Drinking Water & Your Health

 

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants.

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or human activity.

The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by visiting the U.S. EPA’s website at www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water or calling the U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791. Your tap water may contain different types of chemicals (organic and inorganic), microscopic organisms (e.g., bacteria, algae, viruses) and radioactive materials (radionuclides), many of which are naturally occurring. Health agencies require monitoring for these constituents or substances, because at certain levels they could make a person sick.

 

Contaminants That May Be Present

Water agencies are required to use the following language to discuss the source of contaminants that may reasonably be expected to be found in drinking water, including tap water and bottled water. Contaminants that may be present in sources of drinking water include:

  • Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
  • Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, that can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.
  • Pesticides and herbicides that may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff and residential uses.
  • Organic chemical contaminants including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals that are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, agricultural application and septic systems.
  • Radioactive contaminants, that can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. EPA and the State Water Board prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations and California law also establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that provide the same protection for public health. Additional information on bottled water is available on California Department of Public Health’s website.

 

People with Weakened Immune Systems

Although Santa Ana meets all drinking water standards, some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections.

These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. U.S. EPA/CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines on appropriate means to reduce the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.