The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in early February it will be implementing a standard that regulates the amount of perchlorate that can be in drinking water. Perchlorate (a salt derived from perchloric acid) is a man-made and naturally occurring substance that is found in rocket fuel, fireworks, and other combustible products and has been linked to thyroid problems in young children and pregnant women.

Between 2001 and 2005, the EPA monitored drinking water sources in sources all over the United States and found that 153 sources in 26 different states contained perchlorate. In most positive sources, the drinking water was contaminated by improperly disposed rocket fuel and other chemicals at plants, testing sites, and even military bases. ( source )

What prompted the EPA to take closer look at perchlorate in drinking water? According to the EPA’s own web site,

“Scientific research indicates that perchlorate may disrupt the thyroid’s ability to produce hormones that are critical to developing fetuses and infants. Monitoring data show more than 4 percent of public water systems have detected perchlorate and between 5 million and 17 million people may be served drinking water containing perchlorate. The science that has led to this decision has been peer reviewed by independent scientists and public health experts including the National Academy of Sciences. Perchlorate is both a naturally-occurring and man-made chemical that is used in the manufacture of rocket fuel, fireworks, flares and explosives, and may be present in bleach and in some fertilizers. This decision reverses a 2008 preliminary determination by the previous administration, and considers input from almost 39,000 public comments.”

So… How can a person learn if their tap, city and/or municipal water supply contains unacceptable levels of perchlorates? Each year your local water department must make available Consumer Confidence Report that tells consumers what contaminants showed up during routine testing throughout the year and from source(s) it extracted its water.

Removing/Reducing perchlorate levels in drinking water?

As usual, when dealing with a particularly unpleasant drinking water contaminant, water professionals suggest the use of a quality reverse osmosis drinking water system for the job.

Watts 315 Reverse Osmosis System Meets NSF/ANSI Standard 58

Watts 415 Reverse Osmosis System Meets NSF/ANSI Standard 58

Watts 525 Reverse Osmosis System Meets NSF/ANSI Standard 58

Combination RO/UF System

After yesterday’s posting about perchlorates in drinking water, we fully expected to receive the following question… and we thank you for not disappointing us!

A concerned parent from any area just outside of what sounds like a military firing range wrote in this morning and asked whether or not installing a reverse osmosis water filtration systems will allow her to effectively remove all perchlorates from her water.

We wish MORE concerned parents would take more of an interest in the quality of water they allow their children to drink!

We live live near a military base where they always blow stuff up and so the perchlorates could get in my water if what i read is true. If so, then reverse osmosis water filters will take them all out, right? We just had a new baby girl and we don’t want to take any chances! Thanks!

We will begin by saying that the USEPA has set the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for perchlorates at 6 micrograms per liter (0.006 mg/L or ppm) and that quality reverse osmosis water systems will reduce perchlorate concentrations in drinking water to levels below 0.006 ppm.

In other words, even the best reverse osmosis systems will not completely remove perchlorates from drinking water… but that does NOT mean you should ignore their presence!

Those who live in areas that have been contaminated should definitely install a water filter capable of removing perchlorate, probably some type of reverse osmosis filter. These filters won’t remove all of the perchlorate, but it is best to reduce the amount of perchlorate to the extent possible. … Needless to say, those with children attending schools that use water contaminated with perchlorate should take action to demand that the schools install proper filters, too, as drinking perchlorate-contaminated water could cause developmental delays in children, according to Dr. Power. ( source )

So… should you even bother installing a reverse osmosis water filter if a certified laboratory such as National Testing Laboratories informs you that your water contains perchlorates?

Absolutely! Getting rid of some unwanted contaminants will ALWAYS make more sense than allowing them to remain in your drinking water… for you and your family to ingest.

Selecting a reverse osmosis system

Start your process by testing your water and finding out what exactly you need to get rid of before you even think about what system to buy — else risk investing, and we did say investing, in a water filtration system that won’t get rid of the contaminants in your water.

Once you know what to get rid of, you will then know what filtration products to focus on and have the ability to compare the filtering capabilities of various water filter systems against the list of contaminants found in your water.