Is the water supply really bad in Tucson? (buy, live)

[Arizona84]

I will never ever drink Tucson tap water. Only bottled water. Could be costly, but it's totally worthy! (you may wanna take a look to this article Environmental Writing, University of Arizona, What?s wrong with Tucson tap water? by Nathan Blevens)

As restaurants, I love try food of different cultures, so I suggest:

El Charro (mexican)
Scordato Pizzeria (italian)
Allegro gelato (desserts)
Sushi Garden (asian)
Casa Vicente (spanish)
Zemam's (ethiopian)

[DebBho]

Originally Posted by Arizona84

I will never ever drink Tucson tap water. Only bottled water. Could be costly, but it's totally worthy! (you may wanna take a look to this article Environmental Writing, University of Arizona, What?s wrong with Tucson tap water? by Nathan Blevens)

Okay, I took a look. As a matter of fact, I read it once, then wondered what the hell I'd missed and read it again, and I remain baffled as to why you apparently think anything in this student-written "story" is damning of the Tucson water supply.

What I gleaned from it:

Tucson residents are "concerned" about what isn't being tested (e.g. pharmaceuticals, testing for which is cost-prohibitive and, in those select tests which were conducted in Tucson the amounts detected were negligible - i.e., parts per trillion).

Some residents are "concerned" about byproducts of chlorine, even though those have also been tested and found to be "under permitted limits."

"Some residents" are "concerned" that the utility adds back some of the TCE they specifically treat the water to remove. (Are you effin' kidding me?!?!)

"Ongoing concern" about CAP water, which is no longer piped in.

Good grief. Much ado about nothing.

I moved here from Fort Collins, CO last summer and, at first, I found the water to taste pretty "off" compared to what I was used to there. But honestly, that's been the case with every move I've made: From Greeley, CO to Denver, CO as a child; from Denver to Fort Collins as young adult; and now from FC to Tucson. Water is always going to taste different from one place to another - you just have to get used to it!

I have no complaints about the Tucson water supply insofar as drinking or cooking with it. My big beef is the havoc the hardness wreaks on appliances and the unsightly mess it leaves behind on glassware, faucets, countertops, etc. However, the hardness of the water is actually beneficial health-wise.

[sickofIL]

If you're worried about drinking the water, just buy a reverse osmosis water treatment system for drinking and cooking. They are not very expensive and take almost everything out of the water. I have some of the worst well water living in DuPage county Illinois and my softener with an iron removing system makes it usable for everything but drinking. I have a small RO system with a faucet on the kitchen sink and I also have it connected to my refrigerator for the chilled water and ice maker.

An RO system will remove chlorine, bacteria, viruses, most of the dissolved minerals and many other things. Although if you use one with a water supply that has added chlorine you should use an activated charcoal pre-filter first. The chlorine will degrade the RO membrane and reduce the life. and if you are worried about any microbes remaining you can add an ultraviolet light sterilizing system to kill those as well.

I used to live where we had water from the Chicago city water supply and i found that just fine. Although many people say it is too hard.

Each time we were in Tucson and all of the times I have visited Phoenix I never noticed anything wrong with the drinking water.

[Arizona84]

Originally Posted by DebBho

Okay, I took a look. As a matter of fact, I read it once, then wondered what the hell I'd missed and read it again, and I remain baffled as to why you apparently think anything in this student-written "story" is damning of the Tucson water supply.

What I gleaned from it:

Tucson residents are "concerned" about what isn't being tested (e.g. pharmaceuticals, testing for which is cost-prohibitive and, in those select tests which were conducted in Tucson the amounts detected were negligible - i.e., parts per trillion).

Some residents are "concerned" about byproducts of chlorine, even though those have also been tested and found to be "under permitted limits."

"Some residents" are "concerned" that the utility adds back some of the TCE they specifically treat the water to remove. (Are you effin' kidding me?!?!)

"Ongoing concern" about CAP water, which is no longer piped in.

Good grief. Much ado about nothing.

I moved here from Fort Collins, CO last summer and, at first, I found the water to taste pretty "off" compared to what I was used to there. But honestly, that's been the case with every move I've made: From Greeley, CO to Denver, CO as a child; from Denver to Fort Collins as young adult; and now from FC to Tucson. Water is always going to taste different from one place to another - you just have to get used to it!

I have no complaints about the Tucson water supply insofar as drinking or cooking with it. My big beef is the havoc the hardness wreaks on appliances and the unsightly mess it leaves behind on glassware, faucets, countertops, etc. However, the hardness of the water is actually beneficial health-wise.

Argh! I pasted the wrong link! It was suppose to be this one: http://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/water/...ity_Report.pdf


Anyways, I keep believing on buying bottled water. I think my health is worthy couple dollars a month!

[sickofIL]

nyways, I keep believing on buying bottled water. I think my health is worthy couple dollars a month!

Are you looking at the labels of the bottled water that you buy? I hope so. Some of it may not be any different than what comes out of the faucet. Many people falsely believe that all bottled water has been filtered/cleaned/treated and is better to drink.

Some is ozonated; (kills bacteria and viruses) some is filtered;some is RO water; some is distilled and some are just from public water supplies. There may be other treatments as well. So don't just believe that all bottled water is better.

The bottled water industry began by using spring water but many brands are just "purified" tap water -- what ever that means and may not even be filtered. Dasani, Aquafina & Sparkletts are "purified" water.

[teddyearp]

Purified water is the same as using a RO system in your own house.

[sickofIL]

Purified water is the same as using a RO system in your own house.

I agree. So why buy bottled water then.

[Arizona84]

There is no point to insist on this. I'm happy with my bottled water, you with your tap water. Move on!

[DebBho]

Originally Posted by Arizona84

Argh! I pasted the wrong link! It was suppose to be this one: http://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/water/...ity_Report.pdf

And again, it shows Tucson's water supply to be perfectly safe, with most things tested for falling far below the maximum contaminant level and only two (arsenic and uranium) even close to approaching the MCL.

[ProffetOfDade]

I lived in Alva Fl, and I thought the water there was really vile stuff. After coming to Tucson, I wont even drink tap water straight if it's not filtered...it scares me just looking at it, I don't know what to call it, but if I drink that much sediment I will need to replace something inside of me ! No.