Water Quality Reports

Problems We Found With Hialeah's Drinking Water

Emma Schultz @ Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at 3:22 pm -0500

Emma Schultz, M.S. | Scientific Contributor

For our Hialeah water quality report, we aggregated water quality test data from the City of Hialeah’s Department of Public Works, 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 Hialeah are optimized with these issues in mind.

Source Of Hialeah Drinking Water

The city of Hialeah's drinking water is groundwater-sourced, and comes from the Biscayne and Upper Floridan Aquifers. Most of Hialeah’s water is purchased from Miami-Dade County; water pumped from the Biscayne Aquifer is treated at facilities owned and operated by Miami-Dade County before being distributed to Hialeah. The Hialeah Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant is jointly owned by the City of Hialeah and Miami-Dade County. Water at this plant is pumped from the Upper Floridan Aquifer.

Arsenic In Hialeah Drinking Water

Arsenic is a dangerous heavy metal known to cause cancer, among other health problems. Arsenic originates in source water. While the city of Hialeah's water is in compliance with EPA water quality standards, consumers should take note that the EPA's standard balances toxicity against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water; the standard is therefore quite high. Hialeah’s most recent tap water quality report listed average arsenic concentrations ranging from 0.8-1.5 parts per billion for Miami-Dade County water, with an average concentration of 1.5 ppb. We strongly advocate that tap water with more than 1 part per billion be treated to remove arsenic, especially if there are children in the home.

Lead In Hialeah Drinking Water

Lead enters consumer tap water through old lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When corrosion control measures fail (such as recently happened in Flint, Michigan), lead leaches into drinking water and can reach toxic levels. Recent analysis for lead in the city of Hialeah's water found a 90th percentile concentration of 2.1 ppb, with one location (out of 124 sampled) exceeding the Action Level of 15 ppb. Despite the Action Level being set at 15 ppb, both the EPA and CDC recognize that there is no such thing as a safe level of lead. In addition, federal regulations cannot possibly take into account levels measured at an individual tap.

Chromium 6 In Hialeah Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is a highly toxic metal that, while monitored, is not regulated by the EPA. The city of Hialeah’s tap water recently averaged 66 parts per trillion for chromium 6. These average levels are 3.3 times higher than the concentration determined to have a negligible impact on cancer risk.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In Hialeah Drinking Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants react with naturally-occurring organic matter. Although these chemicals are not well regulated, the EPA has stated that they are associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems. DBPs in the city of Hialeah’s tap water had a 2016 local running annual average of 43 parts per billion.

Use Of Chlorine and Chloramine In Hialeah Tap Water

Like most cities in the United States, Hialeah’s Reverse Osmosis plant adds chlorine to its water supply to keep consumers safe from waterborne pathogens. 2016 levels of chlorine, while under the Maximum Residual Disinfect Level of 4.0 ppb, averaged 3.2 ppb, close to the MRDL threshold. While not considered harmful in low concentrations, many people find that removing the chlorine from their water supply results in a taste and odor improvement.

Unlike the Hialeah RO plant, Miami-Dade County’s water is disinfected with chloramine, which is produced by mixing chlorine and ammonia. Chloramine is responsible for what many customers report as the “bad taste”of tap water, and unlike chlorine this bad taste will not fade if a container of water is left in the fridge overnight. Most one-size-fits-all water filters use filtration media that doesn’t adequately remove chloramine, but the filters that Hydroviv builds for Hialeah’s Miami-Dade water use special filtration media that is purpose-built to remove chloramine as well.

In 2016, the local running annual average for chloramines was 2.6 ppm and the upper detected range was 4.5 ppm, which is over the MRDL of 4.0 ppm. Based on previous Hialeah local running annual water averages, this is an Maximum Contaminant Level violation.

When you choose to filter your tap water for either chlorine or chloramine, especially with levels as high as those in Hialeah, we believe you will notice an immediate taste enhancement.

Still Have Questions About Hialeah’s 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 Hialeah tap water, but all of our water filters provide broad protection against other contaminants commonly found in drinking water (e.g. VOCs, heavy metals [including lead], pharmaceuticals, solvents, pesticides, mercury).

If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for Hialeah 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.

Please Share This City of Hialeah Water Quality Report On Social Media With Anyone You Think Would Benefit From The Information!

