Tag Archives: nitrates

How the Drought is Poisoning California’s Drinking Water

As California struggles through the fourth year of its historic drought, the effects are starting to hit a little closer to home… and our health.

The results of a 10-year study of California groundwater quality showed some disturbing findings.

Normally, Californians get about 30% of their drinking water from aquifers, but the drought has forced Californians to rely on these aquifers for more than 60% of our water needs.

The study found that roughly 20% of our groundwater is contaminated with high concentrations of dangerous substances like arsenic, uranium and nitrates. And it’s not getting any better…

As groundwater keeps getting lower, our drinking water will become more and more unsafe.

The longer the drought continues, the more we will rely on groundwater. You can probably see how this is quite the vicious cycle. But is there an answer? In order to understand that, we have to know what caused this quality issue.

Where do the contaminants come from?

Contaminants enter California’s water artificially – through heavy use of nitrogen-based fertilizers on farms – and naturally – through erosion of natural deposits.

Heavy reliance on nitrogen fertilizers (and animal waste) has led to increased levels of nitrates in the water. At levels above 10 ppm (parts per million), nitrates can impede the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, leading to birth defects and cancers of the ovaries and thyroid.

Agriculture alone isn’t the only source of contamination; arsenic – which is not used on farms – turned up more than nitrates. The study also found an alarming amount of aquifers poisoned with uranium, which is a contaminant not used in farms, but which has been pushed further into the water table (5-10 feet per year) by irrigation.

According to Kenneth Belitz, the study’s lead author and chief of the USGS’s National Water Quality Assessment Program, the process of contaminants slowly moving further down into the water table affects all areas of California.

Former agricultural areas that have evolved into suburban (Santa Ana, for example) will start to see the effects of years-old nitrates sinking into their water tables. Today’s farming hotspots – especially the San Joaquin Valley (where San Diego gets a portion of its water) – could be slowly building up nitrate levels year by year that could lead to much higher nitrate levels in well water.

How is the drought making it worse?

This heart-wrenching video from High Country News depicts how the drought is exacerbating the level of contaminants in California’s water. It shows the situation in East Orosi, one of the areas hit hardest by the drought.

Chad Fischer, East Orosi District Engineer, explains how landowners are digging a higher level of wells, putting more stress on the aquifers:

“It’s simple, drill a lot of wells, produce a lot of water. The water tables are going to drop and the level of contaminants is going to go up.”

As groundwater levels drop and the level of contaminants stays the same, the concentration of nitrates in groundwater supply will continue to increase.

Think of it as a small amount of poison that’s diluted by a large amount of water. The poison is relatively harmless as long as the water level stays high enough. But when the water level decreases, there’s not as much to dilute the poison, making it much more dangerous.

This issue is hitting areas of California at different times. East Orosi is getting the worst of it now. Residents use five-gallon plastic jugs for drinking, cleaning, brushing teeth, making tea and coffee, making soup and cleaning fruits and vegetables.

East Orosi’s situation serves as a stark warning to the rest of the state about the dangers of the drought on water quality. Hopefully it serves as a canary in the coal mine demonstrating that serious actions need to be taken for the health and safety of the people.

When will it end?

That’s the bad news. According to NASA Analysis, California’s aquifers are extremely depleted (by 11 trillion gallons, to be exact). Lower rainfall in the coming years and steady or increased farming will only continue to diminish these sources, therefore raising contaminant concentration.

As the drought continues, it’s imperative that California residents continue to monitor their local drinking water quality. Every municipality is required to send out a Water Quality Report (or CCR) annually, detailing local contaminant levels.

As always, the safest solution for your water’s safety is to install water filter systems in your home to ensure the highest quality clean water in your home regardless of outside circumstances. See your home water filter options HERE.

More information: Mother Jones on California’s Drinking Water

Why is San Diego’s Tap Water So Bad?

If you didn’t already know (and if you live here, you know) San Diego has some very subpar tap water. In fact, it has some of the worst tap water in the country, according to a study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). It’s a shame that such a beautiful city nestled up to a pristine blue ocean has tainted drinking water.

It’s easy to complain about the water here, but it’s also important to understand why the water quality is so poor and the effects it can have on our health and well-being.

This information is pertinent for many people outside of San Diego, too. There have been a number of incidents in the past year compromising drinking water supplies across the country.

Why San Diego?

With the ocean down the street, it’s easy to forget that San Diego is actually in a desert. If you know one thing about deserts, it’s that there is very little water. We’re still some time away from desalination plants (like the one in construction in Carlsbad) being a significant source of drinking water. Thus, we get our water from thousands of miles away.

Our two main sources are the Colorado River and the California State Water Project in Northern California. There are a number of issues with each of these sources.

The Colorado River provides the majority (60%) of San Diego’s water. It runs through canyons and rocks which deposit volatile organic chemicals.

20% of San Diego’s water comes from the California Water Project in Northern California, the hotbed of agriculture for the whole country. The problem with this is the vast amount of fertilizers used on these farms. Fertilizers contain nitrates and nitrites, which make their way into the water table and into our tap water.

These problems aren’t unique to San Diego, though. A five-year study by the EPA found more than 300 contaminants in tap water across California. And worse, California water authorities were cited for 5,514 federal and state violations over that five-year period.

What are the effects of contaminated tap water?

Everything. Pollutants in your tap water are just as bad as they sound.

Below are some of the worst offenders present in San Diego’s water along with their health effects.

