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Problems We Found With Anaheim Drinking Water

Problems We Found With Anaheim Drinking Water

Emma Schultz, M.S. | Scientific Contributor

For our assessment of Anaheim's tap water quality, we aggregated water quality test data from Anaheim Public Utilities, the water provider for Anaheim (in collaboration with the Orange County Water District), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as from samples that we collect and analyze. We cross reference these data with toxicity studies in the scientific and medical literature, and look at upcoming regulatory changes. The water filters that we sell in Anaheim are optimized with these issues in mind.

Source Water

Anaheim tap water is a blend of local groundwater and imported water. Water is imported from Northern California, and the Colorado River. Local groundwater comes from a natural aquifer replenished with water from the Santa Ana River, rainfall, and imported water. Customers also may receive water from Anaheim’s Lenain Water Treatment Facility.

High Levels Of Chromium 6 In Anaheim Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is a highly toxic metal that not currently regulated by the EPA. Anaheim Anaheim's tap water quality has recently averaged 470 parts per trillion for chromium 6. Put in perspective, these levels are 15 times higher than the concentration determined to have a negligible impact on cancer risk.

Arsenic In Anaheim Drinking Water

Arsenic is a toxic heavy metal known to cause cancer, among other adverse health effects. Arsenic originates in the source water itself. While Anaheim's water quality is technically in compliance with EPA water quality standards, it should be noted that EPA’s standard balances toxicity against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. The most recent tap water quality report for Anaheim reported an average arsenic concentration less than 2 parts per billion for customers whose water comes from the Lenain Water Treatment Facility. We recommend that anyone with more than 1 part per billion take steps to remove arsenic from their water, particularly if they have children.

Lead

Lead enters tap water through older lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When corrosion control measures put in place by the municipality fail (such as what recently happened in Flint, Michigan), lead leaches into drinking water, and can reach unsafe levels. Currently, 2 out of 50 samples analyzed for lead in Anaheim were found to have less than 5 parts per billion. While Anaheim's water quality is currently in compliance with federal regulations, EPA and CDC both acknowledge that there is no safe level of lead. In addition, federal regulations cannot take into account levels measured at an individual tap.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants are added to the water supply and combine with naturally-occurring organic matter. While these chemicals are not yet well-regulated, the EPA has stated that they have been linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems. Anaheim’s tap water has recently had high levels of trihalomethanes, with an average of 71 ppb, and has measured low levels of haloacetic acids as well.

Chlorine

Like many municipalities in the United States, Anaheim adds chlorine to its water to protect against waterborne illness. While not considered toxic, many people find that removing chlorine from drinking water greatly improves the overall taste and odor. When your tap water is filtered, we expect that you will notice an immediate taste improvement.

Still Have Questions About Anaheim Tap Water?

Hydroviv is a water filtration company that uses water quality data to optimize water filters for each city’s water. The chemicals that we list above are what we consider to be “points of emphasis” so we can build the best water filter for Anaheim tap water, but all of our water filters provide broad protection against other contaminants commonly found in drinking water (e.g. VOCs, lead, solvents, pesticides, mercury).

If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for Anaheim tap water, feel free to visit www.hydroviv.com, reach out by email (hello@hydroviv.com) or through our live chat. We also frequently post water-related news on Twitter or Facebook.