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Troubled Water: What's Wrong with What We Drink
New York Times bestselling author Seth M. Siegel shows how our drinking water got contaminated, what it may be doing to us, and what we must do to make it safe.
If you thought America’s drinking water problems started and ended in Flint, Michigan, think again. From big cities and suburbs to the rural heartland, chemicals linked to cancer, heart disease, obesity, birth defects, and lowered IQ routinely spill from our taps.
Many are to the EPA, Congress, a bipartisan coalition of powerful governors and mayors, chemical companies, and drinking water utilities―even NASA and the Pentagon. Meanwhile, the bottled water industry has been fanning our fears about tap water, but bottled water is often no safer.
The tragedy is that existing technologies could launch a new age of clean, healthy, and safe tap water for only a few dollars a week per person.
Scrupulously researched, Troubled Water is full of shocking stories about contaminated water found throughout the country and about the everyday heroes who have successfully forced changes in the quality and safety of our drinking water. And it concludes with what America must do to reverse decades of neglect and play-it-safe inaction by government at all levels in order to keep our most precious resource safe.
If you thought America’s drinking water problems started and ended in Flint, Michigan, think again. From big cities and suburbs to the rural heartland, chemicals linked to cancer, heart disease, obesity, birth defects, and lowered IQ routinely spill from our taps.
Many are to the EPA, Congress, a bipartisan coalition of powerful governors and mayors, chemical companies, and drinking water utilities―even NASA and the Pentagon. Meanwhile, the bottled water industry has been fanning our fears about tap water, but bottled water is often no safer.
The tragedy is that existing technologies could launch a new age of clean, healthy, and safe tap water for only a few dollars a week per person.
Scrupulously researched, Troubled Water is full of shocking stories about contaminated water found throughout the country and about the everyday heroes who have successfully forced changes in the quality and safety of our drinking water. And it concludes with what America must do to reverse decades of neglect and play-it-safe inaction by government at all levels in order to keep our most precious resource safe.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2019
65 people are currently reading
978 people want to read
About the author
Seth M. Siegel
8 books45 followersSeth M. Siegel is a serial entrepreneur, water activist and a New York Times bestselling author. In addition to his books, Seth is a Senior Fellow at the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Water Policy. His commentary on a range of topics has appeared in many leading publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Seth has spoken on water issues at more than 325 venues in 68 cities, 26 states and on four continents–and during the Coronavirus lockdown to dozens of others via video.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
March 24, 2020
As a person who has studied water policy and worked in a water division for state government, this book fell so short in my opinion. I can see why it received a lot of positive reviews, as it does read easily for the general public. But unfortunately, similar to other water books, Siegel oversimplified many things and made some statement that are quite inaccurate. He did tackle some subjects well, however.
I agree that we are sadly left with water that is "less safe than we deserve" (xiv). It's interesting that he wrote that there aren't technically villains, but "culprits and bystanders" (x). The process for blame is difficult, as we all, in some form, affect our own water quality. It's also interesting that he praised Pat Mulroy from the Southern Nevada Water Authority while other books/scholars have strongly criticized her for promoting large growth in Las Vegas (which will be water intensive). To each his own, I guess. And it also certainly doesn't sound good when our water infrastructure involves the use of PVC pipe, which can leach plasticy chemicals. But, what else are we going to use?
There are so many chemicals in use that aren't regulated, but there is no possible way for every possible thing to be eliminated from our water. This would be ideal, but Siegel seems to think this is possible if we try (264). In addition, there is no such thing as "pure" water. Water will always have pollutants; pollutants aren't always bad. Fluoride and other things are in water and are beneficial, and can be considered pollutants, which Siegel would infer are bad. Siegel suggests that it would be better to let "impartial, highly qualified experts" decide about contaminants in the water, which isn't as great as it sounds. Eventually, politics and personal goals will be involved.
Also, BOTTLED WATER IS NOT SAFER THAN MUNICIPAL WATER. He writes that bottled water is "often safer than tap water" (104); IT IS NOT. He mentions all the problems with bottled water, but yet he doesn't seem to understand. Bottled water is regulated by the FDA, and they rarely have the resources to fully monitor bottled water, not to mention bottled water bottled and sold within the same state aren't subject to regulation at all. And, most of the time, bottled water IS TAP WATER. And for those brands that Siegel mentions as more pure/natural, like Fiji, actually have many problems with them if you do a simple Google search. I'm ashamed that he fell for advertising tricks. He confuses the reader by saying bottled water is safer, yet also says it's not.
Siegel does make an interesting point here: "federal water law continues to mostly give hospitals a free pass, allowing them and other health-related facilities to dispose of their wastewater not much differently than an ordinary homeowner connected to the municipal water grid" (87). And yet, factories and feedlots are regulated in some degree under the Clean Water Act. Thought provoking idea, since pharmaceuticals in drinking water are rarely on anyone's radar, especially those in decision-making roles (let alone all the other nastiness and chemicals that come from hospitals).
Siegel does make another valid point that when "clean water" is mentioned, it's usually about rivers and lakes, not drinking water. The environmentalist movement is largely unconcerned about drinking water, and therefore there's a shortage of staff and funds to lobby for stronger drinking water standards. Environmentalists are also very concerned with social/environmental justice, yet once again, largely forget about Native American tribes and their immense struggle to have any sort of clean water at all. Siegel did a good job of addressing this.
Lastly, the whole "Toliet to Tap" argument was pretty well written. "Without a second thought, we sleep on sheets that others slept on in hotels and we use spoons that others used for their soup in restaurants. The sheets and spoons have been cleaned, and other people's sewage can be cleaned, too." Yet, no one seems to be okay with reusing water. Siegel tackled this well.
I agree that we are sadly left with water that is "less safe than we deserve" (xiv). It's interesting that he wrote that there aren't technically villains, but "culprits and bystanders" (x). The process for blame is difficult, as we all, in some form, affect our own water quality. It's also interesting that he praised Pat Mulroy from the Southern Nevada Water Authority while other books/scholars have strongly criticized her for promoting large growth in Las Vegas (which will be water intensive). To each his own, I guess. And it also certainly doesn't sound good when our water infrastructure involves the use of PVC pipe, which can leach plasticy chemicals. But, what else are we going to use?
There are so many chemicals in use that aren't regulated, but there is no possible way for every possible thing to be eliminated from our water. This would be ideal, but Siegel seems to think this is possible if we try (264). In addition, there is no such thing as "pure" water. Water will always have pollutants; pollutants aren't always bad. Fluoride and other things are in water and are beneficial, and can be considered pollutants, which Siegel would infer are bad. Siegel suggests that it would be better to let "impartial, highly qualified experts" decide about contaminants in the water, which isn't as great as it sounds. Eventually, politics and personal goals will be involved.
Also, BOTTLED WATER IS NOT SAFER THAN MUNICIPAL WATER. He writes that bottled water is "often safer than tap water" (104); IT IS NOT. He mentions all the problems with bottled water, but yet he doesn't seem to understand. Bottled water is regulated by the FDA, and they rarely have the resources to fully monitor bottled water, not to mention bottled water bottled and sold within the same state aren't subject to regulation at all. And, most of the time, bottled water IS TAP WATER. And for those brands that Siegel mentions as more pure/natural, like Fiji, actually have many problems with them if you do a simple Google search. I'm ashamed that he fell for advertising tricks. He confuses the reader by saying bottled water is safer, yet also says it's not.
Siegel does make an interesting point here: "federal water law continues to mostly give hospitals a free pass, allowing them and other health-related facilities to dispose of their wastewater not much differently than an ordinary homeowner connected to the municipal water grid" (87). And yet, factories and feedlots are regulated in some degree under the Clean Water Act. Thought provoking idea, since pharmaceuticals in drinking water are rarely on anyone's radar, especially those in decision-making roles (let alone all the other nastiness and chemicals that come from hospitals).
Siegel does make another valid point that when "clean water" is mentioned, it's usually about rivers and lakes, not drinking water. The environmentalist movement is largely unconcerned about drinking water, and therefore there's a shortage of staff and funds to lobby for stronger drinking water standards. Environmentalists are also very concerned with social/environmental justice, yet once again, largely forget about Native American tribes and their immense struggle to have any sort of clean water at all. Siegel did a good job of addressing this.
