Saraland Water Service

All municipal water, including bottled varieties, can reasonably contain small amounts of various impurities. The presence of these substances doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) are established with strict safety margins. To understand potential health impacts, a person would need to consume 2 liters daily at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of experiencing specific health effects.

As water travels across land surfaces or through underground layers, it naturally dissolves minerals and radioactive materials while potentially collecting substances from animal presence or human activities. Potential contaminants in source water include:

• Microbial contaminants such as viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment facilities, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic substances including salts and metals that occur naturally or result from urban runoff, industrial discharge, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and herbicides from agriculture, stormwater runoff, and residential usage
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile compounds from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive materials that may occur naturally or result from oil/gas production and mining operations

To ensure tap water safety, the EPA establishes regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems, while FDA regulations set limits for bottled water contaminants. Based on ADEM research approved by the EPA, Alabama has received a statewide monitoring waiver for certain insulation compounds and dioxin.

Some individuals may be more vulnerable to water contaminants than the general public. Those with compromised immune systems—cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, HIV/AIDS patients, elderly individuals, and infants—face increased infection risks. These at-risk individuals should consult healthcare providers about their drinking water. Guidelines for reducing Cryptosporidium and other microbial contamination risks are available through the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

.. ...