Find out if your water is safe

You obviously take care to protect your baby from all possible threats. It is important that you do not overlook water. Drinking water can be a potential source for some serious contaminants.

In general, drinking water in the United States is clean and safe to drink.  However, the American Academy of Pediatrics now again recommends boiling water for formula.  This is less due to the risk, than because the rare occurrence of bad water would be fatal to the baby.

Additionally, you should check for impurities in your water supply.  Here are some ways to have your water tested for purity:

• If your water comes from a public or municipal water line in the United States, you can ask the supplier to have it tested. Remember: the supplier is bound by law to get the water tested and make a copy of the report available to you.
  
  
  
• You can even ask for the water from your tap to be tested. This will tell you whether contaminants are getting into the water on the way from the treatment plant to your home.
  
  
  
• You can access annual water quality reports of water agencies on the website of the Environmental Protection Agency.
  
  
  
• You can have your water tested at a state-certified lab. Call the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water hotline (800) 426-4791 or obtain a list of state certification offices from their website.
  
  
  
• You can test the water yourself. You can do this using a home test kit such as PurTest and Discover testing . Home test kits are equipped to test for contaminants such as lead, arsenic, pesticides, and bacteria.
  

Even after all this testing, you still may want to invest in a simple water purifier like Brita to make sure all the water you are drinking and using in cooking is sufficiently filtered.

Disclaimer: The above information is commonsense reflection drawn from general experience. If you are looking for expert medical advice, please consult your doctor.