Lastly, the whole "Toliet to Tap" argument was pretty well written. "Without a second thought, we sleep on sheets that others slept on in hotels and we use spoons that others used for their soup in restaurants. The sheets and spoons have been cleaned, and other people's sewage can be cleaned, too." Yet, no one seems to be okay with reusing water. Siegel tackled this well.
March 6, 2020
I may do a more complete review later (I took lots of notes), but every mayor, town councilman, county commissioner, governor, etc should read this book. I live in an area affected by PFOA / PFAS chemicals, and it scared the bejesus out of me. I will shortly be searching out bottled water in glass bottles until I decide how to approach getting purified water for my home. And it made me reconsider drinking milk, because no one is giving those cows water that has had the teflon-residual chemicals filtered out of them. By the way, it is absurd to discover how cheap it is to make water absolutely pristine; most communities simply lack the interest in making water ultra pure in the way Orange County did.
September 19, 2019
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was really comprehensive in its coverage on the history of drinking water, some notable places where there are unique situations, and laws involving drinking water. I learned a lot!
I had never fully realized all of the roadblocks to getting cleaner drinking water. I really appreciate that this author put all of this information together. Clean water should be important to everyone, and I think everyone should read this book.
This book was really comprehensive in its coverage on the history of drinking water, some notable places where there are unique situations, and laws involving drinking water. I learned a lot!
I had never fully realized all of the roadblocks to getting cleaner drinking water. I really appreciate that this author put all of this information together. Clean water should be important to everyone, and I think everyone should read this book.
August 9, 2022
Interesting. Feel like it relies a little bit on shock value. Fairly condemning luck at public waterworks. I don’t think I have enough knowledge base here to really evaluate this in context
October 1, 2019
The USGS (United States Geological Service) has an interesting Water Science School document called "The Water in You: Water in the Human Body." In it we learn that all told, the human body is composed of about 60% water. Some organs and tissues have higher water content than others, for instance our lungs are about 83% water, kidneys about 79%, brain and heart about 73% and even our bones are about 31% water. One should consider where that water comes from and what is in that water that makes up us. Do you want your lungs, kidneys, brain, etc to become saturated with any contaminants? A quick look at Flint, Michigan and you can see that, no, you do not want unsafe drinking water in your body. But how safe is America's water? Reader, you should be asking this question in your town, your state, and of your legislators. And you should go armed with facts.
Troubled Water, my non-fiction read for September, provides a deeply unsettling look at drinking water in America. Siegel explains in rich detail the gross inadequacies of the Environmental Protection Agency, whose abbreviated list of about ninety "regulated contaminants" is dwarfed by more than 120,000 compounds, pharmaceuticals, and plastics that could influence water quality and safety. No one is looking for those contaminants. No one regulates them. And we are not just talking about tap water from a public source or a private well whose watershed may be contaminated by decades of manufacturing runoffs. Bottled water is just as poorly regulated. In fact, in many instances, it is totally unregulated. So if you were drinking bottled water thinking it was safer, you might want to think again. From perfluorinated contaminants to estrogens to microplastics, the drinking water in this country is something that should concern every citizen. It affects humans, our pets, our crops, and the plant and animal protein we consume. In short, the poorly regulated and analyzed so-called potable water problem affects everything around us.
This book is extremely accessible and any layperson can and should read it. The important thrust of this book, pushing the EPA to do more to protect Americans by regulating drinking water more consistently, efficiently, and with the public interest in mind, is something that should be on every citizen's mind. And further, setting local and state standards for better filtration of drinking water, so that unregulated contaminants don't find their way into our food supply and kitchen water. Because clearly, relying on the slow-moving EPA is a foolhardy thing.
An excellent book.
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.
Troubled Water, my non-fiction read for September, provides a deeply unsettling look at drinking water in America. Siegel explains in rich detail the gross inadequacies of the Environmental Protection Agency, whose abbreviated list of about ninety "regulated contaminants" is dwarfed by more than 120,000 compounds, pharmaceuticals, and plastics that could influence water quality and safety. No one is looking for those contaminants. No one regulates them. And we are not just talking about tap water from a public source or a private well whose watershed may be contaminated by decades of manufacturing runoffs. Bottled water is just as poorly regulated. In fact, in many instances, it is totally unregulated. So if you were drinking bottled water thinking it was safer, you might want to think again. From perfluorinated contaminants to estrogens to microplastics, the drinking water in this country is something that should concern every citizen. It affects humans, our pets, our crops, and the plant and animal protein we consume. In short, the poorly regulated and analyzed so-called potable water problem affects everything around us.
This book is extremely accessible and any layperson can and should read it. The important thrust of this book, pushing the EPA to do more to protect Americans by regulating drinking water more consistently, efficiently, and with the public interest in mind, is something that should be on every citizen's mind. And further, setting local and state standards for better filtration of drinking water, so that unregulated contaminants don't find their way into our food supply and kitchen water. Because clearly, relying on the slow-moving EPA is a foolhardy thing.
An excellent book.
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2020
I’m never drinking water again
June 18, 2022
I don’t think this is a perfect description of our current drinking water industry and it is definitely bias against public water providers but at the same time I think it can be really beneficial. It highlights some of the biggest issues like bottled water, lack of contamination regulation, inability of the different stages of government to properly do their job due to lack of funding and man power, a need for regionalization, and the overall concerns surrounding affordability for water users as well as municipalities to afford needed infrastructure repairs. It was really interesting reading this and seeing how things have changed due to covid. I’d be curious to see what this author might publish in the future regarding this topic.
January 1, 2022
Why yes, I did spend the bulk of NYE finishing the book to leave it behind in 2021.
I think this book started off really strong, and as a water professional I do agree with several of his concerns and shortcomings of the water industry. And I was excited about this book as Siegel’s other title “Let There Be Water” was one of my favorite books of the last two years.
However, I think it tried to cover too much breadth without appropriate depth. And I hate to think that this is something water consumers across the US are reading, and taking away that they should not trust their local regulatory agencies and water utilities. Because most of the industry truly does care about the public health of the consumer and takes pride in their systems.
I think I struggle with spending so many words discussing financial and systematic shortcomings, but then wrapping the book up in a bow to use stainless steel water bottles and water filters. I think a better story is discussing how we can promote awareness about water in the general public (which I realize - reporting like this helps!) and offer real systematic change and funding resources.
I think this book started off really strong, and as a water professional I do agree with several of his concerns and shortcomings of the water industry. And I was excited about this book as Siegel’s other title “Let There Be Water” was one of my favorite books of the last two years.
However, I think it tried to cover too much breadth without appropriate depth. And I hate to think that this is something water consumers across the US are reading, and taking away that they should not trust their local regulatory agencies and water utilities. Because most of the industry truly does care about the public health of the consumer and takes pride in their systems.
I think I struggle with spending so many words discussing financial and systematic shortcomings, but then wrapping the book up in a bow to use stainless steel water bottles and water filters. I think a better story is discussing how we can promote awareness about water in the general public (which I realize - reporting like this helps!) and offer real systematic change and funding resources.
March 1, 2021
Siegel reveals that there is a great deal wrong with the water we consume in the United States. Beyond Flint, Michigan, millions of people are without safe drinking water, whether in bottles or from the tap, due to contamination as a result of lax regulations and aging, failing infrastructure.
November 24, 2020
Enjoyed the listen. So many things to unpack with this topic. I think I’d like to listen again.
March 5, 2020
I enjoyed Seth Siegel's earlier book "Let There Be Water: Israel's Solution for a Water-Starved World", and looked forward to receiving a copy of his new book "Troubled Water: What's Wrong with What We Drink" . Once again, I wasn't disappointed. In his earlier book, Siegel discussed how we can improve our water conservation actions by seeing how creative Israel has been in making optimum use of its limited water availability. In this new book, he discusses water quality issues, water contamination, its causes, and helpful information on how we can be sure that the water we consume is as pure as can be.
