Because I have been in the water filtration business in Atlanta for over 20 years now I am often asked what is in Atlanta’s water.  First this is by no means a complete list and this list may vary depending on where you live in Atlanta, where your water comes from, and how old your distribution system may be that carries the water to your home.  So here is my top 10 list:

1. Fluoride – Yes the city still puts fluoride into the water. According the Fulton County 2017 Water Quality Report it is a water additive which promotes strong teeth.  The report also says that it is less than 1 ppm (part per million) and that it is sufficient to prevent tooth decay in children.  The report also says that no additional fluoride supplements are needed.

2. Microbial Contaminants such as viruses and bacteria – More than likely these contaminants will come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, wildlife and livestock operations

3. Inorganic contaminants like salts and metals. These come from either naturally occurring means that our water comes in contact with as it moves across and through our landscape.  These contaminants can also come from urban storm water runoff and industrial or domestic wastewater discharges like oil and gas production, mining or farming.

4. Pesticides and Herbicides – These come from agriculture, urban storm water runoff and residential uses.

5. Organic Chemical Contaminants including synthetic and volatile organic Chemicals which are by products of industrial processes and petroleum production, from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.

6. Radioactive Contaminants which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production or mining activities.

7. Chlorine – A water additive used to control microbes

8. Red Clay / Dirt – naturally present in the environment.

9. Copper / Lead – Caused by erosion or household plumbing systems and erosion of natural deposits.

10. Pharmaceuticals – These can enter the water supply by either flushing old meds down the toilet or by our body’s discharging the left over meds in our body. Both ways end up on the sewer process and then are discharged into our rivers and streams as a byproduct of our sewer systems water discharge. As of this writing the government is not required to test for these substances.

To see Fulton County’s latest water quality report, click the link below:
http://www.fultoncountyga.gov/images/stories/WR/water/CCR/Water_Quality_Report_2017.pdf