Anyone concerned about water quality?

[Wanabee FTer]

After reading about the high levels of hexavalent chromium found in 89% of the water samples taken across the U.S. Wondering if anyone is concerned about filling their RV tanks with it.
According to an article I read in the Washington Post today;

Although basic water filters such as those made by Brita and PUR do not remove hexavalent chromium, several reverse-osmosis systems designed for home use can take the chemical out of water. Such systems are available for purchase online and at hardware stores.

Bottled water is not necessarily an alternative because it is often drawn from municipal water systems and can still contain hexavalent chromium or other contaminants.

I have had a reverse osmosis water system in my home for over 25 years. (I live in Riverside county #3 on the list of highest levels found) now I am thinking about putting one in the RV.
Anyone using RO in their RV now, if so what type of RO system are you using and are you happy with how it disposes of the waste water and the amount of waste water generated?

[mikron]

We have RO in our home at the kitchen sink. We also have a UV light that all the water from our well passes by which kills bacteria RO dosn't get. We take a few gallons of RO with us on short trips to drink in the coach. We are going to install an RO in the coach for drinking and cooking.

[BryanL]

Typical media FUD mongering.

Next, it'll be a repeat of the dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO) chemical scare, too.

These chemicals in the water stories need an appropriate reference. Check with your local water company and they should be able to provide not only what is in your water but what the established guidelines are for various things.

Next, you might start worrying about BED (Banana Equivalent Dose) for the radon in your water or for traveling out in the rocks or for calculating altitude exposures and such.

sorry, this sort of fear mongering has been so typical from those who want to sell things based on people's uncertainty out of ignorance, it bothers me.

[Wanabee FTer]

Originally Posted by BryanL

Check with your local water company and they should be able to provide not only what is in your water but what the established guidelines are for various things.

That's the problem, the EPA has no established guidelines for chromium 6.
There may be standards soon

[ccook129]

Thank goodness I have a well to get my drinking water from and have it checked my self rather than trust the local water company rep,who says don't swim in the local reservoir,because of contaminants,and too much alge remover.
Drinking Water the new OIL.

[Barbaraok]

Please remember that this is an environmental group that is a little far out there. And the levels they are talking about (part per billion) are extremely small. Second, we don't know who did the analysis, how it was done, what standards were used, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some stray contamination because hexavalent chromium is usually found only in areas that have plating shops (that's how chrome is plated onto most bumpers) which then leaks into ground water because of old disposal methods (throwing it out the back door) not generally into surface water which is what most larger cities use for drinking water.

Barb

[HD4Mark]

Originally Posted by BryanL

Next, it'll be a repeat of the dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO) chemical scare, too.

Dihydrogen monoxide is the main ingredient in acid rain you know

[Lorna]

We use a 0.5 micro filter (removes many pesticides, lead, cysts, etc) because we were living in an area that had heavy pesticide use and the campgrounds were on well water. Also I have a sensitive tummy when it comes to water. 200 miles and the water will make me sick. So we filter everything, even when on city water systems. We also are food vendors and use the filtered water. In our current location, we use RO ice and still keep our filter going because this area has a very high (but legally "acceptable") level of arsenic. We got bad water once in a campground. Our pets (the onlyones who actulaly ingested the water) both got sick. Our young, healthy dog managed to shake off the illness but our antique cat (over 20 yo) never did fully recover. She finally died about 2 or three years later but she went from being fairly healthy (albeit old) to always being slightly under the weather (she caught colds easily), poor appetite, lost far more weight than she should have and her coat was dull. I don't care what folks say about how safe water is. We run water filters.

[NLOVNIT]

I'm with Barb. The article on the website says the senators were basing their request to the EPA on info that came from "a report that found the compound in the tap water of 31 cities across the country." Yet they did not link to the report for verification. Why not? I, too, would like to read the report, know who performed it & what criteria they used to perform it. So may of these "reports" are skewed by the companies or foundations that fund them. I'm extremely skeptical of agencies that do not provide information to back up their news reports.

I am, however, interested in RO systems & would like hearing more from those that have them, how they feel about them.

Lori-

[nbounder]

BryanL is dead right. All this cr*p in the liberal press is printed just to scare the unknowing and more likely, to fill the space between the ads in the local paper. Believe it or not, that is very commonly the reason that some of this nutty stuff gets published - they got room that must be filled!!

[Wanabee FTer]

Originally Posted by NLOVNIT

I'm with Barb. The article on the website says the senators were basing their request to the EPA on info that came from "a report that found the compound in the tap water of 31 cities across the country." Yet they did not link to the report for verification. Why not? I, too, would like to read the report, know who performed it & what criteria they used to perform it. So may of these "reports" are skewed by the companies or foundations that fund them. I'm extremely skeptical of agencies that do not provide information to back up their news reports.

I am, however, interested in RO systems & would like hearing more from those that have them, how they feel about them.

Lori-

The report was made by the environmental working group and other articles do list the measurement of chromium 6 in parts per billion, 9 ppb in Palm Springs my neighboring community.
Regardless of the political stance, my question still stands.
Is anyone using RO on their MH and how much waste water does it create?

[NLOVNIT]

True, the news report you linked to does not answer your questions. Please accept my apology for commenting on it. So we'll stick to the questions you did ask:

Wondering if anyone is concerned about filling their RV tanks with it.

Anyone using RO in their RV now, if so what type of RO system are you using and are you happy with how it disposes of the waste water and the amount of waste water generated?

Thanks for keeping us from getting side-tracked.

Lori-

[Midniteoyl]

Originally Posted by HD4Mark

Dihydrogen monoxide is the main ingredient in acid rain you know

Pretty scary stuff!

Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division - dihydrogen monoxide info

[Wanabee FTer]

Originally Posted by HD4Mark

Dihydrogen monoxide is the main ingredient in acid rain you know

Yes, but minus the acid.
For those who don't know, Dihydrogen monoxide is the chemical name for water.