to a lot of brain disorders like dementia and parkinsons.

[@Robbedem]

Don't put distilled water in a copper cup if you are going to drink from it. Distilled water is more reactive and will dissolve some of the copper of the cup to regain minerals. Copper, just like lead is toxic. You can add trace minerals back to the distilled water (so it's not distilled water anymore) and then use a copper cup.@@DavidJohnson-dc8lu

[@marchlopez9934]

Water contamination is a growing concern in the US, with contaminants such as arsenic, lead, and PFAS present in many people's water. There are issues with the aging water infrastructure in the country, as evidenced by the fact that a water main breaks every two minutes. Filtering drinking water is becoming increasingly necessary in urban areas, with the water filtration market for homes expected to grow 10.5% from 2022 to 2030 globally. The number one reason consumers start thinking about filtration is the taste of their tap water. The EPA is planning to finalize a rule by the beginning of 2024 requiring facilities to report on PFAS concentrations in tap water, which is expected to cost $47 billion in infrastructure investments across the US to treat for PFAS at four parts per trillion, with an ongoing cost of $700 million a year. The US ranks 23rd in the world for safe drinking water, with Hawaii, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Massachusetts having the best drinking water quality, while Alabama, Maryland, New Mexico, Texas, and Pennsylvania have the worst. Congress needs to invest $1 trillion over the next 25 years to make the necessary investments in water systems across the US, with many small water systems struggling to raise revenue to reinvest. The US needs at least $630 billion to keep its systems up, not counting investments needed for lead and PFAS. Treated water in the US is regulated by the EPA under authority from the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, with 93% of Americans receiving their drinking water from a community water system that is completely in compliance with all health-based standards, all the time.

[@SteelWolf13]

I think that about sums up the video.

[@markgallagher5908]

There is a lot to be said for the government to provide utilities like water, electricity and public transport. For some reason the public is averse to the government providing these services, corporations exist to make money so the services they provide will come with more expensive bills than the government would charge but that probably sounds too communist to many.

[@DMBlade4]

Yea...that was all in the video. Your comment added nothing

[@skyscraperfan]

In Germany we say "If you run out of water, drink beer instead!"

[@David_-mv6ed]

Jawohl!

[@prashant6837]

only a drunk would know that beer doesn't require water

[@anuragchakraborty8766]

@@prashant6837What about Indian poverty?

[@22jawky]

Not to mention every single product at restaurants and grocery stores are made and washed with tap water

[@buildfba]

Have been using a gravity water filter for ages now.. and it makes the water taste much better and improved.. been using Euroguard & Berkeys.. helps..

[@CynideCypher]

yall forgot about the atrazine and Floride

[@daveaglasgow]

Coming from Scotland, i have never been anywhere in Europe or north America where the water from the tap tastes so pure. Our water tastes fresh and clean. This i believe is also the reason why people in the uk drink tea, because it tastes much better here than snywhere else. A cup of tea with the same tea tastes much nicer in edinburgh than it does in Winnipeg (even if the Winnipeg water isnt brown)

[@zacklenin]

You should also mention that municipal sewage treatment facilities are also being required to remove PFAS at massive operational expense.

[@GungaLaGunga]

Does rain water still contain PFAS too???

[@patrickjohnson195]

​@@GungaLaGungayea

[@GungaLaGunga]

@@patrickjohnson195 that's a bummer man. "It's a mess ain't it sherrif." If it ain't, it'll do 'till the mess gets here." Sheriff Ed Tom Bell

[@marvinespinoza52]

Good

[@lilaclizard4504]

why does your country not make the companies that put those chemicals there pay for their removal?

[@gircakes2]

Definitely research your local area's tap water quality. It varies a lot from county to county.

[@samanthaprzybylski5526]

Oregons tap water was life changing. It was the only state that i would actively drink the tap water without needing to chill it. It tasted AMAZING. Oregon os absolutely the chefs kiss of tap water and ill die on that hill.

