From an article by Randy Christensen and Elaine MacDonald, Nov/Dec 2015, On the Level, Water Canada. Canadian water guidelines are weaker than those in other jurisdictions. Although having an apparent abundance of fresh water, Canada has considerable quality and quantity concerns. These concerns suggest too little is being done to protect the health and well being of Canadians. Our federal and provincial governments determine the level of allowable contamination in drinking water, known as the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality
The authors did a study (Waterproof Standards 2014), in which they found Canadian guidelines are weaker than those in the USA,the EU,and Australia…and are at risk of becoming weaker. There is also evidence that Canada has no standards for some substances, where others do. Of great concern is the Federal Provincial Territorial Committee on Drinking Water (CWD) has proposed doubling the allowable level for chromium. Cr-III is an essential nutrient…but Cr-VI is a known human carcinogen and is considered extremely toxic. Cr-VI is the contamination activist Erin Brockovitch exposed, as portrayed by Julie Roberts in the movie. The CWD’s proposal will put us out of step with our international peers and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Herbicide 2-4-D has also been detected frequently in surface water across Canada, and is associated with damage to the nervous system, liver and kidneys…and is considered a possible human carcinogen. Other countries have a standard 1.5 to 3 times stronger than the Canadian standard. Canada has no limit for Styrene, another possible human carcinogen, while the USA, Australia, and the WHO have set limits.
Precedent for better protection of Canada’s drinking water exists. We can do better , but our governments must must find the will to defend public health and protect Canada’s drinking water.
Making pharmaceuticals that degrade before they can contaminate drinking water.
In recent years, researchers have realized that many products, including pharmaceuticals, have ended up where they’re not supposed to be — in our drinking water. But now scientists have developed a way to make drugs that break down into harmless compounds before they contaminate our taps. 
Their report appears in ACS’ journal
Environmental Science & Technology.
The researchers chose to work with a commonly used drug called propranolol — a beta blocker prescribed to treat high blood pressure and to prevent heart problems. It is very stable and has been found in sewage. They made a small molecular change in its structure that didn’t affect its beta blocking activity but allowed it to break down more easily than the 
original form. Further studies are needed, but initial testing showed that the altered drug and its byproducts are likely not toxic. The researchers suggest that a similar approach could be used to re-design other classes of drugs and chemicals to make them more environmentally friendly, too. 
A wide range of active ingredients originating from pesticides, shampoos, lotions, cosmetics, disinfectants and drugs get washed into sewage systems or rivers and streams, ending up in our tap water. 
Scientists don’t have a complete picture yet of what effects these substances have on wildlife and human health, but they are a major concern. Researchers have detected them in low levels in streams and rivers across the United States and in other countries. To address the specific problem of medications in the environment, Klaus Kümmerer and colleagues made tweaks to pharmaceuticals so they degrade after they’ve passed through both the body and sewage treatment systems, which aren’t capable of scrubbing wastewater of all contaminants.
Dr. Klaus Kümmerer, professor of sustainable chemistry and material resources at the University of Lüneburg
You can refill an 8 oz glass of water approximately
An automatic dishwasher uses approximately 9 to 12 gallons of water while hand washing dishes can use up to 20 gallons.
If every household in America had a faucet that dripped once each second, 928 million gallons of water a day would leak away.
A dairy cow must drink four gallons of water to produce one gallon of milk.
One gallon of water weighs approximately 8½ pounds.
One inch of rainfall drops 7,000 gallons, or nearly 30 tons of water, on a 60′ x 180′ piece of land.
65% of the human body is water,
The first water pipes in the U.S. were made of hollowed-out logs.
Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
Don’t use running water to thaw food. For water efficiency and food safety, defrost food in the refrigerator.
Large pans may require more cooking water than necessary.
Collect the water you use while rinsing fruit and vegetables. Use it to water house plants.
More than 79,000 tons of chlorine are used per year in the United States.
Of all the earth’s water, 97% is salt water found in oceans and seas. Only 1% of the earth’s water is available for drinking water. Two percent is currently frozen.
About two thirds of the human body is water.
Public water suppliers process 38 billion 
About 800,000 water wells are drilled each year in the United States for domestic, farming, commercial, and water testing purposes.
Typically, households consume at least 50% of their water by lawn watering.
Inside, toilets use the most water,
In 1974, Congress passed the 
More than 13 million households get their water from their own private wells and are responsible for treating and pumping the water themselves.
The average daily requirement for fresh water in the United States is about 40 billion gallons a day, with about 300 billion gallons used untreated for agriculture and commercial purposes.
Each person uses
For 18 years, Stockholm Junior Water Prize has congregated the world’s most imaginative young minds for an outstanding competition in the capital of Sweden, encouraging their continued interest in water and sustainability issues.
The group makes their way up to Fording River Pass, along the continental divide, before crossing into British Columbia. After leaving the tree line behind they reached a large stony area where a patch of petrified horn coral dating back to the mid-to-late Cretaceous period, some 66 to 140 million years ago. (Photo courtesy Janet and Mike Michaud)
The group reaches British Columbia after crossing the continental divide. (Photo courtesy Janet and Mike Michaud)
Dewy scans the horizon on day 3, from the summit of a mountain he called the Strawberry Hills. (Photo courtesy Janet and Mike Michaud)
Atop the Strawberry Hills. (Photo courtesy Janet and Mike Michaud)
Lunch break on the summit of the Strawberry Hills afforded breathtaking 360 degree views of the valleys below. (Photo courtesy André Préfontaine/Canadian Geographic)
An early morning view of Mount McPhail through the mist. Taken at the third and final base camp along McPhail Creek. (Photo courtesy André Préfontaine/Canadian Geographic)
Photo courtesy André Préfontaine/Canadian Geographic
Three chuck wagons follow the Highwood River as the group makes their way out of the mountain back to High River Junction on the last day of the ride. The wagons contain all the gear and food for the seven-day ride. (Photo courtesy André Préfontaine/Canadian Geographic)
Dewy stands on a fossil patch on the way up to the Fording River Pass. (Photo courtesy Christine Thomas)
Dewy rides to the top Fording River Pass. (Photo courtesy Christine Thomas)
