You've been around the track so many times you've lost count. You pull up, grab your water bottle, and take a long swig. But what are you really drinking? Is it just plain water, or is it full of other chemicals? Is it safe, even if it came from your dorm's bathroom faucet?
"We watch the water quality very carefully," said Jonathan Yeo, Director of communications at the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA), which supplies the Medford-Somerville area with its water.
The water supplied to the dorms must first travel a long way before it can flow from the faucet. During this journey, precautions are taken to make sure the water remains contaminant-free.
"The water comes from two large reservoirs, the Quabbin Reservoir and the Wachusett Reservoir, both of which are filled by rain water," Yeo said. The reservoirs are located over 30 miles outside Boston. To keep the water clean, the area around the reservoirs remains undeveloped and free from unnecessary human presence.
The earth actually purifies the water as it travels through the ground to the reservoirs, by picking up contaminants such as metal ions. In exchange, the water may pick up bacteria or viruses.
After the water leaves the reservoir, it is immediately treated with chlorine to kill the bacteria and viruses. The water runs down through aqueducts to the city, where it is treated with sodium bicarbonate and carbon dioxide to raise its pH and to reduce its ability to dissolve lead from older pipes.
Finally, at the outer reaches of the water system, a compound called chloramine - a combination of chlorine and ammonia - is added. Chloramine eliminates any contaminants that may have been introduced to the water since it left the reservoir.
According to the MWRA website, the water Tufts receives is perfectly safe, with the exception of lead content. Lead is not introduced into the water until it reaches the pipes of local buildings. In 1986, a law was passed prohibiting the use of lead in pipes, but older houses, buildings, and dorms may still have lead piping.
The MWRA barely failed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) maximum level for lead in the water. According to the MWRA website, the EPA allows 15 parts per billion (ppb) of lead in the water of ten percent or fewer homes. In Medford, ten percent of homes have 16ppb, which is just over what the EPA says is admissible. However, Somerville tested at 28ppb, nearly double the admissible level of lead coming out of faucets.
Students should protect themselves from lead because it can cause cancer, kidney failure, and high blood pressure in adults who have been exposed for a long period of time. Several ways to protect yourself are:
1.) If the faucet has not been turned on for six hours or more, let the water run for two minutes before drinking. This flushes the water that has had time to absorb lead down the drain.
2.) Do not drink hot water from the tap. It absorbs lead more readily than cold water, even without sitting in the pipes.
3.) Put water in the refrigerator for a while. This lets lead settle out.
Many students choose to use a water filter to protect themselves against lead. Sophomore Sam Dangremond uses a Brita filter because "I don't feel that the water here is clean." According to their website, Brita filters remove 99.9 percent of lead from tap water. Brita also filters out chlorine, plant and algae matter, and metal ions.
Although the water coming out of the faucet in dorms is safe, with the exception of lead, it can look, smell, or taste funny. Freshman Rushi Nayak worries that, although he drinks tap water, "it looks weird. It has bubbles." According to the MWRA, the bubbles and occasional cloudiness in the water are due to air getting caught in the liquid as it flows from the reservoir to the faucet. The air is not harmful.
Freshman Laura Cava won't drink water from the faucet because "it smells like egg." MWRA notes that chlorine or algae can contribute a slight smell or taste to the water, which is harmless. A water filter will remove the extra vegetation from the water.
Whatever you may think of the faucet water specifically, it is important to drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses a day. The exact amount you need depends on various factors such as weight, health, amount of exercise, and the quantity of coffee and alcohol you consume.
Not getting enough water can cause dizziness, disorientation, and even fainting or death in extreme situations. In more minor cases, a lack of water will cause poor performance at both mental and physical tasks.
In addition to drinking the suggested amount of water, students should stay away from drinking too many diuretics, or beverages that cause frequent urination resulting in a net loss of fluids. Coffee and alcoholic beverages top this category. According to www.gotwater.com, "going to bed after a night of drinking alcohol is a sure way of pickling your brain, liver, and other vital organs."
Sodas are also strong diuretics. People who "drink nothing but sodas set themselves up for early heart attacks in their 30s and 40s.... Thick syrupy fluids do not contribute to healthy blood vessels and hearts," according to the gotwater site.