[@0annonymous]

Remember though, chilling WON'T REMOVE toxins. Boiling and filtering WILL.

[@KevinSmith-qi5yn]

Portland will change that soon. Just give them time.

[@00_UU]

Because it comes from the mountains. Every country that has mountain water is amazing

[@doujinflip]

I remember hiking in East Java one time and drinking straight from the stream that was irrigating the rice terraces downhill, and it was probably the most refreshing refilled bottle of water ever.

[@olzt100]

Plastic particles are also in the water.

[@yemail5555]

Just install an RO system. The water can be contaminated during the last mile to your house. Just assume it is contaminated.

[@dustyrabbit9234]

what is an RO system?

[@yemail5555]

@@dustyrabbit9234 reverse osmosis system

[@fleiva30]

Best investment ever when it comes to super clean water

[@DoctorKnox]

THIS COMMENT. I'm a water treatment operator. We produce great water, but the water stays in the system for so long, by the time it gets to the customers is can degrade in quality. The RO systems are expensive, but worth it.

[@paulmaxwell8851]

@@DoctorKnox RO systems are no longer expensive. I think I paid about $300 for mine. The 1 micron sediment filter, replaced twice a year, costs $10. A new membrane, replaced every five years, costs about $80. The water quality is amazing. I've used mine for sixteen years.

[@jhna314]

Fortunately, I live in the Italian Alps. First-class drinking water from the tap.

[@GungaLaGunga]

oh man does it come out the tap nice and cold? Oh I remember cold clean great tasting well water in the White Mountains of Arizona at my uncles cabin. So good, we would bottle it up and take some home with us.

[@CheveraChino]

There's microplastics in the air and clouds now (from what I've read). Pretty sure there is plastic in glacier water now.@@GungaLaGunga

[@JIIKX1]

The U.S. is so spread out from its decades of having way too much single family zoning and car-centric infrastructure. This has increased the amount of infrastructure needed per capita and unsurprisingly, it is falling behind on its infrastructure.

[@efeddwdw9782]

fallen behind on who? The small European counties with a median age of 70. Looking at sats, HDI US is at 17, adjusted to equality, US is 10th. If that was the case eueopen nations like France, Spain and Italy would have clean water that's not contaminated.

[@originaldelta]

The same people complaining are the ones who won't allow high density buildings and rail in their well manicured suburbs.

[@inothome]

Falling behind? It's been well behind for a long time. Just falling further and further.

[@KevinSmith-qi5yn]

It's not that it's too difficult to keep up with. It's that the people who have the power to keep up with infrastructure have no incentive to keep up with infrastructure. Properly maintaining a bridge doesn't win voters. Overpaying for a Football Stadium does. The entirety of my city's water infrastructure could be replaced with the cost they proposed for a new football stadium. On the flip side are the politicians who are paying back their donors with stupidly overpriced bike lanes.

[@milessampson3942]

Hahaha you can’t be serious, blaming the automobile for water quality is a stretch. I swear these anti-car internet warriors are becoming a cult.

[@mightymitochondria6913]

Living in the 1st country in the safe drinking water ranking always seems like such a luxury when going abroad.

[@0annonymous]

It sounds good comma but clean drinking water is absolutely necessary for health and survival

[@TomNook.]

Which one? 10 countries are first.

[@mightymitochondria6913]

@@TomNook. The first one in the list

[@WhyWorldWet]

Plasma Activated Water (PAW) is the future.

[@CadyCadwell]

not every people drinking tap water obviously, they're people drinking bottled mineral water, gallon supply, ozonized water, and mountain water. tap water in dense city is ill advice, for real.

