Jackson Free Press

The City of Jackson was inconvenienced last week when officials released a precautionary boil-water alert because samples showed bacteria that can cause digestive problems. Everyone scrambled for alternatives. Residents lugged home gallons of store-bought water and cringed when they realized how hard it was to remember not to turn on a faucet. Restaurants fussed about ice and soda fountains. We're so accustomed to relying on a safe water source, and we're so used to expecting "them" to protect us. We're so spoiled to the convenience of turning it on and trusting it to flow and be safe. This alert caught everyone completely off guard when it showed up so "suddenly."

But was it really? Was Jackson's water "safe" in the first place? In 2000, tests revealed an excess of chlorine byproducts. The 2001 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for Jackson lists a violation in the level of turbidity (clouding with sediment), which the report says "may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms." The 2002 report shows no violations. Both reports point out that cryptosporidium, a parasite, was detected in the source water during testing in 1998, but was corrected by changes in the filtration methods. The reports go on to say that persons with cancer, transplanted organs, HIV or other immune system disorders "should seek advice from their health care providers" regarding the water they drink, because of the problems this parasite can cause.
Are you squirming? The reality is that bad stuff gets into water systems, and chemicals are used to remove it. The chemicals remain, and can cause or exacerbate health problems. It's a choice between two evils, but most of us want them to "kill the bugs." The problem is achieving the delicate balance between bugs and chemicals, and the city faces the same challenges as every other municipality.

Keith Allen, Engineering Services Supervisor at the Mississippi Department of Health, Division of Water Supply, says the state does "a very good job overall. We have a very good water supply program and compliance rates in the very high 90s. But now and then things happen." Allen says every water system in the state pulls samples to check for at least 150 test items, and the list is increased routinely. The World Health Organization ranks U.S. water quality at 12 out of the 122 countries surveyed. One inconvenience every few years looks good compared to the world's population that has to haul water, often dirty water, to survive.

This is not to say that we should accept the status quo. The water system's managers should continue to improve processing facilities as well as tighten testing, security and contaminant level requirements. But we need to do more as well. Some pollutants come from nature, but much of it is from us—wood preservatives, chemicals, fertilizers, industrial waste and petroleum products, for example. If we all work to keep the environment clean, we will have cleaner water.

In the meantime, recognize that this is a problem from which we cannot hide, but we can run a few circles around it. You can use filters to remove some of the undesirable elements. Buy bottled water, but be choosy. Some of it is just tap water from somewhere else. Read the labels. Mix it up, drink a wide variety of types. (Remember to recycle the bottles!) And be aware of the hidden tap water in fountain drinks and ice in restaurants.

While you're at it, do some research and write your city officials and congressmen about how you want your water to be managed.