Water Quality & Aesthetics

Yes. Many tests have shown that the amount of chlorine found in treated water is safe to drink. Chlorine is needed to maintain disinfection throughout the distribution system. The potential for water contamination when chlorine is not used, outweighs any long-term concerns.

The cloudy water is caused by tiny air bubbles in the water similar to the gas bubbles in beer and carbonated soft drinks. It is particularly noticeable in water taken directly from the tap. Within seconds, the bubbles rise to the top and are gone. This type of cloudiness occurs more often in the winter,…

Last year Associated Press news reports shed some light on the widespread concern that medications are being detected in the drinking water of our nation’s largest cities. Major sources of pharmaceuticals in waterways are direct discharges from wastewater facilities and septic systems – either from people flushing unused medications down the toilet or from unabsorbed…

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends a 0.7 mg/l optimal level of fluoride in drinking water to prevent tooth decay. The Portland Water District maintains an average of 0.70 mg/l. Recently, the Portland Water District was awarded the Water Fluoridation Quality Award from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for…

To protect public health we: add folic acid to cereal products to prevent birth defects; add iodide to salt to prevent goiter; add chlorine to water to disinfect it; add vitamin D to milk to build stronger bones. Fluoridation is similar to other ways we protect public health. Some controversy surrounds fluoridation. Opponents question the…

Fluoride is manufactured through a process that separates fluoride from phosphorus. Phosphorus is primarily used by the fertilizer industry for fertilizer. The fluoride is used by the water industry. Fluoride used in drinking water is tested and must meet AWWA and NSF standards for purity.

Fluoride protects teeth in two ways: Systemic fluoride. This is the fluoride in drinking water, fluoride vitamins or supplements. This fluoride is swallowed. Systemic fluoride in saliva strengthens the tooth structure and helps prevent decay. It reaches teeth still forming, even before you can see them in the mouth. Topical fluoride. This is the fluoride…

Is fluoride a safe drinking water additive? The fluoridation of drinking water is endorsed by the American Dental Association, the American Medical Association, and the US Public Health Service. The CDC proclaimed fluoridation to be one of the top ten greatest public health achievements of the past century. Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett…

Disinfection of drinking water is one of the major public health advances in the twentieth century. In the early 1900s, typhoid and cholera were common throughout American cities; disinfection was a large factor in reducing these epidemics. Chlorine was the preferred disinfectant back then and continues to be the most widely used substance for water…