[@teemomain8268]

We pay some of the highest taxes in the world and we don't even have readily available drinking water. US Is such a joke. 🙄

[@Keepskatin]

AmeriKKKa is corrupt and the politicians are wealthy

[@doujinflip]

No the US is quite mid in terms of tax rates. Try Europe to see how much they pay into their government services and gas tanks, and they largely mooch off the global trade routes kept open by the American military. On the other hand, if you want to see what a low-tax weak-state libertarian paradise looks like, look no further than sub-Saharan Africa.

[@dandavatsdasa8345]

Extremely Important! It seems that almost every household will need great water purification at least for drinking water. Some may need purification for bath water. Otherwise, it might be necessary to load up on activated charcoal. How many areas need adequate advancements in salvaging fresh water, purifying fresh water, and storing purified fresh water so that it does not evaporate nor get contaminated.

[@Kevin-438]

PSA- Brita filters are actual one of the worst filters for removing things from water. You could have 240TDS going in and 235 going out. It makes you wonder what is exactly being removed. Because it’s almost nothing. We recently switched to Zero water and it actually removes everything from the water that’s not pure H2O molecules and 94% of pfas. It also makes it taste like pure spring water. 👍🏼

[@mikeodee1164]

dont it filter the water at a very slow rate u have to wait a long time for it to filter the water i had the pur water filter years ago it was pathetic took too long to filter water i threw it away

[@Kevin-438]

@@mikeodee1164 It definitely takes longer than a brita. But that’s because it’s more thorough. If you fill the reservoir up it takes maybe 4 mins. You win some you lose some. 👍🏼

[@12345CONWAY]

Don't listen to Kevin he's an ex Brita employee that quit and took company secrets with him to Zero

[@chow-chihuang4903]

Project Farm did a good comparative test of several water filtration products. Brita didn’t do badly but didn’t do the best.

[@DoctorKnox]

I agree that Brita sucks but "it makes it taste like pure spring water", no. "Spring Water" is FAR from pure, clean, maybe, not pure. Spring water has TONS of minerals in it, that's why people like it, it has a good taste. Pure water is tasteless and picks up flavor from whatever surrounds it. So in the case of water filters, it's plastic, you are probably tasting plastic. Big difference from real spring water. I'm saying this as the cheif water treatment operator of 6 different rural communities. Only one of which come off a lake, the other 5 are all fef from springs (not the same spring, all different). The springs have WAY better tasting water, but filtered water doesn't taste like it at all. If your water have a taste then you have to question just what it is you are tasting, because like I said, pure water is flavorless.

[@NickDrinksWater]

Are they forgetting fluoride in the water too? It's nearly as toxic as all the other chemicals

[@hitone4319]

They did mention it under the blanket of *and other chemicals* so shhhhhh, just dont talk about the intentional poisoning of water!

[@NickDrinksWater]

We can talk about it all we want, what are they gonna do?@@hitone4319

[@user-to2gh7sg3l]

Reverse Osmosis is really the only way to filter the contaminants suggested in this video. Brita will filter out particulate contaminants but a coffee filter does just about the same unless you constantly replace the filter.

[@logwind]

Fluoride is the most toxic contaminent and added to your water intentionally.

[@patrickjohnson195]

We are the only country that allows it😢

[@misterfunnybones]

Steven Wright - "I bought some powdered water, but I don't know what to add."

[@roybatty6416]

An Australian company, Purifloh has developed a technology that rids water of contaminants and over 98% of pfas. Apparently low power and no chemicals.

[@lilaclizard4504]

that's too bad for the US. Now someone else has invented it & no doubt patented it, they will be unable to use it, cause their pride will get in the way, since they didn't invent it. Bit like how they still use paper money, cause they didn't invent polymer, or how they lost control of the pandemic, cause the test they invented didn't work & they refused to use the one invented by others

[@Xeonerable]

PFAS all thanks to Dupont and 3M , yet they somehow dodge responsibility of the pollution they caused.

