To date, WSU has not detected any of these contaminants in any samples. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals, and in some cases, radioactive material.
Water can also pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts, minerals and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming. Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses. Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems. Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population.