Problems We Found With Chesapeake Drinking Water

Emma Schultz @ Saturday, December 16, 2017 at 5:16 pm -0500

Emma Schultz, M.S. | Scientific Contributor

Updated June 18, 2021 to include updated data

For our Chesapeake water quality report, we aggregated water quality test data from the City of Chesapeake Department of Public Utilities, 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 Chesapeake are optimized with these issues in mind.

Source Of Chesapeake Drinking Water

The city of Chesapeake’s drinking water is of mixed-source origin and comes from several locations. Chesapeake’s Northwest River Water Treatment Plant treats surface water from the Northwest River, as well as brackish groundwater from four wells. The Lake Gaston Water Treatment Plant treats raw water purchased from the city of Norfolk, and plans to treat surface water from Lake Gaston in the future. Treated water is purchased for some portions of Chesapeake from Norfolk and Portsmouth. Additional groundwater comes from the Western Branch wells, including Wells #1 and #3, and the Aquifer Storage and Recovery Well. Lastly, the private company Aqua Virginia, Inc. serves approximately 523 customers in the Norfolk Highlands neighborhood of Chesapeake.

Lead In Chesapeake Drinking Water

Lead enters into the city of Chesapeake's tap water through old lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When corrosion control measures fail (such as seen in Flint, Michigan), lead leaches into drinking water and can reach hazardous levels. Recent analysis for lead in Chesapeake's water found 90th percentile concentrations of <3 parts per billion. These are not violations, since the 90th percentile concentrations are the levels used to compare with the EPA standard (with an Action Level of 15 ppb), but both the EPA and CDC recognize that there is no such thing as a safe level of lead. In addition, federal regulations cannot take into account levels measured at an individual tap.

Chromium 6 In Chesapeake Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is a highly toxic metal that, while monitored, is not regulated by the EPA. Chesapeake tap water quality from the two water treatment plants recently topped out at 90 parts per trillion for chromium 6; values ranged as high as 60 ppt for South Norfolk, and 380 ppt for those in the Western Branch area. These levels are 4.5, 3, and 19 times higher, respectively, than the concentration determined to have a negligible impact on cancer risk.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In Chesapeake Drinking Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants react with naturally-occurring organic matter. While these chemicals are not well regulated, the EPA has stated they have an association with an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems. DBPs in Chesapeake’s tap water had highest locational running annual averages of 63 ppb for their treatment plants (with upper detected levels of 109 ppb).

Use Of Chloramine In Chesapeake Tap Water

While most cities use chlorine as their primary disinfectant, the city of Chesapeake's water (from all sources) is disinfected with chloramine, produced by mixing chlorine and ammonia. Chloramine is primarily responsible for what customers report as the “bad taste” of tap water, and unlike chlorine this taste will not fade if water is left in the fridge overnight. Most one-size-fits-all water filters use filtration media that doesn’t adequately remove chloramine, but the filters that Hydroviv builds for Chesapeake use special filtration media that is purpose-built to remove chloramine as well.

In 2016, the running annual average for chloramines was 3.24 ppm for water from the two treatment plants, and the upper detected range was 4.26 ppm, which is over the Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level of 4.0 ppm. For Norfolk water, the running annual average was 2.79 ppm (upper range of 4.4 ppm), and for Portsmouth water, the running annual average was 2.08 ppm (upper range of 4.0 ppm). It is important to note that while these upper ranges are above the MRDL, this is not a violation, as it is the running annual average values that are compared to the MRDL.

Still Have Questions About Chesapeake’s 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 Chesapeake tap water, but all of our water filters provide broad protection against other contaminants commonly found in drinking water (e.g. VOCs, heavy metals [including lead], pharmaceuticals, solvents, pesticides, mercury).

If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for Chesapeake 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.

Please Share This City of Chesapeake Water Quality Article On Social Media With Anyone You Think Would Benefit From The Information!

Problems We Found With Denver, Colorado Drinking Water

Emma Schultz @ Monday, January 22, 2018 at 1:15 pm -0500

Analies Dyjak, M.A. | Policy Nerd
**Updated May 28, 2021 to include current data

For our 2021 report of Denver water quality, we collected water quality test data from Denver Water and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We cross reference the city’s water quality data with toxicity studies in scientific and medical literature. The water filters that we sell at Hydroviv are optimized to filter out contaminants that are found in Denver’s drinking water.

Where Does Denver Source Its Drinking Water?