[@patrickjohnson195]

Yea i was waiting for nc to be on the list at the bottom😂

[@rkevic]

Chemicals are everywhere even on processed food

[@drscopeify]

The water here in Seattle area is right from Mount Rainer glaciers the best water there is

[@Johnrl21]

This piece brought to you by Pur

[@ericturner2477]

I'm fortunate to live in a county in Maryland that regularly tests water and publishes the results.

[@Bleek7295]

Same

[@DoctorKnox]

That's federal law... You aren't lucky, the annual CCRs are everywhere.

[@Fido-vm9zi]

What was left out of the test?

[@oskarngo9138]

So does those “facet-attachment” filters work to remove these pollutants...? ...if so, which model do you recommend?

[@ChristianAlarcon1]

Great report. It's a Shame though that CNBC didn't mention the great work and report that Consumer Reports did on their investigation for the same topic. Very informative!

[@Akshay-qt5qi]

More people know about this, the better it will be! Local governments should be asked water, Air quality questions more frequently

[@sukicara1163]

Sewage system is the most critical component when talking about safe water, but then again that would circle back to the basic topic infrastructure improvement, which remains unknown

[@ceuser3555]

Think Flint, Michigan. That represents US water for the world.

[@Nomb-ip9sq]

Crazy how I got recommended this after talking about how nasty tap water is this morning.

[@austinc1324]

Great reporting from CNBC! Real reporting is hosting experts with a wide array of conflicting opinions. Keep this up

[@angelakimbrell1214]

0:02 I’m at the beginning of the video and haven’t seen the content yet, and I’m going to pass along what my local news source showed one evening. Our Water Commissioner was on and he stated that Cleveland Ohio water is 1% higher in lead content than Flint Michigan is!!!! And that has never made it to the National news. That was about 2 years ago, or more. Our mayor hasn’t made good on changing any of the old lead lined pipes.

[@joshbaughman6076]

The FWTPs across the US don’t receive enough money to implement new processes rapidly. Just using dual media filters like SAC and chlorine dosing isn’t enough, and GAC is just so cost prohibitive to implement nationwide. Frankly it has to start with mitigation so Environmental Engineers aren’t forced to make design compromises building new plants or being forced to retrofit existing filtration systems.

[@googleuser1006]

The water in Ontario Canada was 3 times worse than Flint why was there no news coverage?

[@thatoneguy42145]

The government probably covered it up like usual 😂😔

[@Provocateur3]

There are websites that can tell you the contamination situation in your zip code. Try doing a search. Also, PFAS is a whole group of different organic compounds that contain Flourine. This stuff is added to treated water on purpose.

[@DoctorKnox]

Looking up your water by zipcode is less than effective. For example, in my zip code there's 10 different water districts all using different water sources. You have to look up your water provider specifically and see if they have done said testing.

[@Provocateur3]

@@DoctorKnox: Thanks. Since I rent & water is prrovided by the landlord, IDK how to do that. Any suggestions?

[@DoctorKnox]

@@Provocateur3 Ask your neighbors who the water provider is, or ask your landlord.

[@ashwiniachu9791]

I love the CNBC news and the level of details they put in behind every information..Keep doing great !!!

[@akampfer]

I have wondered about my municipal water. I will see black rings forming in the toilet & the only thing that controls it are chlorine tablets. It’s also quite tasteless. For drinking water I use another source anyway.

[@Der8cho]

Public water needs to stay public! Private companies like Veolia, American Water, etc need to stay out of the public sector. Call your congress person and demand the stop of privatization of public water systems!

[@m8x425]

WAKE UP.... they're being paaaaid by these companies. I'll bet you argue over Biden or Trump, don't you?

[@Bobsk3]

The water we flush our toilets with is better quality than US tap water. Crazy!

