As an immigrant, sometimes I am shocked at how regional America can be. Where I grew up, a biscuit was a small, usually sweet, crumbly thing you ate with tea. In Baltimore, and further south, a biscuit is a fluffy, buttery cloud of pure joy. North of Baltimore? A biscuit is an abomination that should never have existed.
Now before we get into the fistfight that is brewing among biscuit aficionados, there’s something all of us can agree to: that water is different in different parts of America. It’s what makes NYC pizza different from pizza made in Philly. It’s why tap water in Colorado tastes different from tap water in Seattle.
It comes down to the water sources, their treatment, and the infrastructure between the source and the tap.
For example, NYC has a filtration avoidance waiver from the EPA. This waiver states that NYC’s water sources are so pure, that they don’t need to filter them before humans can safely consume the water. Why? Because the water sources are about as pure as groundwater can be, they are isolated and protected, and NYC spends billions keeping them that way.
In contrast, the groundwater in the Southwest, like Arizona, has naturally occurring arsenic. The state and other municipal bodies spend a lot of time and money to remove it so the resulting tap water is safe to drink.
So water contaminants can vary by region due to differences in:
- water sources
- industrial activities
- agricultural practices
- geological factors
And while contaminants may differ from one region to another, they can all be addressed by first testing the water from your tap, and then choosing the right water filter to remove it.
As a starting point, here are some basic regional variations in the US:
In the Western U.S, arsenic and hard water are your main concerns. While hard water can be handled with water softeners, removing arsenic has to rely on reverse osmosis filtration.
In the Midwest, agricultural runoff can contribute to elevated nitrate levels and runoff from manufacturing and industrial activities can also enter the water supply.
In the Northeast, where the oldest buildings in the US still stand, there is an issue with lead pipes. In addition, a lot of chlorination byproducts can sneak in, especially in areas like NYC.
In the Southern US, the same agricultural runoff tends to introduce pesticides and fertilizers. There are also issues with turbidity or cloudiness in some areas, especially near the coasts.
It's important to note that water quality varies at the local level, and specific contaminants are influenced by factors unique to each area. Water suppliers typically conduct regular testing and provide water quality reports to consumers, offering information about the specific contaminants.
For the most part, a simple web search should point in the direction of your area’s water testing results. If not, you can also perform a quick, inexpensive water test, if you’re really interested.
For the most part, water quality and composition varies across the United States. This means that the things we cook using the water also vary. And that’s why biscuits made in the North deserve to be launched into the Sun.
Learn more on Regional Water Variations.