Denver Water is the water utility provider for the city of Denver, which services 1.4 million residents. Denver’s drinking water is fully supplied from surface water sources. The South Platte River and its tributaries, the Dillon Reservoir, and the other tributaries above the Fraser River are the primary drinking water sources. Denver Water stores water is several mountain reservoirs, which are then sent to one of three treatment plants before being distributed into homes.

Lead in Denver’s Drinking Water

Lead enters tap water through old lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. 10% of taps test for lead in Denver, had concentrations over 6.7 parts. To make matters worse, houses built before 1986 were most likely built with lead plumbing and lead fixtures. EPA and CDC both recognize that there is no safe level of lead, especially for children.

Chromium 6 in Denver’s Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is a highly toxic metal that is not regulated by the EPA. The city of Denver recently detected levels of Chromium 6 above the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment public health goal of 20 parts per trillion. The levels of chromium 6 average 37.8 parts per trillion in Denver drinking water. The state of California set their own health advisory level because Chromium 6 is not regulated by the federal government. EPA has acknowledged that Chromium 6 is a known human carcinogen through inhalation, but is still determining its cancer potential through ingestion of drinking water. Lung, nasal and sinus cancers are associated with chromium 6 exposure.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In Denver’s Drinking Water

Disinfection Byproducts are a category of emerging contaminants which means they have been detected in drinking water, but the risk to human health is unknown. DBPs are formed when chlorine-based disinfectants are routinely added to the water supply to kill bacteria. EPA regulates two different types of DBPs: Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and Haloacetic Acids-5 (HAA5). Regulatory agencies have very little knowledge about the adverse health effects of DBPs, and their toxicity. EPA has however acknowledged their link to an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems.

Chloramine in Denver’s Tap Water

Denver's drinking water is disinfected with Chloramine, which is being more broadly used over chlorine in water treatment facilities. Chloramine is primarily responsible for what customers report as the “bad taste” of tap water, and unlike chlorine this taste will not fade if left in the fridge overnight. Most one-size-fits-all water filters use filtration media that doesn’t adequately remove chloramine, but the filters that Hydroviv builds for Denver use special filtration media that is purpose-built to remove chloramine as well.

It’s important to note that only a handful of contaminants are required to be included in annual Consumer Confidence Reports, and that there are hundreds of potentially harmful unregulated contaminants that aren’t accounted for. If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for Denver’s tap water feel free to visit www.hydroviv.com to talk to a Water Nerd on our live chat feature or send us an email at hello@hydroviv.com.

Other Articles We Think You Might Enjoy:
The Lead And Copper Rule: What You Need To Know
Why Does My Water Taste Bad?
Ionized Alkaline Water Scam

Problems We Found In Irvine, California Drinking Water

Emma Schultz @ Tuesday, November 28, 2017 at 3:25 pm -0500

Emma Schultz, M.S. | Scientific Contributor
**Updated May 21, 2021 to include current available data

Our Water Nerds have updated our assessment of Irvine drinking water to include the most recent available data. We used information from the Irvine Ranch Water District, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as from samples that we collect and analyze. Our team then cross references these water data with toxicity studies in the scientific and medical literature, and look at upcoming regulatory changes. The water filters that we sell in Irvine are optimized with these issues in mind.

Source Of Irvine Drinking Water

Irvine's drinking and tap water is a mix of groundwater - and imported surface water-based. 65% of the water supply is groundwater that comes from the Orange County Groundwater Basin. Additional groundwater is also obtained from the Cleveland National Forest from the Harding Canyon Dam watershed, the State Water Project and the Colorado River.

Arsenic In Irvine Drinking Water

Arsenic is a toxic heavy metal that can cause cancer and other health problems. Arsenic originates naturally in source water. Although Irvine's water quality is in compliance with EPA water quality standards, consumers should know that the U.S. EPA's standard balances toxicity against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. Irvine’s most recent tap water quality report listed a highest level detected of 2.6 parts per billion. We strongly suggest that tap water with more than 1 part per billion be treated to remove arsenic, especially in homes with children.

Lead In Irvine Drinking Water

Lead enters into a consumer’s tap water through old lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When corrosion control measures fail (such as recently happened in Flint, Michigan), lead leaches into the drinking water and can reach hazardous levels. Recent analysis for lead in Irvine's tap water found a 90th percentile concentration of less than 5 parts per billion. While the Action Level is 15 parts per billion, the EPA, CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics all recognize that there is no such thing as a safe level of lead. Of course, federal regulations cannot take into account levels measured at an individual tap.

