tap water

Americans drink more than one billion glasses of tap water per day!  In fact, children in the first six months of life consume seven times as much water per pound as the average American adult.
 A safe water supply is critical to protecting health.  In the United States, community water supplies are tested every day.  EPA has drinking water regulations for more than 90 contaminants.  Collectively, water utilities in this country treat nearly 34 billion gallons of water daily!
 Try to imagine your daily routine without tap water.  How would you shower without it?  Could you wash your fruit and vegetables?  Clean your clothes?  Scrub your dishes?  Tap water touches every aspect of our lives, from the products we use to the food we eat.  Even firefighting would be impacted without tap water.  Firefighters depend on a reliable water system with high pressure and volume.  In most communities, water flowing to fire hydrants is conveyed by the same system of water mains, pumps and storage tanks as the water flowing to your home.

 Many communities are implementing protection efforts to prevent contamination of their drinking water supplies.  These communities have found that the less polluted water is before it reaches the treatment plant, the less extensive and expensive the efforts needed to safeguard the public’s health.  You can help to protect your public water supply, too.  Limit your use of fertilizers and pesticides, clean up after your pets and don’t throw trash in storm drains.