[@patrickjohnson195]

Really?? How?😮

[@Bobsk3]

@@patrickjohnson195 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_supply_and_sanitation_in_the_Netherlands Moreover, chlorine is not added to our drinking water, which ensures a better taste, less corrosion of pipework (about 35 years old) and fewer harmful compounds being formed with chlorine. In the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, water is supplied without added chlorine as long as there is protection of the sources, good purification and good maintenance of the distribution system. Multiple steps and treatments are gone through with regard to water purification, such as sand filtration, ozone treatment, carbon treatment, filtration through special membranes and treatment with ultraviolet light. If one of these elements or steps is missing or is not managed correctly, disinfectants are added to the water.

[@editorjohn8803]

Little-known fact: most blemish removers and make-up foundations contain PFAS because they're designed to be water resistant. Reduce your uses of these

[@patrickjohnson195]

Yes also popcorn and plastic waterbottles and cans also have the same coating🎉 its in pretty much everything😊

[@nachosNipples]

"We got the Nestle deal to scare people into buying water bottles" btw you can buy refillable jugs of filtered water at the grocery store

[@portcybertryx222]

This is what I like. Even though we have some of the best water quality in the world we are still looking to improve it. This is good. We need to future proof our infrastructure

[@kennethvenezia4400]

When I open my kitchen tap, my water smells like a public pool. Everything I consume or cook with gets filtered. Even my cat gets filtered water. Makes for a happy pussycat 😺🙀😻

[@Fido-vm9zi]

I am going to do the same

[@Fido-vm9zi]

For 🐕

[@DoctorKnox]

They put quite a bit of chlorine in your water, it's probably treated water from a reservoir or other surface source.

[@kennethvenezia4400]

@@DoctorKnox oh ya. This is and has been the new normal. When these rain bombs happen, it just overwhelms the system. They have to dump more chlorine and other things in the water. I don't blame them. Everything in today's world is buyer beware. You have to take responsibility for yourself or you pay the consequences

[@derekschneider8922]

When the water pipes leak, it’s not considered a hazard, like gas is. So in the past,there was not much emphasis on the water pipes leaking. Infrastructure could combine both pipes, and electricity, under roads(?).

[@LunaticWithALicense]

As someone who works with utilities that would be a absolutely horrible idea for what should be obvious reasons. Water and electricity don't mix keep them away from each other lol

[@doujinflip]

Standardizing a walkable utility tunnel that fits all these pipes might help, but then you're constantly patrolling it for intruders too.

[@shmookins]

The cost to fix this over a quarter of a century doesn't seem that expensive, all things considered.

[@anthonyfaucy2761]

Exactly especially when the government spends billions with no issue funding wars and giving handouts to Israel

[@m8x425]

At some point in my life I moved to Everett, Wa. Sometimes when I turned on the tap water, redish colored water will come out at first. I tried drinking this water for a month but my jaw began to ache. I started drinking bottled water and the aching went away.

[@DoctorKnox]

Did you get your tetanus shots?

[@mikeodee1164]

spring water is too expensive im on food stamps the government should give me free spring water

[@joevsyou]

Never understood why they put all of these pipes under streets... you got to redirect traffic which cost money, dig up expensive concrete, replace everything, put back all the road. Time consuming $ costly

[@Fido-vm9zi]

Need to improve the status quo. Most companies & employees are just trying to get the job done.

[@KevinSmith-qi5yn]

Water mains are not an issue for the federal government. It's an issue for municipal governments that they pay for through property taxes and water bills. Some people need to go back and take a civics lesson.

[@AKT0B0S]

I wished I owned a house I would get RO so fast. I’m using a Brita and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t do 💩

[@lil----lil]

U can *EASILY* install an RO system even in apt and you don't even need to be a plumber. Trust me. I did it myself and it wasn't hard at all.

[@AKT0B0S]

@@lil----lil did you get the landlord to pay for it?

[@lil----lil]

@@AKT0B0S NO. The beauty is that you can EASILY take the whole system with you when you move. The *MOST* important thing is to KEEP All the original hose/nuts/washer/ INTACT in a bag RIGHT under the sink and just put them back the way it was when you move. (TAKE A FEW PICTURES) of before and after!

