Hey So. Utah, What's In Your Water? The Icky Answer

Your water, as clean and as pure as it may look here in Southern Utah, has stuff in it.

A lot of stuff.

Now most of it is OK, some sediment, a few minerals, etc., but scientists are discovering more and more microplastics in our water.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 90 percent of all tap water contains microplastics.

"Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment and have been detected in a broad range of concentrations in marine water, wastewater, fresh water, food, air and drinking-water, both bottled and tap water." -- WHO website.

Over 170 environmental non-profits are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to begin tracking microplastics in drinking water.

The groups filed a petition asking the EPA to add the tracking of microplastics in drinking water to the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2026.

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that shed from plastic products that hold chemicals such as PFAS that are linked to a slew of health issues including cancer and hormone disruption.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that microplastics were present in all samples of drinking water.

The potential hazards associated with microplastics come in three forms: physical particles, chemicals and microbial pathogens as part of biofilms.

Evidence suggests that key sources of microplastic pollution in fresh water sources are terrestrial run-off and wastewater effluent.

However, optimized wastewater (and drinking-water) treatment can effectively remove most microplastics from the effluent.

The WHO recommends that community leaders be proactive:

"Water suppliers and regulators should continue to prioritize removing microbial pathogens and chemicals from drinking water that are known significant risks to human health. As part of water safety planning, water suppliers should ensure that control measures are effective, including optimizing water treatment processes for particle removal and microbial safety, which will incidentally improve the removal of microplastic particles."

The WHO also says we consumers should also be vigilant:

"Irrespective of any human health risks posed by exposure to microplastics in drinking-water, measures should be taken by policy makers and the public to better manage plastics and reduce the use of plastics where possible, to minimize plastics released into the environment because these actions can confer other benefits to the environment and human well-being."

For more on the matter, go to the WHO website addressing the issue.

* -- On a side note, Southern Utah water officials said they DO NOT add fluoride to our drinking water.