We recently came across an article on a TV news station’s web site describing how the Michigan news station had decided to take sample of the local drinking water to a water testing laboratory for testing.
According to the article, residents in the area have a particular interest in finding out if the arsenic levels in their drinking water falls within acceptable Federal guidelines. Apparently local arsenic levels had typically come in around 10ppb to 12ppb and although fine when the EPA deemed arsenic levels below 50ppb acceptable, the EPA’s lowering of the acceptable limit for arsenic in drinking water to 10ppb a few years ago meant some local water systems needed to install remediation devices in order to pass muster.
Now residents want to know if those arsenic removal devices work as planned and ultimately they want to know if they have ‘safe’ water to drink.
MIDLAND, BAY CITY, FLINT, HOWELL — The concerns have been everywhere when it comes to water quality. How clean is the water you cook with and drink? Residents along the Saginaw Bay have long been concerned that river dredging might stir up sediment, leading to water contamination. Over the last five years, Genesee County residents have been concerned over high arsenic levels. One way or another, water quality affects your life.
Most drinking water goes through some form of treatment by the time it reaches your faucet. However, changes in allowable arsenic levels through the years, and the potential for other elements to go undetected led us to see what may be in your drinking water.
NBC25 collected samples from a range of MidMichigan areas including Bay City, Midland and Flint. We took those samples to Water Tech Inc. in Howell to see what you may be putting in your body. ( source )
Unfortunately for us, the news station required its web site visitors to ‘tune in tonight’ for the results of the arsenic testing… and we don’t live in Michigan so we cannot tune in as they suggested. We can, however, make suggestions as to how homeowners can perform simple, at-home testing for arsenic in their drinking water. Keep in mind, though, that no at-home test kit for arsenic should ever take the place water analysis by a certified water testing laboratory.