Mr. Siegel's main point is that drinking water in the United States isn't necessarily as pure as we might think. The lack of access to clean, safe water might be a problem we attribute to third-world developing nations, but the problem can be found in U.S. cities and towns as well. Lead in the water is a problem most of us are aware of, certainly since the Flint, Michigan water crises of a couple of years ago. It was there that cost-cutting measures led to drinking water becoming contained with lead and other toxins. [ For anyone interested learning more about the water crisis issue in Flint, Michigan, Mona Hanna-Attisha's book "What the Eyes Don't See" is worth reading].
But Flint isn't alone, and many other communities have been found with high levels of lead or other contaminates in their drinking water. Clean drinking water isn't something we can take for granted. This is especially true for small or rural communities, where water may come from unregulated wells or from water providers of limited resources. For example, I recently saw a report that in 2016, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued water violation notices to 37% of the 3780 small community water systems it monitors, and 25% of those violations were determined to pose immediate health concerns to their customers.
Seeing that might prompt many of us to wonder about the quality of our own water. One good tip which Siegel provides is that information about local tap water is searchable by zip code on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Tap Water Database at https://www.ewg.org/tapwater. Local water utilities should also be able to provide a copy of their Consumer Confidence Report about tap water quality to local customers. This information is important, since dangerous elements can and do enter drinking water supplies. There are well over 100,000 chemicals used in the United States on a regular basis, and less than 100 of these chemicals are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Many of the other unregulated chemicals could potentially be dangerous, but don't have standards set as of yet.
Chemical spills, pollution in rivers and streams, mining tailings, coal ash pond leakage, animal wastes, illegal dumping, fracking, naturally-occurring substances, etc. are but a handful of sources of water contamination. In many cases, the pollution in water may not be immediately detected, or may not be recognized as being a health hazard for many years.
An example of unknown harmful chemicals in drinking water which Siegel discusses is that of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) being found in the water in Hoosick Falls, NY. It wasn't recognized as being a hazard in the water for years, but eventually residents began to develop health problems. It took a local resident, suspecting that the local water supply was the source of the observed health problems, to have his water sampled to identify the contaminants. Once identified, it led to the recognition of the need to clean up the water and to set limits for the chemicals in the water supply. [Note: I found other books about how unidentified chemicals in drinking water supplies led to serious health impacts of interest, including Dan Fagin's book "Toms River", describing illegal dumping and a cancer cluster in Toms River, NJ; and Eliza Griswold's book "Amity and Prosperity" about how fracking impacted water in two Pennsylvania towns].
The incident in Hoosick Falls mentioned above had local impact, but of course, larger bodies of water which become polluted can impact a large number of communities. Herbicides and pesticides, along with fertilizers, routinely get washed into rivers and streams in agricultural areas. One study mentioned by Siegel examined pesticides in food and water, and found that 28 of 29 cities examined along the Mississippi River (including New Orleans, Kansas City, Omaha, and Columbus) exceeded Federal Standards for one or more herbicide or pesticide.
These cities along the Mississippi, like must of us, trust that our water provider complies with all Federal and State regulations, and provide water meeting all standards. But Siegel points out that while generally true, there still may be problems in large or small water providers where an unregulated chemical is in the water, and has yet to be identified as a health issue.
One problem is the limited scope of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974. Mandatory testing is only required for a limited number of contaminants. Other chemicals, many of which are suspected of having health effects, may be under study for setting limits, sometimes for decades. Examples include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of nearly 5000 chemicals often called "forever chemicals" because they take so long to breakdown. Two of this class of chemicals which are the subject of many stories in the news lately are PFOA and PFOS. These fluorinated compounds have been used in firefighting foams, nonstick cookware, stain-resistant carpets, waterproof clothing, food containers, etc. They have been linked to health issues, and have been under study for health effects for a number of years. There have been health advisories and State standards set in some cases, and tighter Federal Standards are currently being considered. But before new Federal Standards are set, three separate conditions must be met. First, under the 1996 Amendments to the SDWA, the contaminant must be frequently found in drinking water, then the chemical must be shown to have an adverse effect on health, and third, the EPA must be able to demonstrate that by regulating the substance, any public health threat will be reduced in a meaningful way.
Beyond that, there's also a cost-benefit analysis which takes place which can delay or negate setting standards. Industry weighs-in on proposed regulations, and costs incurred can be significant if new standards are enacted. Water Companies may weigh-in too, since they must be able to test for and treat the contaminant, which can be expensive for large water companies with adequate resources, and next to impossible for the small companies without the same size staffs and resources. And determining the effects on health, and setting the right limit on the contaminant can be contentious issues. Each of these decisions are made by politicians and political appointees, not by doctors and scientists, and as a result, the setting of new standards are infrequent. Also, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) wields vast power over the EPA, specifically when it concludes an environmental regulation would be too costly or be a drag on the economy.
Siegel uses perchlorate as one example of how difficult it is to set new drinking water standards. Perchlorate is commonly used in solid rocket propellants, munitions, fireworks, airbag initiators for vehicles, matches and signal flares. The EPA considered advisory (non-binding) thresholds as low as 1 part per billion (ppb), but their recommendation was raised to a level of 24.5 ppb after a review by the OMB in conjunction with "experts" from Department of Defense, NASA, and Department of Energy. Before standards for perchlorate were enacted however, late in 2008, the EPA reversed course and indicated it would not be regulating perchlorate, believing that such regulations would not have a meaningful impact on health. When Obama became President, that was reversed again. But the EPA was slow to develop a new standard, eventually leading to a Federal Judge ruling that a standard must be set by the end of 2019. EPA now has proposed rules for regulation of perchlorate, which are currently under review. But under President Trump, whose policy is to provide regulatory relief from environmental regulations whenever possible as part of his economic program, it remains to be seen if a final and meaningful standard will be agreed upon soon.
With problems such as these, and questions about water quality, many consumers have turned to using bottled water and/or in-house water filters. But Mr. Siegel points out that some bottled waters are not much better than tap water. Paradoxically, despite the perception of greater safety, bottled water is subject to even less regulation than the water we receive from our taps. Tap water oversight is done by the EPA, bottled water by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Siegel point out that the FDA has only two employees working on bottled water, and they have other non-water responsibilities as well. As a result, federal oversight of bottled water is barely a step-up from the honor system. Plus, not all bottled water is required to follow FDA rules. If bottled water is bottled and sold within the same State, it's exempt from FDA regulations.
Even so, Siegel seems to agree that bottled water does appear to be safer than tap water. He points out that there have been only six product recalls of bottled water in the past 20 years, while several million Americans get sick from tap water each year. But still, he points out that there are cautions in using bottled water. Bottles stored for long periods, or in hot places, may be subject to contamination migration from the plastic bottles into the water. So it's important to not leave bottles of water in a heated car, or to store them in direct sunshine. And some bottled water brands appear to be of a higher quality than others. Brands from protected sources, such as Fiji and S. Pelligrino, are likely to have fewer contaminants. And some domestic brands with nanofiltration or reverse osmosis (RO), such as Aquafina and Dasani, are also likely to be of a higher quality.
But the majority of bottled water companies don't publish their water quality test results, so comparisons are difficult to make. And as previously mentioned, you can look up your city's water quality test results in in EWG’s National Tap Water Database, but if you have a private well, you may have to get the water tested yourself. Siegel also advises that since plastic bottles can leach harmful chemicals into water, it's advisable to carry stainless steel or shatter-proof glass bottles. Also, he recommends that single-use plastic water bottles not be reused. The plastic can harbor bacteria and break down to release chemicals.
Lastly, for people using water pitchers with activated carbon filters in their home, Mr. Siegel reminds consumers that the filter should be changed every 40 gallons or so. Faucet filters may last for 200 gallons, but it's important that users follow manufacturers instructions.
He also makes the case for water company consolidation. There are thousands of water providers, some serving only several hundred customers. This is inefficient and redundant, and limits the economy of scale. Many smaller providers can't access the best technologies, and are under-resourced and under staffed. And because of the small size of many providers, they are eligible to apply for EPA waivers on testing for many contaminants, and may defer fixes due to financial constraints.
If this book has a final message, it might be that informed consumers should be able to use their voices to urge their governing bodies to ensure their domestic water is appropriately tested, regulated, and treated.
