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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
informative
slow-paced
Good informational content, but the author's opinions and recommendations sometimes struck me as a little off. Great information about the kinds of water pollution we're seeing in the USA, the sources and the treatment options. Some of the recommendations, such as moving drinking water quality from EPA monitoring to Health & Human Services management and creating better earlier regulations on potentially harmful pollutants also seemed quite reasonable. On the other hand, some felt poorly thought out - for example where he advised that the water regulations moved up the governmental chain of command to being state level politics. This feels likely to exacerbate rural water neglect and also subject it to a greater amount of corporate and business lobby pressure. At one point Siegel points out how city water managers tend to do barely the minimum and corporate interests were incorrect about the science of percolate and then he recommends 'independent scientific boards' as the solution. Is he assuming academics will be doing this work? The experts in the field now would be the same water managers and corporate scientists that he just spoke of doing the minimum, with a sprinkling of non-profits - but non-profits can't be expected to balance out the rest of water dependent industry scientists. The author again compares the number of water districts in California to the number of utilities without regard to the fact that the size of our utilities (such as PG&E) has lead to a series of problems of scale for the company and its customers. The precautionary principle as used in Europe, and an investment in local science and human health standards seems more reasonable. I also found that this story neglected to address rural poverty as a challenge for water utilities and the related sewage issues, which may have been top of mind due to my recent read of [b:Waste: One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret|53938555|Waste One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret|Catherine Coleman Flowers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603144608l/53938555._SX50_.jpg|84300598], a book on a similar challenge. There was another slight quibble where he started talking about waste reuse in the 'toilet to tap' context and implied that it began in 1925, neglecting to acknowledge the long tradition of reusing 'night soil' in many parts of the world.
All quibbling aside, this book brings up important issues and it's worth our attention to know what is in our water and why it's not as safe as we would wish. A useful, informative book if not a perfect book.
Listened to as an audiobook through the SF Public Library and the Libby app.
All quibbling aside, this book brings up important issues and it's worth our attention to know what is in our water and why it's not as safe as we would wish. A useful, informative book if not a perfect book.
Listened to as an audiobook through the SF Public Library and the Libby app.
So, here I sit, reviewing this book, drinking water from my fridge in my metal water bottle...thinking I'm doing the right things. Well...maybe. Does the bottle have a plastic lining? I don't know. If so, is it lined with BPA? Is the fridge filter getting out contaminants? What about all those facial scrubs I used to use that have those tiny particles?? They cannot be filtered out in municipal treatment centers. Well, shall I just use bottled water and forego the tapwater? Where did the water come from? How was it treated? What kind of plastic bottle encloses the water? Did that bottle ever sit out in the sun or in a hot warehouse? What kind of pipes come into my house? It was built in the late 70's...they could be lead!! And lead is harmful 'to children and other living creatures.'
Reading this book is both exhausting and anxiety-producing. We need water...need it to survive. But we have absolutely zero control over whether the water is healthy or is killing us.
Siegel lays it all out for us and scares us. His story is not without heroes...individuals and cities who chose to do the right thing. He shows how very hard it is to get the EPA to protect (IN THEIR NAME!!) our drinking water...when industry and other government agencies feel their needs are more important than mine, I lose every time. He also shares tips and steps we can take, such as they are. Consumers are pretty helpless, truth be told, but now we are informed.
Now every sip I take, I wonder...
Reading this book is both exhausting and anxiety-producing. We need water...need it to survive. But we have absolutely zero control over whether the water is healthy or is killing us.
Siegel lays it all out for us and scares us. His story is not without heroes...individuals and cities who chose to do the right thing. He shows how very hard it is to get the EPA to protect (IN THEIR NAME!!) our drinking water...when industry and other government agencies feel their needs are more important than mine, I lose every time. He also shares tips and steps we can take, such as they are. Consumers are pretty helpless, truth be told, but now we are informed.
Now every sip I take, I wonder...
The USGS (United States Geological Service) has an interesting Water Science School document called "The Water in You: Water in the Human Body." In it we learn that all told, the human body is composed of about 60% water. Some organs and tissues have higher water content than others, for instance our lungs are about 83% water, kidneys about 79%, brain and heart about 73% and even our bones are about 31% water. One should consider where that water comes from and what is in that water that makes up us. Do you want your lungs, kidneys, brain, etc to become saturated with any contaminants? A quick look at Flint, Michigan and you can see that, no, you do not want unsafe drinking water in your body. But how safe is America's water? Reader, you should be asking this question in your town, your state, and of your legislators. And you should go armed with facts.
Troubled Water, my non-fiction read for September, provides a deeply unsettling look at drinking water in America. Siegel explains in rich detail the gross inadequacies of the Environmental Protection Agency, whose abbreviated list of about ninety "regulated contaminants" is dwarfed by more than 120,000 compounds, pharmaceuticals, and plastics that could influence water quality and safety. No one is looking for those contaminants. No one regulates them. And we are not just talking about tap water from a public source or a private well whose watershed may be contaminated by decades of manufacturing runoffs. Bottled water is just as poorly regulated. In fact, in many instances, it is totally unregulated. So if you were drinking bottled water thinking it was safer, you might want to think again. From perfluorinated contaminants to estrogens to microplastics, the drinking water in this country is something that should concern every citizen. It affects humans, our pets, our crops, and the plant and animal protein we consume. In short, the poorly regulated and analyzed so-called potable water problem affects everything around us.