Arsenic – Skin damage, circulatory problems, increased risk of cancer
Asbestos (from the cement in water mains) – Increased risk of cancer and intestinal polyps
Lead – Impaired mental and physical development in children, attention and learning deficits, high blood pressure
Nitrates/Nitrites – Oxygen distribution problems, Blue Baby Syndrome

What can we do?

It’s easy to be alarmed at the quality of our tap water, but it’s important to take steps toward making it safer. The government is too strapped for cash and too slow-moving to take the initiative, so it’s up to us to manage our own water.

1. Contact your county health department for a report on your local water quality and to learn about any recent violations.

2. Read our guide to Comparing Water Filters to understand the different options you have for getting clean, healthy water in your home.

3. Call 619-356-3766 to speak with a water expert about how you can get the Certified Healthiest Water in your home today.

Total Dissolved Solids In Your Drinking Water

The harmful contaminants that are in your tap water are too small to see with the naked eye. In order to get a better read on the water quality, these contaminants are grouped into a measurement know as total dissolved solids.

What are total dissolved solids?

Total dissolved solids (often abbreviated as TDS) is a measurement of the amount of dissolved particles in your water. A dissolved particle can pass through a filter with pores of two microns in size.

A measurement of total dissolved solids in water includes a variety of different forms of contaminants, some of which are more harmful than others. Some of the most common dissolved solids in water include calcium, chlorides, THM’s, nitrates, phosphorus, iron, sulfur and bacteria.

What effects do total dissolved solids have on water quality?

Total Dissolved Solids are a very wide range of contaminants, so they have different effects based on which ones are in the water, and what levels. However, a high TDS count will generally result in:

A higher potential for poor water quality. When your water is high in total dissolved solids, it has an elevated chance of containing contaminants that will affect the quality of the water you use for drinking and bathing.
Bad tasting water. Water with a high TDS count is often described as tasting salty, bitter or metallic.
Bad smelling water. Water with a high TDS count also usually contains particles that negatively affect its smell.
Corroding of plumbing appliances. If your water contains a high level of total dissolved solids, it can corrode and shorten the life of your plumbing appliances.

How can you reduce the amount of total dissolved solids in your water?

We at Evolution Healthworks offer solutions to the problems caused by TDS. Our Aura H2O Water Filter removes these contaminants and provides the healthiest drinking water. Also, we offer Whole Home Systems which can filter the water that comes out of all the taps.

3 Reasons to Have Clean Water Throughout Your Whole Home

We all know the importance of drinking clean water – it protects us from harmful contaminants and keeps us hydrated – but it’s also crucial that we filter the rest of the water in our homes.

Contaminants in our water can harm us in many more ways than just through drinking. Think of all the ways you come in contact with water throughout an average day.

Below are 3 reasons to filter every drop of water in your home. Enjoy!

1. Your skin absorbs contaminants freely

Your skin doesn’t only depend on the water you drink, it also reacts to the water in which you bathe. For the same reasons that water from the tap can be dangerous to drink, it can be even more harmful to shower in.

You see, our local governments add chlorine and other chemicals to the water supply to disinfect it, but this process creates byproducts that can wreak havoc on your skin and your overall health. When you shower, your pores open up and absorb these toxins, leaving you vulnerable.

2. You can inhale contaminants in hot shower water vapor

If you take hot showers (of course you do), you know that they create steam. If you breathe during your hot showers (of course you do), you’re inhaling compounds such as fluoride directly into your lungs.

Fluoride is added to the water supply by most major municipalities because it’s beneficial when used topically on our teeth. Recent studies suggest, though, that it has detrimental effects when ingested.

What is especially scary about this is the fact that vapors that you inhale hit your bloodstream significantly faster, meaning you could be more vulnerable to fluoride and other contaminants in your shower water than in your drinking water.

3. Whole home systems are affordable

It’s a no brainer that some type of whole home water filter system is necessary in any home. The problem is the confusing marketplace. Many companies will try to sell whole home systems for several thousand dollars.

The Evolution Healthworks Whole-Home Water System effectively removes chemical byproducts and other nasty substances from entering your home.

How Do Nitrates Get In My Drinking Water? What Are The Effects?

Nitrates are one of the most well known, but dangerous contaminants commonly found in drinking water. It is particularly problematic for vulnerable individuals such as infants and pregnant women.

How do nitrates get in my drinking water?

Nitrates are chemical compounds made up of nitrogen and oxygen. Nitrogen and Oxygen are naturally found in soil, and are absorbed by plants as a source of nutrients. However, nitrates can also be created from various human and agricultural activities such as mining and commercial farming.

Excess nitrates are formed when microorganisms break down things like fertilizers, manure, sewage and the residue from septic tank leaks. When there are too many nitrates in the soil for plants to absorb, water runoff can move those nitrates into groundwater and surface water supplies (and eventually into our drinking water). For example, nitrates placed on corn field runoff into nearby stream, which then either are moved into rivers or sink farther down into the groundwater.

What are the health effects of nitrates in drinking water?

Infants: Infants are the most prone to experiencing health problems from nitrates in drinking water. Nitrate consumption can lead to the possibly life-threatening disease, methemoglobinemia, better known as blue baby syndrome.
Pregnant women and people with reduced stomach acidity: In addition to infants, pregnant women and people with reduced stomach acidity are also prone to methemoglobinemia from nitrate exposure.
Healthy adults: Although healthy adults are less susceptible to health problems from short-term exposure to nitrates in drinking water, prolonged exposure to high levels of nitrates has been linked to gastric problems due to the formations of nitrosamines.

Our Aura H2O Filter can effectively remove nitrates and other contaminants such as fluoride and chlorine from your drinking water.

Source: Colorado State University Extension