A review by claudiaswisher
Troubled Water: What's Wrong with What We Drink by Seth M. Siegel

4.0

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...