Mr. Siegel's main point is that drinking water in the United States isn't necessarily as pure as we might think. The lack of access to clean, safe water might be a problem we attribute to third-world developing nations, but the problem can be found in U.S. cities and towns as well. Lead in the water is a problem most of us are aware of, certainly since the Flint, Michigan water crises of a couple of years ago. It was there that cost-cutting measures led to drinking water becoming contained with lead and other toxins. [ For anyone interested learning more about the water crisis issue in Flint, Michigan, Mona Hanna-Attisha's book "What the Eyes Don't See" is worth reading].
But Flint isn't alone, and many other communities have been found with high levels of lead or other contaminates in their drinking water. Clean drinking water isn't something we can take for granted. This is especially true for small or rural communities, where water may come from unregulated wells or from water providers of limited resources. For example, I recently saw a report that in 2016, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued water violation notices to 37% of the 3780 small community water systems it monitors, and 25% of those violations were determined to pose immediate health concerns to their customers.
Seeing that might prompt many of us to wonder about the quality of our own water. One good tip which Siegel provides is that information about local tap water is searchable by zip code on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Tap Water Database at https://www.ewg.org/tapwater. Local water utilities should also be able to provide a copy of their Consumer Confidence Report about tap water quality to local customers. This information is important, since dangerous elements can and do enter drinking water supplies. There are well over 100,000 chemicals used in the United States on a regular basis, and less than 100 of these chemicals are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Many of the other unregulated chemicals could potentially be dangerous, but don't have standards set as of yet.
Chemical spills, pollution in rivers and streams, mining tailings, coal ash pond leakage, animal wastes, illegal dumping, fracking, naturally-occurring substances, etc. are but a handful of sources of water contamination. In many cases, the pollution in water may not be immediately detected, or may not be recognized as being a health hazard for many years.
An example of unknown harmful chemicals in drinking water which Siegel discusses is that of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) being found in the water in Hoosick Falls, NY. It wasn't recognized as being a hazard in the water for years, but eventually residents began to develop health problems. It took a local resident, suspecting that the local water supply was the source of the observed health problems, to have his water sampled to identify the contaminants. Once identified, it led to the recognition of the need to clean up the water and to set limits for the chemicals in the water supply. [Note: I found other books about how unidentified chemicals in drinking water supplies led to serious health impacts of interest, including Dan Fagin's book "Toms River", describing illegal dumping and a cancer cluster in Toms River, NJ; and Eliza Griswold's book "Amity and Prosperity" about how fracking impacted water in two Pennsylvania towns].
The incident in Hoosick Falls mentioned above had local impact, but of course, larger bodies of water which become polluted can impact a large number of communities. Herbicides and pesticides, along with fertilizers, routinely get washed into rivers and streams in agricultural areas. One study mentioned by Siegel examined pesticides in food and water, and found that 28 of 29 cities examined along the Mississippi River (including New Orleans, Kansas City, Omaha, and Columbus) exceeded Federal Standards for one or more herbicide or pesticide.
These cities along the Mississippi, like must of us, trust that our water provider complies with all Federal and State regulations, and provide water meeting all standards. But Siegel points out that while generally true, there still may be problems in large or small water providers where an unregulated chemical is in the water, and has yet to be identified as a health issue.
One problem is the limited scope of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974. Mandatory testing is only required for a limited number of contaminants. Other chemicals, many of which are suspected of having health effects, may be under study for setting limits, sometimes for decades. Examples include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of nearly 5000 chemicals often called "forever chemicals" because they take so long to breakdown. Two of this class of chemicals which are the subject of many stories in the news lately are PFOA and PFOS. These fluorinated compounds have been used in firefighting foams, nonstick cookware, stain-resistant carpets, waterproof clothing, food containers, etc. They have been linked to health issues, and have been under study for health effects for a number of years. There have been health advisories and State standards set in some cases, and tighter Federal Standards are currently being considered. But before new Federal Standards are set, three separate conditions must be met. First, under the 1996 Amendments to the SDWA, the contaminant must be frequently found in drinking water, then the chemical must be shown to have an adverse effect on health, and third, the EPA must be able to demonstrate that by regulating the substance, any public health threat will be reduced in a meaningful way.
Beyond that, there's also a cost-benefit analysis which takes place which can delay or negate setting standards. Industry weighs-in on proposed regulations, and costs incurred can be significant if new standards are enacted. Water Companies may weigh-in too, since they must be able to test for and treat the contaminant, which can be expensive for large water companies with adequate resources, and next to impossible for the small companies without the same size staffs and resources. And determining the effects on health, and setting the right limit on the contaminant can be contentious issues. Each of these decisions are made by politicians and political appointees, not by doctors and scientists, and as a result, the setting of new standards are infrequent. Also, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) wields vast power over the EPA, specifically when it concludes an environmental regulation would be too costly or be a drag on the economy.
Siegel uses perchlorate as one example of how difficult it is to set new drinking water standards. Perchlorate is commonly used in solid rocket propellants, munitions, fireworks, airbag initiators for vehicles, matches and signal flares. The EPA considered advisory (non-binding) thresholds as low as 1 part per billion (ppb), but their recommendation was raised to a level of 24.5 ppb after a review by the OMB in conjunction with "experts" from Department of Defense, NASA, and Department of Energy. Before standards for perchlorate were enacted however, late in 2008, the EPA reversed course and indicated it would not be regulating perchlorate, believing that such regulations would not have a meaningful impact on health. When Obama became President, that was reversed again. But the EPA was slow to develop a new standard, eventually leading to a Federal Judge ruling that a standard must be set by the end of 2019. EPA now has proposed rules for regulation of perchlorate, which are currently under review. But under President Trump, whose policy is to provide regulatory relief from environmental regulations whenever possible as part of his economic program, it remains to be seen if a final and meaningful standard will be agreed upon soon.
With problems such as these, and questions about water quality, many consumers have turned to using bottled water and/or in-house water filters. But Mr. Siegel points out that some bottled waters are not much better than tap water. Paradoxically, despite the perception of greater safety, bottled water is subject to even less regulation than the water we receive from our taps. Tap water oversight is done by the EPA, bottled water by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Siegel point out that the FDA has only two employees working on bottled water, and they have other non-water responsibilities as well. As a result, federal oversight of bottled water is barely a step-up from the honor system. Plus, not all bottled water is required to follow FDA rules. If bottled water is bottled and sold within the same State, it's exempt from FDA regulations.
Even so, Siegel seems to agree that bottled water does appear to be safer than tap water. He points out that there have been only six product recalls of bottled water in the past 20 years, while several million Americans get sick from tap water each year. But still, he points out that there are cautions in using bottled water. Bottles stored for long periods, or in hot places, may be subject to contamination migration from the plastic bottles into the water. So it's important to not leave bottles of water in a heated car, or to store them in direct sunshine. And some bottled water brands appear to be of a higher quality than others. Brands from protected sources, such as Fiji and S. Pelligrino, are likely to have fewer contaminants. And some domestic brands with nanofiltration or reverse osmosis (RO), such as Aquafina and Dasani, are also likely to be of a higher quality.
But the majority of bottled water companies don't publish their water quality test results, so comparisons are difficult to make. And as previously mentioned, you can look up your city's water quality test results in in EWG’s National Tap Water Database, but if you have a private well, you may have to get the water tested yourself. Siegel also advises that since plastic bottles can leach harmful chemicals into water, it's advisable to carry stainless steel or shatter-proof glass bottles. Also, he recommends that single-use plastic water bottles not be reused. The plastic can harbor bacteria and break down to release chemicals.
Lastly, for people using water pitchers with activated carbon filters in their home, Mr. Siegel reminds consumers that the filter should be changed every 40 gallons or so. Faucet filters may last for 200 gallons, but it's important that users follow manufacturers instructions.
He also makes the case for water company consolidation. There are thousands of water providers, some serving only several hundred customers. This is inefficient and redundant, and limits the economy of scale. Many smaller providers can't access the best technologies, and are under-resourced and under staffed. And because of the small size of many providers, they are eligible to apply for EPA waivers on testing for many contaminants, and may defer fixes due to financial constraints.
If this book has a final message, it might be that informed consumers should be able to use their voices to urge their governing bodies to ensure their domestic water is appropriately tested, regulated, and treated.
November 8, 2020
Excellent layout and variety of topics. Must read for politicians, consumers, etc.
