Know Exactly What’s In Your Tap Water With This Website

We've all seen the crisis with high lead levels in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, but what exactly is in our water right here in Central New York? We've found a website that will tell you.

The Environmental Working Group is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to protecting human health and the environment, and they have developed a drinking water database to help consumers know the facts about their local tap water.

All you have to do is enter your zip code into the database at EWG.org, and you'll find out what contaminates are in your water, get a breakdown of the health risks of each contaminant.

You'll also find out how the levels of the contaminates in your water compare to the National levels and it will tell you where each source of pollution comes from - like industry, agriculture, treatment by-products, run-off, or naturally occurring.

The database will also let you know if your water utility company is in compliance with Federal legal standards like the EPA's lead action level, if the utility was in violation of health-based drinking water standards and if the utility properly monitored contaminates and reported those tests to state agencies as required by law.

If you're concerned about your drinking water, EWG.org also gives you tips on the best water filters and how to properly maintain them for the best quality drinking water.

I tried the test to make sure it works and entered 13357 for Ilion, because that's where I live. Here's some of what I found:

-Ilion had 2 contaminates detected above health guidelines with 8 other contaminates detected.

-Those two contaminates are listed as 'Radiological contaminates' and 'Total trihalomethanes.'

-Ilion was below the National average here, but above the NYS average.

You can use the database to test your own drinking water too. Just head to EWG.org and enter your zip code or the name of your water utility.

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