M5.4 : Water quality

·       Where does your water come from? The source! Track it from the source to your tap.

My drinking water source is surface water purchased from the Santa Clara Valley Water District. The District’s source for its water is imported from the South Bay Aqueduct, Lake Del Valle, and San Luis Reservoir. These reservoirs draw water from Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed. The local water sources for the District come from Anderson and Calero Reservoirs. (http://www.sanjoseca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/69664)

·       What did you discover about your water quality?

After reading the report, I found that for the most part, my primary drinking water meets the public health-related standards for inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals, radionuclides, clarity, lead and copper. However, the Microbiological including crystosporidium, 0.1 oocysts/L, and Giardia Lamblia, 0.1 oocysts/L, is found to be slightly higher than the maximum contaminant level goal of zero. And the total coliform which is 2.7% is found to be higher than the maximum contaminant level goal of zero but still lower than the maximum contaminant level of 5.

·       Do you use a filter for your water?

I use water straight from the tap for cooking, cleaning, and hygiene. However, for drinking water, I do use filtered water from the 5 gal. water bottles that are refillable at refill stations. For my family, six 5 gal water bottles would last us for almost 2 weeks. Then, we would refill those bottles when we’re about to run out. I guess when we filter water at home, we’re just trying to filter out the odor or taste that we find different from the bottled water that we drink.

·       Do you drink bottled water?   How does this square with what you learned when you watched the Story of Bottled Water (see next exercise)?

I do drink bottled water now and then when I’m not at home or at work. Whenever I’m going somewhere and spending a lot of time outdoor that will be hard for me to have access to drinking water such as going on a hike or camping, I would bring a bottle of water with me. Although, recently I have been starting to invest into carrying refillable water bottle with me and I’m trying to turn it into a good habit for myself.