January 30, 2022
A concerning look at the state of the nation's drinking water. (Hint: It's much less regulated than you think.) Some of it was horrifying (hello, antibiotic-resistant bacteria) and some just frustrating.
July 25, 2022
It took me forever to finish this book; that is on me…not the book. The book was an informative read, and while I agreed with most of it, there were some bits (mainly his few points in bottled water) that I disagreed with as an environmental engineer.
A great geek find. I am added it to by “must read” environmental list.
A great geek find. I am added it to by “must read” environmental list.
November 29, 2019
Summary: So well written on the topic of water safety. I did not know a lot about the topic and now, wow, I’m a bit concerned and yet thankful for the fact I live in metro NYC. I think everyone should read this book, especially if they have children.
First, I dream that one day I’ll be able to take complex topics and write them as plainly and as easy to read as Seth does. Wow. I’d like to meet you if you ever see this review.
Second, for those that might be concerned that this is some sort of activist book that shows only one side, my impression is that it quite factual and you can decide for yourself.
In the early parts of the book, he talks about the EPA, what it was designed to do, what it does, issues in underfunding, and implications. It’s an old organization and it’s ideas of water quality have to do with the things that hurt us in the 80s. That’s not the same now.
P. 26, he talks about the story of Hoosick Falls, NY and the higher incidences of cancer that resulted from what was considered a safe level of PFOA levels. I did not know this story relative to some of the others featured in the book.
p. 56, he talks about perchlorate. This one is kind of interesting. It affects hormone levels, as it’s impact is on the thyroid and it’s ability to absorb iodine. Wow. Actually, when I was younger, mine was checked out multiple times. The interesting thing that is highlighted throughout these stories are the types of secondary reactions that happen in water. It’s capturing whatever is being thrown into it. And also we treat it with chlorine. That’s how you end up with random stuff like this in the water stream.
Throughout this section he talks about the idea that only like 80% of the drugs we consume are actually staying in the body. The rest goes out in waste. He breaks it down as relates to hormone/birthcontrol pills and more. I had not thought about that. In some area, the fish that are more sensitive are showing obvious issues in their development. He doesn’t go here, but obviously, if you love to eat fish, this ain’t great.
P. 105, he talks about bottled water. For the most part it’s better. You should just be aware that the EPA does not regulate bottled water, the FDA does. Water shows all kinds of worthless facts like nutritional benefits, but it doesn’t show how clean the water is.
P. 108, nice discussion on BPA and the whole deal there with plastic vs. glass bottles.
p. 114, OMG, even I had my place renovated I forgot about this. Most of the pipes are BPA from way back. That’s a real problem all the way through the entire water system. I mean, you might have switched, but did your friend? Are all the pipes going to your house none PVC?
P. 165, this chapter is about cost of fixing our old water. Here he talks about water loss, estimated $10.2b annually. I like having this number. It’s big, but actually from a national infra perspective, not really. For context, the airport terminal just built in Singapore is about $1.2bln, so to fix the entire nation for less water spillage for life, that’s just the cost of 10 airports.
P. 166, that doesn’t fix everything though. He remarks that the way the system is set up, utilities companies aren’t 100% on their costs. So like, we know $1bln to stop the spillage, but he’s thinking like $1tr to actually fix all the pipes to what they ought to be and make it more clean.
P. 194, he’s giving a story to talk about how the rules for the EPA are a bit dated back to the 80s. He’s talking about THM and he brings up the idea that recording levels are different hot and cold. It would have been cool (possibly a separate section) to just know what other chemicals act that way and what that means from a water cleaning perspective, i.e. do they clean it different or are we as consumers just in trouble.
P. 196, oh man… he talks about some of the diseases and how some of them are sorted (the ones from the 80s) there’s a bunch that are not. Even the water peeps that take care of this know the science of how to do this and they can’t really do much.
P. 212, In this chapter he talks about the fact urban centers, the OC and NYC both have super pure water. It’s not just that it tastes good. But the way they do it is so cool. Also, they can afford to do it. Note for the publisher, if you could add a little diagram, that would be sweet.
P. 244, there’s an outbreak of e.coli in well water. It’s like 42% of all wells in Wisconsin. The chapter gives a bunch of possible culprits, fracking, farm water. Def we know the use of nitrates is getting in there. Disturbing.
In the very last few passages, he talks about choices if you’re good and freaked out. The regular charcoal filter is actually pretty good. If you can put in a reverse osmosis system that’s best.
Wow. Really eye opening stuff.
First, I dream that one day I’ll be able to take complex topics and write them as plainly and as easy to read as Seth does. Wow. I’d like to meet you if you ever see this review.
Second, for those that might be concerned that this is some sort of activist book that shows only one side, my impression is that it quite factual and you can decide for yourself.
In the early parts of the book, he talks about the EPA, what it was designed to do, what it does, issues in underfunding, and implications. It’s an old organization and it’s ideas of water quality have to do with the things that hurt us in the 80s. That’s not the same now.
P. 26, he talks about the story of Hoosick Falls, NY and the higher incidences of cancer that resulted from what was considered a safe level of PFOA levels. I did not know this story relative to some of the others featured in the book.
p. 56, he talks about perchlorate. This one is kind of interesting. It affects hormone levels, as it’s impact is on the thyroid and it’s ability to absorb iodine. Wow. Actually, when I was younger, mine was checked out multiple times. The interesting thing that is highlighted throughout these stories are the types of secondary reactions that happen in water. It’s capturing whatever is being thrown into it. And also we treat it with chlorine. That’s how you end up with random stuff like this in the water stream.
Throughout this section he talks about the idea that only like 80% of the drugs we consume are actually staying in the body. The rest goes out in waste. He breaks it down as relates to hormone/birthcontrol pills and more. I had not thought about that. In some area, the fish that are more sensitive are showing obvious issues in their development. He doesn’t go here, but obviously, if you love to eat fish, this ain’t great.
P. 105, he talks about bottled water. For the most part it’s better. You should just be aware that the EPA does not regulate bottled water, the FDA does. Water shows all kinds of worthless facts like nutritional benefits, but it doesn’t show how clean the water is.
P. 108, nice discussion on BPA and the whole deal there with plastic vs. glass bottles.
p. 114, OMG, even I had my place renovated I forgot about this. Most of the pipes are BPA from way back. That’s a real problem all the way through the entire water system. I mean, you might have switched, but did your friend? Are all the pipes going to your house none PVC?
P. 165, this chapter is about cost of fixing our old water. Here he talks about water loss, estimated $10.2b annually. I like having this number. It’s big, but actually from a national infra perspective, not really. For context, the airport terminal just built in Singapore is about $1.2bln, so to fix the entire nation for less water spillage for life, that’s just the cost of 10 airports.
P. 166, that doesn’t fix everything though. He remarks that the way the system is set up, utilities companies aren’t 100% on their costs. So like, we know $1bln to stop the spillage, but he’s thinking like $1tr to actually fix all the pipes to what they ought to be and make it more clean.
P. 194, he’s giving a story to talk about how the rules for the EPA are a bit dated back to the 80s. He’s talking about THM and he brings up the idea that recording levels are different hot and cold. It would have been cool (possibly a separate section) to just know what other chemicals act that way and what that means from a water cleaning perspective, i.e. do they clean it different or are we as consumers just in trouble.
P. 196, oh man… he talks about some of the diseases and how some of them are sorted (the ones from the 80s) there’s a bunch that are not. Even the water peeps that take care of this know the science of how to do this and they can’t really do much.
P. 212, In this chapter he talks about the fact urban centers, the OC and NYC both have super pure water. It’s not just that it tastes good. But the way they do it is so cool. Also, they can afford to do it. Note for the publisher, if you could add a little diagram, that would be sweet.
P. 244, there’s an outbreak of e.coli in well water. It’s like 42% of all wells in Wisconsin. The chapter gives a bunch of possible culprits, fracking, farm water. Def we know the use of nitrates is getting in there. Disturbing.
In the very last few passages, he talks about choices if you’re good and freaked out. The regular charcoal filter is actually pretty good. If you can put in a reverse osmosis system that’s best.
Wow. Really eye opening stuff.
October 9, 2019
I received a complimentary copy and was asked to provide an honest review which I am happy to do as I am deeply concerned about the quality of our life and health as I hope you are as well?
