Wildwood City Water Department

To ensure tap water safety, the EPA establishes strict regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems. Similarly, FDA regulations set standards for bottled water to provide equivalent public health protection. All water sources, whether tap or bottled, naturally contain at least small amounts of certain contaminants, though their presence doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk.

Water sources (including tap and bottled) come from rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels across land or underground, it dissolves natural minerals, sometimes radioactive materials, and substances from animal or human activities. Potential contaminants include:

• Microbial Contaminants: Viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment facilities, septic systems, agricultural operations, or wildlife
• Inorganic Contaminants: Salts and metals occurring naturally or resulting from urban runoff, wastewater discharge, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and Herbicides: From various sources including agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential usage
• Organic Chemical Contaminants: Synthetic and volatile organic compounds, byproducts of industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, urban runoff, and 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.

.. ...