Will the U.S. Drinking Water Supply still be Safe due to the Oil Spill?

[cutlassmama]

Does anyone know? Should we all rush out and get bottled water or stock up on water filters now?

[Warpy]

1. Do you drink sea water out of the Gulf?

There is your answer.

[Xipe Totec]

3. He has a point, though, some of that crap is evaporating into the atmosphere

It is bound to contaminate the fresh water supply somewhere.

[IndianaGreen]

8. It will turn to acid rain

I also mentioned how a hurricane's storm surge could bring the oil far inland, contaminating everything on its path. Large parts of the coastline will become too toxic for human or animal habitation.

This is really bad!

[cutlassmama]

12. This is just too horrible to comprehend.

[cutlassmama]

4. No, but is the oil going to travel into rivers and such?

[Warpy]

15. No, there will be some incursion into the estuaries, but the flow

will prevent it from going any farther than the actual river mouth unless it's pushed upstream by a hurricane and storm surge. Even then, it will soon be pushed back out by the river's flow of fresh water.

[A HERETIC I AM]

20. Which rivers on this planet that you know of flow UP from the ocean?

Which fresh water source anywhere in the USA is drawn from the Gulf of Mexico?

Sorry, but your OP is absurd.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Hurricane storm surge will bring the oil far inland, contaminating everything on its path

Another DUer has pointed out that a lot of the oil is dissipating in atmosphere, which explains the foul smell being reported from as far away as Tampa, but it will come down as acid rain.

[Horse with no Name]

10. A hurricane is what I am worried about although

I am curious if a Category 5 in the Gulf would actually be the earth self-cleansing the water?
Anyone know?

[Warpy]

13. You bet, I was unnecessarily facetious

Yes, coastal residents will probably find themselves needing water services to supply potable water.

[Xipe Totec]

2. Where do you suppose the water bottlers get their supply? nt

[cutlassmama]

9. Probably from tap water. I was thinking I could stock up on the bottled

water that was in the store from before this disaster struck or invest in a kickass filter for water from my tap.

[Laura902]

5. Do you live in one of the states bordering the spill? If not then stocking up

on the dumbest human invention: bottled water, will not help you.

[cutlassmama]

6. Yes

[Laura902]

17. I'm no expert but i'm sure if you get your water from

one of the rivers that could be contaminated you could be at a risk.....bottled water isn't as nearly as clean as the nys tap water I have, I don't know about yours tho

[customerserviceguy]

11. It will have essentially zero effect on the drinking water supply

Some acid rain, as reported earlier, may fall, but it will be a drop in the bucket when it comes to reservoirs.

However, I wouldn't eat Gulf shrimp for awhile...

[cutlassmama]

14. Wonderful! Are you sure? I'll miss my shrimp, but drinking water is essential to life.

[customerserviceguy]

16. Yes, I'm sure

There is no way that the oil is going to back up into the mighty Mississippi, and befoul any sources of drinking water. I don't see where you live, but even if it's a Gulf state, they don't desalinate water from the Gulf of Mexico in any of them that I know of.

[deaniac21]

18. Are you serious?

[GreenPartyVoter]

19. If you live on the gulf and rely on a desalinazation plant for your water, then you have some reason

to be concerned. If not, I wouldn't be too worried.

[WolverineDG]

21. Do you drink salt water?

:eyes:

dg

[NNN0LHI]

22. As long as the Mississippi river continues flowing south I think we will be alright