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giantg2 21 hours ago

At this point we should just create programs to promote RO filtration at home. If it's not lead then it's PFAS or some other thing. Then we have the issues with the chlorine and chloramine byproducts inhernet even in properly treated water - stuff that we already know as possible, probable, or known carcinogens.

BoredPositron 21 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Sounds like a band-aid solution for bad governance.

SketchySeaBeast 17 hours ago | parent | next [-]

It sounds like a great way to reduce the standard further with the justification that RO will solve the problems, leaving an even wider class divide having clean drinking water, creating haves and have nots in something so basic it's part of the table stakes to be considered a civilized country.

I say this knowing that many developed nations still struggle with this in specific circumstances, but it shouldn't be an issue nation wide.

giantg2 17 hours ago | parent [-]

Hence the part about programs to help facilitate it. I'd rather see RO systems being handed out in Flint, MI vs cases of bottled water for months.

SketchySeaBeast 17 hours ago | parent [-]

I agree that a flat of water bottles a month is a poor solution, but giving every house and apartment dweller a free RO system and then ensuring those system are maintained seems highly infeasible.

giantg2 13 hours ago | parent [-]

Replacing the pipes can take years. There needs to be some sort of good medium-term solution. I think it's reasonably feasible to use bottles as a very short term solution while implementing the RO systems for a medium-term solution. It's possible that you could even focus on providing apartment buildings with commercial RO systems for the whole building if the pipes inside the building are not lead. The maintenance is not that much of a concern with the filter life indicators. It would seem the people who couldnt stay up on replacing filters would also not be able to plan for how many water bottles they need, meaning they likely have (or need to have) someone to help them with their life.

NewJazz 21 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

No, it is not a band aid, it is the gold standard for water filtration. And not all water issues stem from bad governance. Sometimes there is just unwanted minerals in the water for natural reasons.

dylan604 21 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Like all of those yummy chemicals introduced to your well water after your neighbors allowed gas wells to be drilled on their property.

mitthrowaway2 20 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The gold standard for air filtration might be a military grade gas mask or a compressed oxygen tank, but if everyone had to wear those to breathe the air outside, I'd consider it a band aid solution.

NewJazz 20 hours ago | parent [-]

How is that a reasonable comparison? You don't have to carry the RO filter on your back. You think about it maybe a couple times a year when you replace the filter. Plenty of people use water filters every day. If you told them that was like wearing a gas mask whenever you go outside, they'd look at you funny.

Tadpole9181 20 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Until you remember that now nobody is going to be able to drink water from restaurants or their workplace or the tap at the park. And that you can't filter the vegetables you eat that have been watered with contaminated water.

giantg2 19 hours ago | parent [-]

Keep in mind, these restrictions have nothing to do with the environmental pollution but only the water treatment. So those veggies would still be contaminated with or without the regulation. If we moved to a paradigm of point of use purification, then the park, work, restaurant, etc would all have filters too.

BoredPositron 21 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I can't follow why would you opt for filtration in individual homes?

dylan604 21 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Because I have no say in the plumbing used to get the water from the source to my home. Some of that infrastructure is older than I am. Whole home RO systems would still possibly flow through plumbing I wouldn't be happy with. Undersink RO systems at the primary place providing water that I ingest seems like the best place for me knowing the details about the plumbing from this new source.

saulpw 20 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Just use your own well! Sheesh.

dylan604 18 hours ago | parent [-]

And drink the chenicals that have leeched in from all of the fracking going on? Not without me RO filter.

BoredPositron 16 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

That's also a bad governance problem.

dylan604 8 hours ago | parent [-]

And? You keep saying this like it's an answer to a question, but it's just not a useful one. Do you go through all of life deciding that you're going to do nothing because it's a bad governance problem? Do you honestly never make changes to things you can control just because it technically should be someone else's problem? Personally, I don't have time for that. If I can make improvements for things as a band-aid fix to something that will never get fixed in any other fashion, I do it. I don't have time for BS and lazy "but it's not my problem" type of people, and you're quickly moving into that column

giantg2 21 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

To eliminate the distribution network risks.

BoredPositron 16 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I still don't understand why you would opt for individual home filter systems. Doesn't make sense if you are not off the grid.

giantg2 21 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

And how do you treat water that needs to travel through questionably maintained pipes without chlorine etc? Seems a much cheaper and efficient fix to utilize point of use filtration.

BoredPositron 21 hours ago | parent [-]

The pipes are also bad governance. If they are your own pipes you certainly can opt for filtration instead of replacing them but as I said sounds like a band-aid.

giantg2 21 hours ago | parent [-]

Show me a nation with perfectly maintained pipes that doesn't use chlorine etc. If you can't show me that, then your proposed solution is invalid.

ajmurmann 20 hours ago | parent | next [-]

In Germany chlorine is used to treat water in the plant but it's removed before it goes into the pipe. There is a tiny residue but that's residue and not intentional to prevent issues with the pipes.

binoct 20 hours ago | parent | next [-]

What does Germany use to manage microorganism growth in it's water distribution system? As I understand cloramine/chlorine is used to keep the small amounts of microorganisms that will always be present in water and pipes from growing into a problem while it travels/sits in the distribution system.

BoredPositron 16 hours ago | parent [-]

https://utilityweek.co.uk/the-future-of-chlorine/

binoct 9 hours ago | parent [-]

Thanks!

giantg2 20 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

If there is residue of the chlorine then wouldnt there be residue of the harmful compounds it reacts to create?

BoredPositron 16 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, and Austria with Czechia and Poland also transitioning to a high source-water protection and multi-barrier treatment like ozone, UV, and carbon filtration system.

giantg2 13 hours ago | parent [-]

The ozone has similar concerns as the chlorine with the formation of potentially hazardous by products. Carbon plus UV is probably sufficient as long as you can guarantee the pipes are fine through the whole distribution system. We will see how that plays out.

BoredPositron 13 hours ago | parent [-]

It played out pretty will since 2016...

softwaredoug 20 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

True but doesn’t PFAS impact ecosystems and agriculture as well?

giantg2 20 hours ago | parent [-]

Reducing pollution in the environment is good, but this discussion is about water quality mandates for drinking water. These are more at the water treatment facility level whereas reducing the environmental levels would happen upstream of this process.

iamtedd 20 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

That's such a good idea. Why didn't the people of Flint, Michigan just do that in their homes? /s