When it comes to drinking water, our public water utilities are the first line of defense against potential health threats in our water supplies. Fortunately, many of the central treatment processes and analytical procedures already in place will help protect consumers in the event of a contamination threat. In addition, many of the bacteria, viruses, and chemicals that could potentially be used in a bioterrorist attack are not commonly encountered in water.
There are many possible biological organisms (and their toxins) as well as chemical substances which terrorists could try to use in an effort to contaminate municipal water supplies. The federal government and other organizations have been working with public water utilities to improve security, increase source water investigations, and enhance analytical capabilities to ensure they can detect possible contamination.
Many consumers have questioned whether they can use home water treatment products to help protect their drinking water supply in the event of waterborne contamination. At the present time, the national standards that set the guidelines for testing of home water treatment devices do not contain testing protocols to verify whether home water treatment systems can remove or reduce some of the biological or chemical agents that may be used in a bio-terrorist attack on drinking water. As a result, the water treatment devices listed in the NSF Drinking Water Treatment Units Online Product Database may not have been specifically tested and certified for their effectiveness in reducing some of the different chemicals or biological agents you may have heard about.
If you have any specific questions about the use or performance capability of a home water treatment system, consult the owner's manual or contact the manufacturer directly. Always make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions when using any home water treatment device.
