From temporary shutdowns like those related to COVID-19 to seasonal occupancy, long periods of reduced water use can lead to a variety of potential hazards when turning the tap back on. While there is currently no standard for safely reopening a building, this guide to flushing fixtures before using inactive plumbing can help keep you safe.

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Aluminum is considered a sustainable alternative to plastic, but has some ties to serious neurological disorders like Alzheimer's Disease. In this Tips for Taps piece, we ask (and answer), "Is aluminum toxic enough to be a health concern for your drinking water?"

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Toxic Substances Control Act requires the EPA to keep a list of all chemicals made or processed in the US. To date, there are over 86,000 chemicals in this inventory. However, loopholes in the laws for testing these chemicals have allowed thousands of potentially harmful products to enter the environment. Find out why in this newest Tips for Taps article.

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While we usually talk about contaminants negatively impacting your health if we find it in drinking water – lithium is a rare example of an element that may actually benefit your health. How is that so? In this post, we’ll cover what Lithium is, how you might be exposed through drinking water, and what scientists hypothesize the potential benefits could be.

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While we talk a lot about drinking water, it's not the only way we are exposed to potential contaminants. Showering is another way we encounter many hazards lurking in water. In this piece, we look at the water quality risks and concerns exist in shower water and what type of shower filters, if any, are effective.

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Water treatment can be confusing. With the ever-growing list of potential contaminants making their way into drinking water, it's hard to know which is the best system for you. In this Tips for Taps piece, we take a deep dive into a popular at-home treatment option: Ion Exchange–as we ask: what is an ion exchange (IE) system, how does it work, and is it right for you?

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Given the 80,000+ chemicals on the market, it's no surprise that there are many we just don't know much about. Such chemicals, called "emerging contaminants," enter our drinking water in a variety of ways. In this piece, we ask: what are contaminants of emerging concern, what challenges can they present for researchers and regulators, and how you can protect yourself against the potential risks?

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What are phthalates and are they dangerous? You can’t smell them, taste them, or perhaps even pronounce them, but phthalates are everywhere. Therefore, due to leaching, weathering and disintegration, they can (and do) make it into many drinking water supplies. Find out what that means for your health.

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