An edition of: WaterAtlas.orgPresented By: USF Water Institute

Water-Related News

What’s REALLY in your water?

News Image


By Lara Miller, UF/IFAS Extension

Every day when we turn on the tap to get a drink, take a shower, or wash our hands, most of us probably aren’t thinking about what is in the water besides, well, water. Some say they can smell chlorine when they run their faucet, while others contemplate the pros and cons of fluoride. The reality is the water we drink goes through an incredibly complex, scientific, chemistry-filled process to ensure our drinking water is safe and meets state and federal standards. But, what exactly are these standards?

I am not going to go into detail on laws for water quality, but I do want to point out that not all the chemicals we may want to be removed from our water actually are during the treatment process. It’s no fault of the treatment facilities, these chemicals are not regulated. PPCPs or pharmaceuticals and personal care products include many of the products we use daily for personal health or cosmetic reasons. More specifically, PPCPs include products such as prescription and over-the-counter drugs, perfume, locations, body wash, makeup, etc.