Tap water is more strictly regulated than the bottled water being hoarded, officials say.

Bottled water has been disappearing from store shelves as fast as toilet paper. And, like toilet paper, there’s no practical reason to stockpile bottled water.

“People need to stop hoarding water,” said Damon Micalizzi of the Municipal Water District of Orange County. “Your tap water is regulated more strictly than any bottled water you buy.”

Tap water is treated specifically to remove infectants like the new coronavirus, which “is a type of virus that is particularly susceptible to disinfection and standard treatment,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.

But what about streams, lakes, bays and oceans? What about sewage getting into those?

Bottled water has been disappearing from store shelves as fast as toilet paper. And, like toilet paper, there’s no practical reason to stockpile bottled water.

“People need to stop hoarding water,” said Damon Micalizzi of the Municipal Water District of Orange County. “Your tap water is regulated more strictly than any bottled water you buy.”

Tap water is treated specifically to remove infectants like the new coronavirus, which “is a type of virus that is particularly susceptible to disinfection and standard treatment,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.

But what about streams, lakes, bays and oceans? What about sewage getting into those? 

In addition to the websites of the EPA, the Centers for Disease Control and the Surfrider Foundation, the Southern California News Group reached out local water and sanitation officials to assess possible risks.

How can I be sure my tap water is safe?

“The COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking-water supplies,” according to the EPA. And that appears unlikely to change, particularly in California.

“California has some of the highest required levels of treatment for drinking water throughout the country,” said Kristeen Farlow of the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District. “Coupled with federal requirements, customers can rest assured that their tap water is safe to drink.”

Each water district is required to regularly test its water and post the results online.

Can the virus enter the sewage system?

Maybe.

“The virus that causes COVID-19 has been detected in the feces of some patients diagnosed with COVID-19,” according to the CDC, which says it is not yet known whether the virus in the stool is infectious.

“Although transmission of COVID-19 through sewage may be possible, there is no evidence to date that this has occurred,” the CDC website says.

However, virtually all California sewage receives secondary treatment, which the EPA says is “expected to be effective” is eliminating the coronavirus. Specifically, all sewage in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties receive at least secondary treatment and often tertiary treatment.

Doesn’t Orange County turn sewage into drinking water?

Yes. The Orange County Water District’s Groundwater Replenishment Program uses a multi-treatment process that has been proven to remove not only infectants from wastewater but also minerals and other impurities before being pumped into the aquifer, which acts as an additional purifier. The water then receives another full round of treatment when pumped out of the aquifer. The Los Angeles Department of Power and Water is now running a pilot project similar to that being used in Orange County.

Read more of the full original article here.