Into The Pipeline

By Anastasia Toufexis

People are just as anxious about water as they are about food. That is understandable, since roughly 1,000 contaminants have been detected in public supplies and virtually every major water source is vulnerable to pollution. About half the U.S. population relies on surface water -- from rivers, lakes and reservoirs that may harbor industrial wastes and pesticides washed off fields by rain. The other half uses groundwater -- from underground wells and springs that may be tainted by chemicals slowly seeping in from toxic-waste dumps. In some areas where groundwater supplies are being gradually depleted, the chemical pollutants are becoming more concentrated.

The EPA sets standards for water safety, but has been slow to formulate limits. So far, maximum levels have been decided for some 30 contaminants, less than half the number ordered by Congress. Moreover, critics complain that there is no monitoring of water in the home.

Most pollutants are probably not present in large enough concentrations to pose significant health hazards. But there are a few worrisome exceptions. Radon, a radioactive gas that gets into the air from soil and rocks, is also present in some water supplies. Rick Cothern, a member of the EPA's Science Advisory Board, points out that when the contaminated water pours out of a tap or shower head, the radon can pass into the air inside a home. He believes that radon from water may cause a few hundred cases of cancer each year. Those cases might be prevented if municipalities or homeowners installed equipment designed to aerate water -- and thus remove radon -- before it enters houses.

By far the most widespread chemical danger in water is lead, which can cause high blood pressure, arm and leg pains, nausea and vomiting. Lead is especially hazardous to children, since it impairs the development of brain cells. The EPA estimates that at least 42 million Americans are exposed to unacceptably high levels of lead, and the U.S. Public Health Service says that perhaps 9 million children are at least slightly affected by it.

The contamination comes from old lead piping and solder that have been used in plumbing for generations. These materials are gradually being replaced in homes and water systems. Says Eugene Rosov, who runs a water-testing company in Manchester, N.H.: "The '60s was the decade we attacked lead in paint. In the '70s we went after lead in the air from gasoline emissions. Now we are doing something about lead in drinking water."

What individuals can and should do is have their water tested for lead by a certified lab. If the level is too high, they can investigate ways to deal with the problem or switch to bottled water for drinking and cooking. Even then, caution is called for: some bottled waters contain many of the same contaminants that tap water does. The only way to know what is in the bottled water is to have it tested too.

But no matter how many times people test their water or how carefully they read the labels of food packages or how closely they scan the newspapers for reports of pesticide scares, they can never be 100% sure that what they eat and drink is 100% safe. Such a guarantee has never existed and never will. Nonetheless, the odds of surviving the daily chemical feast seem pretty good. If food and water were as dangerous as some people think, a lot more of us would be getting sick. U.S. food and water supplies have undeniable problems that need increased attention from the Government and consumers. Even so, the current climate of panic and paranoia is an overreaction.

CHART: NOT AVAILABLE

CREDIT: TIME Charts by Joe Lertola

CAPTION: TOXINS FROM THE TAP

With reporting by Cristina Garcia/Los Angeles, Janice M. Horowitz/New York and Michael Riley/Washington