Today, there are very few people who are not aware of the problems with our drinking water supply. The news carries reports each week about yet another clean-up effort initiated on chemical spills, improperly lined landfills, agricultural run-offs and toxic materials which are rapidly leaching into our aquifers and contaminating our water supplies faster than regulatory agencies can find the solutions.

Rain and melting snow carry pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers into our streams, rivers, lakes and wells. Nitrates from fertilizers used for agriculture and home lawn care can contaminate a water supply. Trichloroethylene and benzene, the most commonly found contaminants surrounding hazardous waste sites, are both known to cause cancer. Municipal water that is properly chlorinated kills most bacteria and viruses; however, we now know that chlorine forms carcinogenic compounds such as trihalomethanes and chloroforms when it mixes with organic matter.

Even if municipal water was pure as it left the treatment facility, it may have to travel through miles of pipe to reach your home...And these pipes are guaranteed to be filthy.

Inside your home, lead and other heavy metals can be dissolving in your water supply from piping, solder joints and brass fixtures. Lead, when ingested, can cause severe neurological damage...particularly in children. The EPA estimates that 38 million Americans drink water that exceeds the 50 parts per billion, the "safe" level for lead. And, who is to know if 50 ppb isn't too much.

This dismal picture leaves many of us wondering just how wisely we're replacing this vital 70% of our own bodies every 5 to 10 days.