Most of us already know that ingesting lead (from any source) can lead to health problems, especially in small children. This is the main reason lead paint was banned in 1978. But there are other ways lead can get into our bodies, and one of them is through our household plumbing systems.

Consumers should understand that long-term exposure to excessive amounts of these chemicals can have a variety of health problems including cancer, anemia, liver and kidney problems, to name just a few.

In addition to chlorination, the addition of fluoride to the water systems serving approximately 75% of Americans is also adding to this problem. Many of the health problems posed by chlorine and fluoride will not make themselves known for years, but a growing body of evidence is demonstrating that while curbing infectious disease, our water supply is also causing many other problems.