[@chow-chihuang4903]

There are also ones that don’t require plumbing but you have to refill their reservoir and empty the wastewater bin as you use them.

[@andrewreynolds912]

Scandinavian countries, including a non Scandinavian country like the netherlands, are some of the greatest and have the healthiest and cleanest water in the world have little to no things such as plastics, chemicals, etc in the water then again their not perfect but goes to show how utterly clean their tap water is and they dont usually use water bottles plus netherlands water is so clean and have very great strict requirements for water treatment that they dont use chlorine in the water!

[@Krynale]

Alabama never disappoints when making a "Worst of/in list"

[@johnnyv303]

Just imagine the magnitude of an impact America would experience, if all the money spent funding all these wars, were actually spent funding issues in our own country. 🤯

[@dropsofKarma]

What is a water treatment plant gonna do with second hand military equipment?

[@johnnyv303]

Since the war began, Congress have directed more than $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine, and nearly $14.5 billion military aid package for Israel (This figure does not include all war-related U.S. spending, such as aid to allies.) A water treatment plant might not be able to do 💩 with second hand military equipment, but with $89.5 billion you think thats enough to take care of the PFAS contamination in our water system or perhaps enough to make a dent in the amount of lead pipes that could be replaced? @@dropsofKarma

[@patrickjohnson195]

​@@dropsofKarmasell the equipment instead of giving it away

[@looseygoosey1349]

America needs to stop spreading out due to urban sprawl. Theres no reason why we need to spend over 400 billion dollars on water infrastruture or 1 trillion like the women said. No reason why 90 percent of the people who need that investment should be living in communities of or less than 10,000. That is a stat that is not said in the video.

[@CYBERSECURITY.101]

Tap water in the U.S. is generally safe to drink. However, it is important to be aware of the potential contaminants and take steps to reduce your exposure.

[@randomdude6703]

TLDR: It's probably safe, but also maybe not safe

[@echochamber1234]

it also depends heavily on state and neighborhood. It's safe in my town, but the next town over people are scared to drink the tap water.

[@NickDrinksWater]

I would NOT drink unfiltered tap water.

[@kendellfriend5558]

⁠same. I agree

[@lilaclizard4504]

it's really not safe at all! If you don't want to research it properly, then at least watch some movies on it, such as dark waters or Erin Brockovich

[@chris_3971]

Water from Cleveland was found to be cleaner than Fiji water.

[@lilaclizard4504]

which of the 300 islands & 500 islets was that from? I'm guessing Suva? Ever been there? Suva's water is clearly polluted, but the rest of Fiji that I've seen is beautiful & crystal clear & certainly less polluted than anywhere in the US (except maybe some of the Pacific Islands or parts of Alaska) Statistics can be made to tell any story you want them to!

[@kiranreilly4916]

@@lilaclizard4504 There's a bottled water brand called Fiji

[@amateurgamer149]

People say India is a third world country, its water is polluted. But I drink purified water from RO and only people from a lower underdeveloped area drinks tap water. But when I visited an American friend, they just gave me drinking water out of a tap, got really surprised for the first time. I really thought that I am quite fortunate than an average American.

[@vsznry]

naaa. I visited delhi earlier this year. We are still more fortunate here. LOL

[@amateurgamer149]

@@vsznry Ya, brother. Lots of people drinks tap water. Quality varies from place to place and depends on anything. But when we see, America as a biggest power in the whole world is drinking tap water, it really surprised a lot. India has lots of problems, India doesn't have the economic might or technology to give every citizen safe drinking water. But at least India is trying. But in case of USA, common people are drinking 🚰 tap water and other people in different countries are drinking American bullets every day. Nice joke. 🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@JT_771]

I and most people I know here in the US drink right from the tap (Utah).