The author decided to focus on the quality of the water in the United States with the recognition that some countries have better and some have worse water. But the USA has tremendous wealth and could well afford to provide safe and clean water to its citizens. It does not.
The EPA is lax in protecting us from the many tens of thousands of contaminants that exist and have not added any new regulated“ chemicals in over twenty years. The consequences are a major health catastrophe and the impact is total.
There are toxins or carcinogens which contaminate the water supply which is used to irrigate our crops and end up in the fruit and vegetables which we buy and eat. Some of our produce is exported and there are few, if any, checks for what is imported.
Troubled Waters explains why the process to ban or regulate certain chemicals takes too long and hardly ever resolves any progress. The bureaucratic EPA and Government including NASA & the Pentagon and corporations are allaying for their benefit. The citizens and victims are at the bottom of this convoluted and slow system.
Just as frightening is the lack of awareness for the damage that medicines are doing to our water supply. Americans consume about 4.4 billion prescriptions a year. Sixty per cent over the age of 18 take at least one prescribed medication a day. Much of this passes through us and re-enters our water supply. The proper disposal techniques are known but the Government does no educate or promote solutions.
Contraception medication “The Pill” impacts birth rates and even the sex of fish in our rivers. No one is immune.
Plastics, microplastics, the cocktail of various chemicals in plastics, plastic pipes, BPA, PVA all are explained clearly. Plastic is in everything from fish to humans we are drowning in plastic. Our bottled water can contain as many as 91 FDA accepted contaminants.
Flint Michigan has its own chapter and then we review the state of the national water infrastructure which is vastly underfunded and in need of repairs and replacement at massive investment. The author Seth Siegel suggests that the nation will need to come up with a trillion dollars for this extensive work project.
The last two chapters Solutions & What You Can Do are an instruction manual for a call to action. Let's hope more people read and become an activist, pressure our Politicians and make progress for our safe & clean drinking water.
I enjoy books that follow the logic and provide fascinating stories and lots of useful facts. I feel empowered now and highly recommend this book for all concerned citizens.
The author decided to focus on the quality of the water in the United States with the recognition that some countries have better and some have worse water. But the USA has tremendous wealth and could well afford to provide safe and clean water to its citizens. It does not.
The EPA is lax in protecting us from the many tens of thousands of contaminants that exist and have not added any new regulated“ chemicals in over twenty years. The consequences are a major health catastrophe and the impact is total.
There are toxins or carcinogens which contaminate the water supply which is used to irrigate our crops and end up in the fruit and vegetables which we buy and eat. Some of our produce is exported and there are few, if any, checks for what is imported.
Troubled Waters explains why the process to ban or regulate certain chemicals takes too long and hardly ever resolves any progress. The bureaucratic EPA and Government including NASA & the Pentagon and corporations are allaying for their benefit. The citizens and victims are at the bottom of this convoluted and slow system.
Just as frightening is the lack of awareness for the damage that medicines are doing to our water supply. Americans consume about 4.4 billion prescriptions a year. Sixty per cent over the age of 18 take at least one prescribed medication a day. Much of this passes through us and re-enters our water supply. The proper disposal techniques are known but the Government does no educate or promote solutions.
Contraception medication “The Pill” impacts birth rates and even the sex of fish in our rivers. No one is immune.
Plastics, microplastics, the cocktail of various chemicals in plastics, plastic pipes, BPA, PVA all are explained clearly. Plastic is in everything from fish to humans we are drowning in plastic. Our bottled water can contain as many as 91 FDA accepted contaminants.
Flint Michigan has its own chapter and then we review the state of the national water infrastructure which is vastly underfunded and in need of repairs and replacement at massive investment. The author Seth Siegel suggests that the nation will need to come up with a trillion dollars for this extensive work project.
The last two chapters Solutions & What You Can Do are an instruction manual for a call to action. Let's hope more people read and become an activist, pressure our Politicians and make progress for our safe & clean drinking water.
I enjoy books that follow the logic and provide fascinating stories and lots of useful facts. I feel empowered now and highly recommend this book for all concerned citizens.
February 14, 2021
Good informational content, but the author's opinions and recommendations sometimes struck me as a little off. Great information about the kinds of water pollution we're seeing in the USA, the sources and the treatment options. Some of the recommendations, such as moving drinking water quality from EPA monitoring to Health & Human Services management and creating better earlier regulations on potentially harmful pollutants also seemed quite reasonable. On the other hand, some felt poorly thought out - for example where he advised that the water regulations moved up the governmental chain of command to being state level politics. This feels likely to exacerbate rural water neglect and also subject it to a greater amount of corporate and business lobby pressure. At one point Siegel points out how city water managers tend to do barely the minimum and corporate interests were incorrect about the science of percolate and then he recommends 'independent scientific boards' as the solution. Is he assuming academics will be doing this work? The experts in the field now would be the same water managers and corporate scientists that he just spoke of doing the minimum, with a sprinkling of non-profits - but non-profits can't be expected to balance out the rest of water dependent industry scientists. The author again compares the number of water districts in California to the number of utilities without regard to the fact that the size of our utilities (such as PG&E) has lead to a series of problems of scale for the company and its customers. The precautionary principle as used in Europe, and an investment in local science and human health standards seems more reasonable. I also found that this story neglected to address rural poverty as a challenge for water utilities and the related sewage issues, which may have been top of mind due to my recent read of Waste: One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret, a book on a similar challenge. There was another slight quibble where he started talking about waste reuse in the 'toilet to tap' context and implied that it began in 1925, neglecting to acknowledge the long tradition of reusing 'night soil' in many parts of the world.
All quibbling aside, this book brings up important issues and it's worth our attention to know what is in our water and why it's not as safe as we would wish. A useful, informative book if not a perfect book.
Listened to as an audiobook through the SF Public Library and the Libby app.
All quibbling aside, this book brings up important issues and it's worth our attention to know what is in our water and why it's not as safe as we would wish. A useful, informative book if not a perfect book.
Listened to as an audiobook through the SF Public Library and the Libby app.
October 26, 2019
I just finished reading the book. The description of the author on the Macmillan Publishing website is, in relevant part "SETH M. SIEGEL is a lawyer, an activist, a serial entrepreneur and the author of the New York Times bestseller Let There Be Water."
Let me start with praise; the book is incredibly researched and well-written. My praise cannot go further. The book details the sometimes horrible health and other consequences of the adulteration of drinking water. So far I am reminded of a lecture I attended in sixth or seventh grade by Geraldo Rivera, who had recently written exposes on Willowbrook and migrant farm labor. I asked him, as a young student, what solutions he proposed, given the need for relatively low costs both to care for numerous incurably mentally retarded people and to pick vegetables for mass consumption. He stated he didn't have any, but promised not to write again a book or TV show that didn't discuss solutions. I wrote, at the halfway point, "I think this book treads on idealism more suited to a middle school audience than supposedly mature and thinking adults."
On further reading, my view is less harsh. The book does pay some attention to the fiscal costs of the reforms in how water is processed and distributed that the author believes is necessary. The author uses Orange County, California as his emblematic example. The problem is that Orange County is more affluent than other areas. The author's solution is not to seek moneys from the Federal budget, correctly pointing out that it is subject to the vicissitudes of politics. His solution is to tax sales of tap water and bottled water. The problem is that thinking that kitty wouldn't be raided in the manner that gasoline tax revenues are diverted for other purposes may be a bit naive.
Also, in my view this is a solution in search of a problem. While there are publicized situations such as cancer clusters in places such as Hoosick Falls, New York and high lead levels that affect academic performance in Flint, Michigan, by and large the U.S. is doing pretty well with its water. As the author points out the extension of life spans that occurred between 1900 and 1950 was in part due to the removal of most disease organisms from water.
I do agree with him that "climate change" steals proceeds of environmental fund raising from quality water and other pursuits. I fear that positing a "water crisis" may be a bit of an alarmist position.
