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New database lets you see what pollutants are in your tap water

Posted at 12:09 PM, Dec 03, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-03 15:09:25-05

Most people are aware that tap water isn't exactly pure. But do you know exactly what's in your water?

A new online database allows you to type in your zip code and see what pollutants are lurking in your water. (You can take a look at the database here to try it out yourself.)

According to the Environmental Working Group, tap water in most parts of Clark County has cancer-causing contaminants like chloroform, chromium, and dichloroacetic acid.

"You need to take action. We recommend everyone in the United States install a home water filter," said Bill Walker, EWG Vice President.

Here's the tricky part that the EWG wants you to understand: According to the EPA, the federal agency overseeing our water, all of our local tap water complies with the legal standards.

But the EWG also says that those standards are far outdated and need to be more strict.

"Many of these standards were set more than a decade, or even in some cases, several decades ago. And they have not been updated," said Walker.

That's why it's 100 percent legal to be gulping down these chemicals.

"While it's not an immediate panic or an immediate health threat, it is significant, and it is something that we want to draw attention to," Walker said.