[@0annonymous]

One time I visited a frin a newly developed area where there was a brand new apartment building. That particular building's water tasted awful, and something inside kept saying sulfur. I didn't know what sulfur tasted like and my knowledge of it was slim to none. Something inside just kept saying sulfur, and that's all I know. I don't recall what we did about it, but it was awfully hard to drink water unless you drank bottled water. I don't recall if that's what we did or if we filtered it, I just don't recall. Shortly before he died though, the water started improving. Of course, neither one of us knew he was going to die. How and when he did, I'm just sorry. Sometimes the best things come to some people right before they die.

[@TomNook.]

India has open raw sewerage. It's not people say, it IS a third world country.

[@thatflywelshguy9662]

I love how they say the US is close to the bottom when South Korea is lower than us and Canada only slightly better. Yes we should be investing into our infrastructure but those investments also get squandered (flint).

[@manipunation]

10:34 - "The majority of the exposure to these contaminants happens from drinking the water, not from showering or brushing your teeth." So I am safe in continuing to use Glide dental floss, which I learned contains PFAS?

[@ajay0909]

Does using carbon filters make things better?

[@giglioflex]

It depends on the contaminants and the specific filter. Something like a Brita will filter out 78% of contaminants but it won't filter PFAS, Argichemicals, and more. All those consumer targeted carbon based filters are going to leave a lot in your water. You really want a reverse osmosis system, which is the best filtration method we have right now. That will remove 99.5% of all contaminants. With RO you can also install a UV system and a re-mineralization filter to add back in beneficial minerals to your taste preferences. The vast majority of bottled water producers use Reverse Osmosis due to this reason. You could also evaporate and condense your water which is pretty effective but it's not nearly as cost efficient as Reverse Osmosis.

[@TheNumberOfTheBeast666]

@@giglioflex The UV system is only necessary if you have issues with microorganisms, which, as long as your distribution system is carrying a chlorine residual, you likely don't. Besides, reverse osmosis is a hammer when you probably only have quality issues with a few things. Also, granular activated carbon can sorb a lot of these substances anyway, or for specific contaminants, ion exchange resins. RO is not the only solution, and calling it "cost efficient" is sort of a misnomer when it's already one of the most expensive forms of treatment we have used only by small municipalities and pilot plants. Citation on the sorbing thing: www.epa.gov/sciencematters/reducing-pfas-drinking-water-treatment-technologies

[@sapphiron21]

Each filter for each specific contaminant, thats why most decent water purifier has anywhere between 3 to 6 different filters. I change mine every few months and considering how brown they looks each time i would say the water i drink is definitely better

[@brianthetruth6055]

I live in Maryland and can attest that our water quality is low. Our water has a flavor. Filtration does improve in the taste.

[@andrewreynolds912]

As an american who lives in a small city known as roanoke in Virginia we have a river that runs through the city that ive research that is contaminated with PFAS the graph map of pfas they shown on here wasnt fully accurate im pretty upset about that part

[@Izzyarana]

Is it safe to drink water from your fridge is that water clean to drink ? I want to know

[@sohodon]

Unless it’s filtered no.. check your owners manual

[@hewhohasnoidentity4377]

In many cases it is safer to drink from the tap itself. Most people don't change the filter in the fridge and the tubing bringing water to the dispenser is not maintained or replaced.

[@Starship007]

Those small carbon cartridges for homes help taste. To remove vast number of pollutants in water several 6 foot tall cascade systems of carbon would be needed or RO system.

[@moth.monster]

Most refrigerators have a filter built in to the supply for the water dispenser and ice maker these days. Just make sure to swap it out when the light goes on to remind you.

[@HerbQuest]

How''s the PFAS levels doing?

[@reginaerekson9139]

7:39 why is it illegal in some states to harvest rainwater?

[@georgeACABpaok4]

Yeah we are number 3. No wonder we don't have filter for water in Greece 🙏🇬🇷🇬🇷

[@dkaoboy]

the suburb I live in does not get their water from sources that have pfas. We have some of the best water in the nation. I love my city.