Let me start with praise; the book is incredibly researched and well-written. My praise cannot go further. The book details the sometimes horrible health and other consequences of the adulteration of drinking water. So far I am reminded of a lecture I attended in sixth or seventh grade by Geraldo Rivera, who had recently written exposes on Willowbrook and migrant farm labor. I asked him, as a young student, what solutions he proposed, given the need for relatively low costs both to care for numerous incurably mentally retarded people and to pick vegetables for mass consumption. He stated he didn't have any, but promised not to write again a book or TV show that didn't discuss solutions. I wrote, at the halfway point, "I think this book treads on idealism more suited to a middle school audience than supposedly mature and thinking adults."
On further reading, my view is less harsh. The book does pay some attention to the fiscal costs of the reforms in how water is processed and distributed that the author believes is necessary. The author uses Orange County, California as his emblematic example. The problem is that Orange County is more affluent than other areas. The author's solution is not to seek moneys from the Federal budget, correctly pointing out that it is subject to the vicissitudes of politics. His solution is to tax sales of tap water and bottled water. The problem is that thinking that kitty wouldn't be raided in the manner that gasoline tax revenues are diverted for other purposes may be a bit naive.
Also, in my view this is a solution in search of a problem. While there are publicized situations such as cancer clusters in places such as Hoosick Falls, New York and high lead levels that affect academic performance in Flint, Michigan, by and large the U.S. is doing pretty well with its water. As the author points out the extension of life spans that occurred between 1900 and 1950 was in part due to the removal of most disease organisms from water.
I do agree with him that "climate change" steals proceeds of environmental fund raising from quality water and other pursuits. I fear that positing a "water crisis" may be a bit of an alarmist position.
November 19, 2019
In his second book, Siegel explores drinking water in the U.S. and the surprising lack of regulation of the industry. In the wake of environmental disasters linked to water – Parkersburg, Flint, Newark, Hoosick Falls (where the book starts) – Siegel dives into how we got into these messes, how regulatory agencies and politicians failed us, and how we ended up with dangerous drinking water linked to cancer and other health problems.
Part of the root of the problem is the lack of regulatory oversight. The EPA only regulates 90 contaminants, which is far too little compared to the thousands of chemicals being produced (and more being produced each year). The sheer number of plastic water bottles seems to indicate a general distrust of municipal drinking water utilities, which drives other problems like plastic pollution, argued Siegel.
Going over the history of regulatory drinking water oversight and legislation in the U.S., combined with the history of lead pipes in America’s infrastructure and the inefficiency of tens of thousands of water utilities, Siegel details the steps that led to this mess and how governments, municipalities and private utilities all ended up playing different (often inefficient) roles in delivery safe drinking water to citizens.
Meanwhile, this inefficiency of the system is seen in the problems that arrive in cities — from microplastics to new chemicals to lead to pharmaceuticals, all of which enter our water and aren’t responded to until after the effects have shown up in populations.
Overall, Siegel argues for a more proactive response to drinking water contaminants, rooted in more testing. But it’s an uphill battle. For such a big environmental issue, drinking water has a surprisingly small number of advocates or advocacy organizations. Mindsets need to be changed, solutions like reusing wastewater need to be explored, and water utilities need to be consolidated. Only then can we all be guaranteed contaminant-free water that is safe to drink.
Part of the root of the problem is the lack of regulatory oversight. The EPA only regulates 90 contaminants, which is far too little compared to the thousands of chemicals being produced (and more being produced each year). The sheer number of plastic water bottles seems to indicate a general distrust of municipal drinking water utilities, which drives other problems like plastic pollution, argued Siegel.
Going over the history of regulatory drinking water oversight and legislation in the U.S., combined with the history of lead pipes in America’s infrastructure and the inefficiency of tens of thousands of water utilities, Siegel details the steps that led to this mess and how governments, municipalities and private utilities all ended up playing different (often inefficient) roles in delivery safe drinking water to citizens.
Meanwhile, this inefficiency of the system is seen in the problems that arrive in cities — from microplastics to new chemicals to lead to pharmaceuticals, all of which enter our water and aren’t responded to until after the effects have shown up in populations.
Overall, Siegel argues for a more proactive response to drinking water contaminants, rooted in more testing. But it’s an uphill battle. For such a big environmental issue, drinking water has a surprisingly small number of advocates or advocacy organizations. Mindsets need to be changed, solutions like reusing wastewater need to be explored, and water utilities need to be consolidated. Only then can we all be guaranteed contaminant-free water that is safe to drink.
November 3, 2019
First, I want to thank St. Martin's Press for the advance reader copy.
Unfortunately for me, I didn't like it as much as his last book, Let There Be Water. In Let There Be Water, I came away thinking that most of the narrative was fact based and fairly presented. I think he does a good job of being fact-based in Troubled Waters, but he makes little effort to fairly present the issue. I think my main takeaway is disappointment. I think Seth points out many failures in the regulation of drinking water. I may be more skeptical about his studies on contaminants, but the chapter on lead pipes is horrific - I googled my water company after reading it. I hope some progress is made, especially with better water treatment infrastructure. My main problem with the studies on contaminants, without seeing them, is that I assume the people conducting them have incentives to show a problem because they will lose their funding if the don't find a problem. He quotes someone at an environmental group as saying something along those lines - I'll list in the quotes below.
Page 15, "Some of the drinking water contaminants may prove to be benign, but the safer route is to have a higher level of caution."
- My issue with this logic is that California tried to list coffee as a carcinogen. Twelve thousand doctors want cheese listed as a carcinogen (https://vegnews.com/2019/10/12000-doc...) This issue comes up throughout the novel. Just because a study is conducted, doesn't mean the methods are good.
Page 27, "Whether all, some or none of these were caused by the drinking water is impossible to say with absolute certainty, but it is likewise, impossible to know what future diseases or birth defects might be lurk..."
- I don't know how he can say "it is impossible to know", and then list the worse possible outcome. He is anchoring the reader's expectation for the worse possible outcomes throughout the book, even where he doesn't have evidence.
Stopping here for now. I have many more pages marked to comment on.
Unfortunately for me, I didn't like it as much as his last book, Let There Be Water. In Let There Be Water, I came away thinking that most of the narrative was fact based and fairly presented. I think he does a good job of being fact-based in Troubled Waters, but he makes little effort to fairly present the issue. I think my main takeaway is disappointment. I think Seth points out many failures in the regulation of drinking water. I may be more skeptical about his studies on contaminants, but the chapter on lead pipes is horrific - I googled my water company after reading it. I hope some progress is made, especially with better water treatment infrastructure. My main problem with the studies on contaminants, without seeing them, is that I assume the people conducting them have incentives to show a problem because they will lose their funding if the don't find a problem. He quotes someone at an environmental group as saying something along those lines - I'll list in the quotes below.
Page 15, "Some of the drinking water contaminants may prove to be benign, but the safer route is to have a higher level of caution."
- My issue with this logic is that California tried to list coffee as a carcinogen. Twelve thousand doctors want cheese listed as a carcinogen (https://vegnews.com/2019/10/12000-doc...) This issue comes up throughout the novel. Just because a study is conducted, doesn't mean the methods are good.
Page 27, "Whether all, some or none of these were caused by the drinking water is impossible to say with absolute certainty, but it is likewise, impossible to know what future diseases or birth defects might be lurk..."
- I don't know how he can say "it is impossible to know", and then list the worse possible outcome. He is anchoring the reader's expectation for the worse possible outcomes throughout the book, even where he doesn't have evidence.
Stopping here for now. I have many more pages marked to comment on.
January 26, 2020
So, here I sit, reviewing this book, drinking water from my fridge in my metal water bottle...thinking I'm doing the right things. Well...maybe. Does the bottle have a plastic lining? I don't know. If so, is it lined with BPA? Is the fridge filter getting out contaminants? What about all those facial scrubs I used to use that have those tiny particles?? They cannot be filtered out in municipal treatment centers. Well, shall I just use bottled water and forego the tapwater? Where did the water come from? How was it treated? What kind of plastic bottle encloses the water? Did that bottle ever sit out in the sun or in a hot warehouse? What kind of pipes come into my house? It was built in the late 70's...they could be lead!! And lead is harmful 'to children and other living creatures.'
Reading this book is both exhausting and anxiety-producing. We need water...need it to survive. But we have absolutely zero control over whether the water is healthy or is killing us.
