Tips for Taps Blog

Late to Regulate
Published on by John PujolDid you know it took almost 100 years for US health regulations to protect citizens from the dangers of lead paint?
Meanwhile, hundreds of new pharmaceuticals, industrial solvents, fertilizers, and other new chemicals enter the US economy (and water supply) every year. You probably haven’t heard of most of these, and while many chemicals in your water are likely safe, some of them are certainly not.
Unfortunately, regulations are in a game of catch-up with the chemicals our economy releases into the environment. This means many potential toxins go unmonitored in our pipes, and indeed unregulated in your drinking water.
Looking back, here’s a short list of dangerous chemicals that took way too long to regulate:
1. Lead Regulation ↠ 100 Years
1887 - US Authorities Diagnose Lead Poisoning In Children
1904 - Lead Paint Diagnosed As Source Of Lead Poisoning
1978 - US Government Bans Lead Paint
2. Arsenic Regulation ↠ 100 Years
1888 - Fowler’s Solution (a once popular arsenic-containing-medicine) proven to cause cancers.
1968 - Research in Taiwan shows connection between arsenic in drinking water and cancer.
2001 - US EPA regulates arsenic in drinking water to 10 parts per billion.
3. PCB’s ↠ 50 Years
1933 - 95% of workers in PCB factory develop strong reactions to PCB manufacturing.
1966 - Scientists declare PCB’s a “worldwide environmental problem”
1979 - US EPA bans the manufacture of PCB’s.
4. 1,2,3 TCP ↠ 80+ (still not regulated)
1940’s - Manufactured by Dow for use as a pesticide and solvent.
2009 - 1,2,3 TCP is declared a carcinogen.
2017 - California begins to regulate 1,2,3 TCP amid controversy
There are more than 100 contaminants currently regulated by the US EPA under public water system protections provided by the US Safe Drinking Water Act. Our water laws aren't perfect but they are some of the best in the world. This shows just what an uphill battle regulators face when trying to keep the public safe.
There are thousands of new chemicals introduced into the environment by industry every year. Each chemical contaminant has a story and SimpleLab is doing the difficult of structuring that information in a way that lets us perform state of the art health analysis and generate informative Tap Score Reports.
About Tap Score
Tap Score combines world-class laboratory science with customer service to ensure testing your drinking water is simple, fast and factual. Everything we do is driven by data and supported by a team of experts ready to answer your questions. Let’s get started.
Related Topics
Related Articles
› back to top
Related Articles
-
LCRR: Improving Lead Sampling Through the 5th Liter Requirement
The primary contributor to lead in drinking water is the lead service line (LSL) typically found underneath older homes and/or in cities that haven’t invested in major infrastructural overhauls. The...
-
Is Boiled Water Pure?
You may have heard that boiling your water will make it safer to drink. However, it’s important to know the facts about boiling your water before switching on the stove....
-
What Are the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR)?
What does the revised Lead and Copper Rule (LCRR) mean for you? The new Lead and Copper Rule Revisions introduce a proactive approach to protecting children and communities from the...
Shop our most
popular tests
I Have City Water
City Water
I Have Well Water
Well Water
Core Kit
Essential City Water Test
47 Analytes Tested
Basic test panel for water utility customers primarily concerned by metals, aging pipes, and infrastructure.
Core Kit
Advanced City Water Test
109 Analytes Tested
Ideal baseline for testing tap water provided by a local water utility–including metals, minerals, and chlorine-related byproducts.
MOST POPULAR
Core Kit
Extended City Water Test
118 Analytes Tested
Comprehensive testing for the core concerns impacting utility-provided tap water, plus analysis of radioactive particles and additional disinfection byproducts.
Core Kit
Essential Well Water Test
52 Analytes Tested
Ideal for regular testing of private or shared well water.
MOST POPULAR
Core Kit
Advanced Well Water Test
112 Analytes Tested
Recommended test for those on a private well located near industrial, agricultural, or other human activity.
Core Kit
Extended Well Water Test
182 Analytes Tested
Comprehensive testing for popular well water issues, plus additional risk factors including radioactive particles, radon, tannins, bacteria, plasticizers and pesticides.