[@PamelaTurner-vu8ve]

Thank you 🌹

[@templeodoom4634]

I see Dasani and Aquafina is one of your sponsors now.

[@dagobertosantosdeoliveira9546]

What's the difference between tap and faucet?

[@airtioteclint]

Well tap water is what comes out of the faucet.

[@beng4647]

I wouldn't faucet that. 😁

[@Redwitheran]

Tap is the British word while Faucet is the American word, however the phase “Faucet water” never became accepted so they adopted the British phase “tap water”.

[@vinny61389]

In the context of the video, it's the same. You could make a further distinction between city/municipality provided water vs. well water (more common in rural areas and often serves a single home).

[@lil----lil]

@@airtioteclint 😁

[@guntherjeitler5258]

So, Austria is number one in water quality. Due to alphabetic order we have beaten Finland.😅

[@thevibe7415]

Where can I buy a system to start a purification water businesses?

[@Phil-D83]

You need to check your local water and see what you need. The more dangerous said chemicals need reverse osmosis to remove them. Other less problematic chemicals can be filtered out by catalytic carbon filters.

[@midnightmodem]

It's better in Asia dude people can drink as much tap water as they want and rarely gets sick

[@ArthurMoore-ii8nn]

Who needs safe tap water, healthcare, education and infrastructure? The priority is with tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy and funding the Military Industrial Complex.

[@declan8577]

They're even way below countries where I choose not to drink tap water when I'm on vacation.

[@joeyrinard6997]

Im pretty sure all you need to do is file agianst the company sue or press charges for the bodily impact ? Idk

[@avinashtyagi2]

I love my Zerowater filter, but I plan to get a full home reverse osmosis filtration system

[@Pr0toPoTaT0]

Hehe, do we consider coke zero water? Because thats the only thing i drink

[@rainkloud]

Hey man! It's me, your kidneys! Can you do me a solid and start mixing a little H2O into your drinking regimen? It's just that I'm getting really tired doing all this filtration and it'd sure be nice to get a break! Thanks!

[@Pr0toPoTaT0]

@@rainkloud my what?

[@patrickjohnson195]

​@@Pr0toPoTaT0its your place where beer goes...🥴 that isnt in the fridge lol

[@Goldenbear6]

It took me a while to understand why Alabama was listed as both the best and worst quality of tap water. It depends on where you get the testing sample. If you get it from an affluent white community, you’ll get one of the best quality water in US. However, if you get it from the underserved community, that’d be a different story.

[@CYBERSECURITY.101]

You're absolutely right. It's important to consider the context and specific location when discussing water quality, as it can vary greatly within a state like Alabama. Factors like economic disparities, infrastructure investments, and environmental regulations all play a role in determining the quality of tap water available to different communities.

[@DoctorKnox]

Generally better water comes from rural areas. In rural areas they generally get water from springs or groundwater. These two sources are normally better quality than the surface water from reservoirs necessary to supply larger urban communities. It's not about race, it's about where people live.

[@lilaclizard4504]

@@DoctorKnox it can be both you know. Yes, uncontaminated groundwater is likely going to be better, but that doesn't mean there's not a huge variation between rich & poor areas on surface water, does it

[@DoctorKnox]

@@lilaclizard4504 I'm not sure you understand that poor areas and rich areas usually have the same water. So no, it's wrong. You don't have different watet treatment systems for different housing areas.

[@DoctorKnox]

@@lilaclizard4504 I will give examples that I know of personally. Modesto, Ca is serviced by one water system. It's a city of 350,000 people, rich communities and poor communities, all on the same MID water.

[@jasonreviews]

buy zero water filter. You can also buy whole home filter. They have those at home depot

[@0ned]

It was discovered in the 1800s rhat Etruscans (Et-Rus-Kyy) were Old Polish, and now we know why the romans had lead plumbing⸮