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The NYC Department of Health issued a drinking water advisory after the yesterday's flooding may have affected NYC's Hillview reservoir. The DoH says that "higher than normal levels of particles" have been detected in the water supply. While that water has been diverted, they ask that "infants, the elderly, pregnant women and New Yorkers with conditions that compromise their immune systems– those with HIV/AIDS, especially those with CD4 counts less than 200; those with leukemia; and those who are post bone marrow transplantation - use either boiled or bottled water as a precaution for the next 24 hours (until noon Friday)." The NYC DoH has information on what you should do with your water in the meantime; it's unclear whether a Brita filter works, so perhaps boiling water is just the safest thing. [Via Marisa]
Usually, NYC tap water is good - unless the city has been manipulating the data.
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particles, eh? i wonder if that's a euphemism for poop.
That's what I was wondering...what kind of particles exactly? And more than normal? Are they trying to say that there is slightly more poop in the water than usual?
Great.
As one of the targeted groups, not elderly but pregnant, I will be staying away.
Are the rest of you 'normal' people still drinking the water?
Brita is a great idea. Buy a thing full of chemicals to filter out bad chemicals in your drinking water. Then, once you've used the Brita, throw it away. It goes to a landfill where the chemicals seep into water runoff and wind up back in the water supply. Then you need another Brita to filter out all the chemicals that have been reintroduced to your drinking water. Sing with me: It's the circle of liiiifffeee!
Good thing that I read gothamist. I just sat down with a tall glass of tap water. Didn't even notice that there was poop in it.
Brita Filters are not effective against microbial contamination, no.
The particles are little bits of dirt, etc. Yes, river sediments do contain solid waste from river life. But the point is that the chlorine can't penetrate these the same way it can 'clear' water, so microbes could persist.
However, Brita Filters are primarily activated charcoal. So, the 'chemicals' in the filter aren't really all that different from, say, leaf litter. But I did like the 'Circle of Life' joke.
Oh, and no, I'm not drinking the water. Maybe today's a good day to go to a Mexican or Indian restaurant and enjoy a more 'authentic' experience? :)
I'm buying some shares in Poland Spring.
no wonder I had a stomach ache and some er...gastro whatever problems yesterday. No, seriously.
The higher level of particulate matter makes the chlorine less effective. I don't think it's poop per se, that's the problem, but rather the less effective chlorination that might allow more live microbes to get through. At least, what I understood from reading the press release.
The Brita filters _are_ certified for this situation. As the NYC site says:
"Safe filters include:
* those certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) for “absolute cyst removal of particles
From Brita's site:
http://www.brita.com.au/help/frequently_asked_questions__other
"o the Brita systems have any certificates of approval?
The Brita Water Filter systems and filter cartridges have been approved by a number of internationally renowned organisations: ... the On Tap system and filter cartridge have been certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) International as compliant with water filtration standards No. 53 (Health Effects) and No. 42 (Aesthetic Effects) ...."
The [less than] symbol broke the NYC quote:
"Safe filters include:
* those certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) for “absolute cyst removal of particles [less than] one micron”, or standard #53 (cyst reduction). The certification seal can be found on the filter.
* filters labeled with the words “Reverse Osmosis” "
"NSF Standard 53" does not include bacteria or mono-cellular parasites!!!
http://www.checnet.org/healthehouse/education/articles-detail.asp?Main_ID=332
"NSF Standard 53 is the most comprehensive, used for filters that remove most pesticides, VOCs, cysts, fluoride, most heavy metals"
'Cysts' are multicellular bodies -- think a whole colony of beasties. Individual microbes are much smaller than cysts, and so can pass through an activated charcoal filter.
Dirty Brita filters can also be a breeding ground.
And Brita filters are also ineffective against knife attacks and bullets.
anonymous,
If you have problem with New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's standard of what they consider "safe," then you should establish that and say why they're wrong. Simply stating that Brita filters can't stop 100% of everything that could possibly ever be in water doesn't make it unsafe as you are trying to imply.
Does anyone know when NYC started chlorinating the water?
"Since 1910 the city has used chlorine to purify its water supply."
I moved here in 1988 and could swear I taste and smell more chlorine in the tap water than I did then.
I'm really sad that I read this.
I was not aware that there was a ban on drinking water for infants. I just saw something today. I am breastfeeding and did not boil the water. Any risk to my 2 month old baby?