This book is extremely accessible and any layperson can and should read it. The important thrust of this book, pushing the EPA to do more to protect Americans by regulating drinking water more consistently, efficiently, and with the public interest in mind, is something that should be on every citizen's mind. And further, setting local and state standards for better filtration of drinking water, so that unregulated contaminants don't find their way into our food supply and kitchen water. Because clearly, relying on the slow-moving EPA is a foolhardy thing.
An excellent book.
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.
Troubled Water, my non-fiction read for September, provides a deeply unsettling look at drinking water in America. Siegel explains in rich detail the gross inadequacies of the Environmental Protection Agency, whose abbreviated list of about ninety "regulated contaminants" is dwarfed by more than 120,000 compounds, pharmaceuticals, and plastics that could influence water quality and safety. No one is looking for those contaminants. No one regulates them. And we are not just talking about tap water from a public source or a private well whose watershed may be contaminated by decades of manufacturing runoffs. Bottled water is just as poorly regulated. In fact, in many instances, it is totally unregulated. So if you were drinking bottled water thinking it was safer, you might want to think again. From perfluorinated contaminants to estrogens to microplastics, the drinking water in this country is something that should concern every citizen. It affects humans, our pets, our crops, and the plant and animal protein we consume. In short, the poorly regulated and analyzed so-called potable water problem affects everything around us.
This book is extremely accessible and any layperson can and should read it. The important thrust of this book, pushing the EPA to do more to protect Americans by regulating drinking water more consistently, efficiently, and with the public interest in mind, is something that should be on every citizen's mind. And further, setting local and state standards for better filtration of drinking water, so that unregulated contaminants don't find their way into our food supply and kitchen water. Because clearly, relying on the slow-moving EPA is a foolhardy thing.
An excellent book.
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very informative book about some of the contaminants that can be in our drinking water. Each chapter in this book focuses on either a comtaininant or the laws and organizations that impact our drinking water. It is important to understand the issues surrounding our water and to ensure we understand what is in our drinking water.
The USGS (United States Geological Service) has an interesting Water Science School document called "The Water in You: Water in the Human Body." In it we learn that all told, the human body is composed of about 60% water. Some organs and tissues have higher water content than others, for instance our lungs are about 83% water, kidneys about 79%, brain and heart about 73% and even our bones are about 31% water. One should consider where that water comes from and what is in that water that makes up us. Do you want your lungs, kidneys, brain, etc to become saturated with any contaminants? A quick look at Flint, Michigan and you can see that, no, you do not want unsafe drinking water in your body. But how safe is America's water? Reader, you should be asking this question in your town, your state, and of your legislators. And you should go armed with facts.
Troubled Water, my non-fiction read for September, provides a deeply unsettling look at drinking water in America. Siegel explains in rich detail the gross inadequacies of the Environmental Protection Agency, whose abbreviated list of about ninety "regulated contaminants" is dwarfed by more than 120,000 compounds, pharmaceuticals, and plastics that could influence water quality and safety. No one is looking for those contaminants. No one regulates them. And we are not just talking about tap water from a public source or a private well whose watershed may be contaminated by decades of manufacturing runoffs. Bottled water is just as poorly regulated. In fact, in many instances, it is totally unregulated. So if you were drinking bottled water thinking it was safer, you might want to think again. From perfluorinated contaminants to estrogens to microplastics, the drinking water in this country is something that should concern every citizen. It affects humans, our pets, our crops, and the plant and animal protein we consume. In short, the poorly regulated and analyzed so-called potable water problem affects everything around us.
This book is extremely accessible and any layperson can and should read it. The important thrust of this book, pushing the EPA to do more to protect Americans by regulating drinking water more consistently, efficiently, and with the public interest in mind, is something that should be on every citizen's mind. And further, setting local and state standards for better filtration of drinking water, so that unregulated contaminants don't find their way into our food supply and kitchen water. Because clearly, relying on the slow-moving EPA is a foolhardy thing.
An excellent book.
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.
Troubled Water, my non-fiction read for September, provides a deeply unsettling look at drinking water in America. Siegel explains in rich detail the gross inadequacies of the Environmental Protection Agency, whose abbreviated list of about ninety "regulated contaminants" is dwarfed by more than 120,000 compounds, pharmaceuticals, and plastics that could influence water quality and safety. No one is looking for those contaminants. No one regulates them. And we are not just talking about tap water from a public source or a private well whose watershed may be contaminated by decades of manufacturing runoffs. Bottled water is just as poorly regulated. In fact, in many instances, it is totally unregulated. So if you were drinking bottled water thinking it was safer, you might want to think again. From perfluorinated contaminants to estrogens to microplastics, the drinking water in this country is something that should concern every citizen. It affects humans, our pets, our crops, and the plant and animal protein we consume. In short, the poorly regulated and analyzed so-called potable water problem affects everything around us.
This book is extremely accessible and any layperson can and should read it. The important thrust of this book, pushing the EPA to do more to protect Americans by regulating drinking water more consistently, efficiently, and with the public interest in mind, is something that should be on every citizen's mind. And further, setting local and state standards for better filtration of drinking water, so that unregulated contaminants don't find their way into our food supply and kitchen water. Because clearly, relying on the slow-moving EPA is a foolhardy thing.
An excellent book.
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.