Merchantville Pennsauken

To guarantee tap water safety for consumption, the EPA establishes regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems. Similarly, FDA regulations set limits for contaminants in bottled water to provide equivalent public health protection. All water sources, whether from the tap or bottle, reasonably contain at least minimal amounts of some contaminants, though their presence doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk.

Water sources (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels across land surfaces or through soil, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals, sometimes radioactive materials, and substances resulting from animal presence or human activity.

Potential contaminants in source water include:

• Microbial Contaminants - viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment facilities, septic systems, agricultural operations, or wildlife
• Inorganic Contaminants - salts and metals occurring naturally or from urban runoff, wastewater discharges, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and Herbicides - from various sources including agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses
• Organic Chemical Contaminants - synthetic and volatile organic compounds, byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, potentially from gas stations, urban runoff, or septic systems
• Radioactive Contaminants - naturally occurring or resulting from oil/gas production and mining activities

For additional information about contaminants and potential health effects, contact the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

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