Siegel lays it all out for us and scares us. His story is not without heroes...individuals and cities who chose to do the right thing. He shows how very hard it is to get the EPA to protect (IN THEIR NAME!!) our drinking water...when industry and other government agencies feel their needs are more important than mine, I lose every time. He also shares tips and steps we can take, such as they are. Consumers are pretty helpless, truth be told, but now we are informed.
Now every sip I take, I wonder...
Reading this book is both exhausting and anxiety-producing. We need water...need it to survive. But we have absolutely zero control over whether the water is healthy or is killing us.
Siegel lays it all out for us and scares us. His story is not without heroes...individuals and cities who chose to do the right thing. He shows how very hard it is to get the EPA to protect (IN THEIR NAME!!) our drinking water...when industry and other government agencies feel their needs are more important than mine, I lose every time. He also shares tips and steps we can take, such as they are. Consumers are pretty helpless, truth be told, but now we are informed.
Now every sip I take, I wonder...
September 30, 2019
Troubled Water by Seth Siegel was very eye opening and I would recommend everyone read it. There was a lot of content in it about things that I was already aware of, such as how so much of the chemicals that we use just end up back in our water, through things such as run off, landfill contaminants, or chemicals that are not filtered out. But it is one thing to know about it, and a completely different thing to read about it all together and in the same place. Overall, it was a very disturbing read to think about all of the ways that the water that we drink is making us sick. Overall, it was a good read, but a little on the long and somewhat repetitive side. But with that being said, it was very well researched and contains very important information that we all should be aware of, in order to push to make the changes that are needed to ensure that we can all have clean water.
I was given the opportunity to read this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review.
#bookreview #NetGalley #TroubledWater
I was given the opportunity to read this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review.
#bookreview #NetGalley #TroubledWater
November 23, 2019
Received complimentary copy of this book from the publisher with the request to read and post an honest review.
This book is extremely detailed and well researched. There are parts I found extremely well written, as well - particularly the Orange County section, which details an area in America which has an effective drinking water policy. I also appreciate the author being truly non-partisan in his approach to the book, which is tough to do given drinking water problems, and drinking water solutions, are often politically driven.
It is no easy read, though, for someone like me who is not traditionally an activist or hyper-environmentally aware. The level of detail on the problems out drinking water faces is a bit overwhelming and repetitive. I guess the analogy I would use is that I felt like a middle school student reading a college level book. The Cliff Notes version would have been better for someone like me. But, I am glad I read it and certainly learned something - and I am greatly more concerned about my drinking water than I was before reading!
This book is extremely detailed and well researched. There are parts I found extremely well written, as well - particularly the Orange County section, which details an area in America which has an effective drinking water policy. I also appreciate the author being truly non-partisan in his approach to the book, which is tough to do given drinking water problems, and drinking water solutions, are often politically driven.
It is no easy read, though, for someone like me who is not traditionally an activist or hyper-environmentally aware. The level of detail on the problems out drinking water faces is a bit overwhelming and repetitive. I guess the analogy I would use is that I felt like a middle school student reading a college level book. The Cliff Notes version would have been better for someone like me. But, I am glad I read it and certainly learned something - and I am greatly more concerned about my drinking water than I was before reading!
January 20, 2020
This one goes into the category of "everything that you were vaguely aware of, but didn't really want to know" but now, having read it, you know. The short story is our government and water utility are not protecting our health, or doing so minimally. The system is and can be gamed so that water utilities can actively thwart reporting spikes of chemicals in our water. And the fact remains that unless you live in a forward thinking place that has been proactive about water treatment, you are likely being subjected to harmful levels of chemicals and pharmaceuticals that are odorless, colorless, and swallowed without a second thought. You drink bottled water as a result? That bottle may be leaching a host of other harmful chemicals that you thought you were avoiding by paying up for "purified" water.
The author poses lots of solutions and I think we'll get there in time, but it will be a long slog against inertia and political opposition.
The author poses lots of solutions and I think we'll get there in time, but it will be a long slog against inertia and political opposition.
Read
November 27, 2020This book will make you question whether you should ever again drink water out of the tap, or even out of a water bottle. The pharmaceuticals and other chemicals known to be in our water, but which we don't even test for, should be a concern--lifetime dosing of chemicals is rarely a good thing. Lead piping is a known problem, particularly in older cities: Flint Michigan shows out people can make the problem even worse, and, of course, how the politicians will deny the problem they are charged with correcting. And then there are the microplastics that are now everywhere. Of course, plastic water bottles are part of that problem, but also leach chemicals into the water you drink. Also true if you have a metal water bottle with a plastic liner.
This book is well written and easy to read. But it is not easy to understand how people time after time allow greed to subvert the health and welfare of people.
Everyone should read this book.
This book is well written and easy to read. But it is not easy to understand how people time after time allow greed to subvert the health and welfare of people.
Everyone should read this book.
January 7, 2024
This was a fascinatingly terrifying read about how, through negligence, lack of education, and sometimes downright lies and corruption, the water we drink has become a significant source of a multitude of dangerous substances. Overall, my biggest complaint with it would be that I don't feel like the author gave enough of a thorough treatment on the topic of what we can/should do TODAY to ensure clean water for our own families. He definitely touched on the topic with broad strokes, but I would have loved to have seen some more specific recommendations (although I totally understand the difficulty of recommending specific technological products in any book).
I think this is a book that would be worth anyone's time because the more people are educated, the more they will care, and the greater the chance of positive changes occurring across the whole industry.
I think this is a book that would be worth anyone's time because the more people are educated, the more they will care, and the greater the chance of positive changes occurring across the whole industry.
November 2, 2019
The author should be commended for defining in a concise and clear language the challenges we face as a community and country to our “troubled water.” The EPA appears to be complicit and adversarial in the water crisis and there appears to be little leadership in D.C. to take on the water crisis. Mr. Siegel is a wordsmith and the prose moves along telling the story of where we were, where we are and where we might be in this arena. This book is a wake up call and solutions are offered at the end of the book. Climate change and water need to be understood as we won’t have Planet Earth without immediate change and care to these subjects. I thank the author for spelling it out in plain language.
November 8, 2021
Audiobook.
I really enjoyed the first half. I loved the deep dive and storytelling of some of the chemicals in the ater. The rest of the book felt like it just missed. It was close to something I would love, but wasn't there. Honestly, if I wasn't reading this for a extreme reader category at the library, I probably would've given up half way thru.
I think maybe its the depth of arguments.
I think he starts to make a good case for shrinking the number of water utilities (somehwere between and 10-20 per state) but he doesn't draw up a detailed example like he should. Do a detailed split of a state like Minnesota, or Colorado to show how it would work.
He does make a great case for OC recycling its waste water. But there are also great European examples he skips.
I really enjoyed the first half. I loved the deep dive and storytelling of some of the chemicals in the ater. The rest of the book felt like it just missed. It was close to something I would love, but wasn't there. Honestly, if I wasn't reading this for a extreme reader category at the library, I probably would've given up half way thru.
I think maybe its the depth of arguments.
I think he starts to make a good case for shrinking the number of water utilities (somehwere between and 10-20 per state) but he doesn't draw up a detailed example like he should. Do a detailed split of a state like Minnesota, or Colorado to show how it would work.
He does make a great case for OC recycling its waste water. But there are also great European examples he skips.
February 21, 2020
Troubled Water is a lay persons guide to the world of drinking water. The book has a market, probably a vast one, in that it might appeal to the general public, but the language is a bit loose. For example, in one part of the book, Siegel makes the claim that Orange County's water is devoid of chemicals, those that the EPA regulates and those that they don't. How can you possibly know if a chemical has been removed if it is not measured? Um, no.
I get the point that this book is for the non-scientist who is looking to get an introduction into the world of drinking water, however that is not me. I found the book to be a overly simplistic in its message.
I get the point that this book is for the non-scientist who is looking to get an introduction into the world of drinking water, however that is not me. I found the book to be a overly simplistic in its message.
May 5, 2021
As an engineering professor and an environmental engineer that worked with municipalities, this book falls short. He seems to blame the municipalities for not doing their job - the municipalities have their hands tied. They don’t have the money (or public demand) to do everything he says they should be doing, besides a few shining examples (who have money from high CA taxes). Privatizing won’t help this - there would likely be less rigor in treatment. Regulations need to be increases and lobbyists that don’t have human health as their number one interest need to be stopped.
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