Chromium 6 In Irvine Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is a highly toxic metal that, while monitored, is not regulated by the EPA. Irvine’s tap water recently averaged 240 parts per trillion for chromium 6, with samples ranging up to 720 ppt. Average levels are 12 times higher (with the upper range 36 times higher) than the concentration determined to have a negligible impact on cancer risk.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In Irvine Drinking Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that are created when chlorine-based disinfectants added to the water supply combine with naturally-occurring organic matter. Although these chemicals are not fully regulated, the EPA has explicitly stated that they are linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems. Irvine’s tap water had 71 parts per billion (ppb). This is well within the Maximum Contaminant Levels for Total Trihalomethanes and Haloacetic Acids.

Still Have Questions About Irvine’s 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 Irvine tap water, but all of our water filters provide broad protection against other contaminants commonly found in drinking water (e.g. VOCs, heavy metals [including lead], pharmaceuticals, solvents, pesticides, mercury).

If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for Irvine 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.

Please Share This Irvine Water Quality Article On Social Media With Anyone You Think Would Benefit From The Information!

Problems We Found In Colorado Springs Drinking Water

Analies Dyjak @ Thursday, November 30, 2017 at 10:12 pm -0500

**Updated April 27, 2021 to include information from the most recent Colorado Springs Consumer Confidence Report

Analies Dyjak, M.A. | Hydroviv Research Analyst

Our Water Nerds have updated our assessment of Colorado Springs drinking water to include the most recent available data. We aggregated data from the Colorado Springs Utilities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as from samples that we collect and analyze. Our team of Water Nerds then cross-references these data with toxicity studies in scientific literature. The water filters that we sell in Colorado Springs are optimized with this data in mind.

Source Of Colorado Springs Drinking Water

Colorado Springs imports mountain stream-water from Aspen, Leadville, and Breckenridge. Almost 75% of Colorado Springs' water originates from mountain streams. Water from these streams is collected and stored in the Homestake, Fryingpan-Arkansas, Twin Lakes, and Blue River systems. Supplementary surface and groundwater are diverted to Colorado Spring Utility for treatment.

Per and Polyfluoralkyl Substances (PFAS) In Colorado Springs Drinking Water

PFAS are a class of chemicals found various non-stick, stain resistant products, as well as fire fighting foam. PFAS are considered to be "emerging contaminants" because they are not currently regulated by EPA, but are known to be toxic and persistent in the environment. In some wells around Colorado Springs, PFAS levels are more than 20x higher than advisory levels. Hydroviv undersink filters remove PFAS. It's important to note that not all water filters are designed to remove PFAS from drinking water. If you'd like find water filters that remove PFAS from tap water, check out this Duke/NC State PFAS study.

Lead In Colorado Springs Drinking Water

Lead enters Colorado Springs consumer's tap water through old lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When corrosion control measures fail (such as what happened in Flint, Michigan), lead leaches into the drinking water and can reach toxic levels. According to data from two sampling periods, the 90th percentile for lead in Colorado Springs was 5 parts per billion. While Colorado Springs is within the 15 part per billion Action Level, EPA, CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics all recognize that there is no such thing as a safe level of lead for children. In addition, Colorado Springs only sampled just over 100 individual taps to obtain these data. Hydroviv Undersink filters are NSF/ANSI 53 certified to remove lead from drinking water.

High Levels of Chromium 6 Levels In Colorado Springs Drinking Water

What is Chromium 6? Chromium 6 (also known as the Erin Brockavich chemical is a highly toxic metal that, while monitored, is not regulated by the EPA. In recent year, Colorado Springs has had very high concentrations of chromium 6 in drinking water. Public heath officials agree that chromium 6 levels above 20 parts per trillion, may have a negligible impact on cancer risk.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In Colorado Springs Drinking Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants react with naturally-occurring organic matter. Although these chemicals are not well regulated, the EPA has concluded that they are associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems.

Still Have Questions About Colorado Spring’s 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 Colorado Springs tap water, but all of our home water filtration systems provide broad protection against other contaminants commonly found in drinking water.

Please Share This Colorado Springs Water Quality Article On Social Media With Anyone You Think Would Benefit From The Information!

← Previous