We know what you’re thinking: how can my tap water not be Kosher?! Well, it depends on where you are in the world. Surprisingly, New York City is one of those places!
For those who don’t know, Kosher food is food that is made according to Jewish Dietary Laws. Many Jews around the world follow these eating rules. For example, you should never eat meat and dairy together, and fish must have fins and scales that can be taken off. This means that shellfish is not kosher.
New York City is rightly proud of its clean, delicious tap water. But a surprising discovery in 2010 raised some eyebrows about what exactly is flowing out of the faucets in people’s homes and restaurants. A Reddit user who examined NYC tap water under a microscope found it contained tiny copepod crustaceans.
This unusual finding stirred up debate and questions. As a New Yorker and tap water drinker myself, I wanted to learn more. Are there really shrimp-like creatures swimming around in our water? Should we be concerned? Here’s a closer look at the shrimp in NYC’s tap water and what it means.
The Discovery of Copepods in NYC Tap Water
In 2010, a Reddit user made waves when he uploaded photos of tiny copepods he found in stained samples of New York City tap water. Copepods are a type of small crustacean distantly related to shrimp. There are over 10000 species of copepods.
Most copepods live in freshwater and seawater. Some species are nearly microscopic at just 1-2 millimeters long. Under a microscope, copepods are easy to identify by their segmented bodies and large antennae.
While copepods themselves are harmless, their presence in tap water can appear unsettling. After the photos surfaced, many New Yorkers were left wondering why these mini-shrimp were flowing out of their faucets.
The Purpose of Adding Copepods to Reservoirs
It turns out the copepods aren’t an accidental contaminant – they are deliberately introduced into New York’s water system.
The city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) actively adds copepods to the upstate reservoirs that supply NYC’s drinking water. This is done for ecological purposes.
Copepods act as a natural defense against mosquitoes. The tiny crustaceans feed on mosquito larvae in reservoir waters. This helps control mosquito populations and prevent the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses.
Other cities including Philadelphia and Portland have also introduced copepods to their watersheds for mosquito control. The tactic is preferable to spraying chemical insecticides which can negatively impact the environment and water quality.
How Copepods Get Into Tap Water
After being purposely added to the reservoirs upstate, copepods make their way downstream into the city’s water system. Even advanced filtration methods at treatment plants don’t remove every single copepod.
Their small size allows some copepods to pass through filters and enter the water that flows into home taps. While invisible to the naked eye, they can be detected under a microscope.
The DEP asserts that the presence of copepods causes no risks or health issues. The crustaceans do not bite, sting, spread disease, or pose any hazard to people.
Concerns in the Jewish Community Over Non-Kosher Crustaceans
However, the discovery of copepods did upset some in New York’s Jewish community. According to Jewish dietary laws, crustaceans like shrimp, crab, and lobster are not kosher.
In 2004, Orthodox Jewish leaders requested that the city filter out copepods to make the tap water kosher. But the DEP said this was impossible with current technology. They also maintained that copepods posed no health hazards.
To avoid ingesting copepods, some Orthodox Jews in NYC now filter their tap water or use bottled water for cooking and drinking. Many rabbis approved the use of filtered water as acceptable.
Are Copepods Harmful? Risks and Benefits of Copepods in Tap Water
Despite initial alarm over their surprising presence, research suggests copepods are not harmful to human health. In fact, they may offer some benefits:
Benefits
- Provide natural mosquito and larvae control
- Improve water quality by feeding on algae and organic debris
- Part of a healthy, balanced aquatic ecosystem
- Present no known health risks or dangers to people
Potential Risks
- May be unsettling due to “ick factor” of drinking mini-crustaceans
- Render water non-kosher for observant Jews
- Could potentially transmit parasites or bacteria, but no evidence this occurs in NYC water
Overall, scientists emphasize the net positive effects of copepods in New York’s water supply. Without the crustaceans helping control mosquito breeding, public health could suffer. The benefits seem to outweigh the minor risks and concerns.
Can You Taste or See the Copepods in Tap Water?
An uneasy feeling may come from imagining drinking down shrimp-like creatures with every sip of water. But in reality, copepods are impossible to detect in tap water by sight, smell, or taste.
The copepods are simply too tiny to be visible in a glass of water. Their presence causes no changes to the water’s appearance, flavor, or odor. Only under magnification can the copepods be observed.
Some describe New York’s water as tasting sweet or fresh. This pleasant flavor comes from the high quality reservoirs, not the presence of copepods. The crustaceans have no impact on taste or quality.
Ways to Remove Copepods From Tap Water
If knowing about the copepods makes you reluctant to drink unfiltered tap water, there are ways to remove them:
- Use an NSA-certified water filter designed to remove microscopic contaminants
- Choose bottled water for drinking and cooking
- Boil tap water for 3-5 minutes to kill any potential organisms
- Add a slice of lemon, lime, or cucumber to help mask tastes or smells
In most cases, filtering water is unnecessary. But those who are bothered by the notion of consuming copepods do have alternatives.
Looking at the Bigger Picture of NYC’s Water Quality
Considering all aspects of New York’s water quality helps put the copepod issue in perspective:
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NYC tap water meets or exceeds all EPA safety standards.
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The water supply is rigorously tested, filtered, and disinfected before reaching taps.
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Copepods are common in freshwater sources worldwide, not just NYC.
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Billions of people across the globe drink water containing natural microscopic organisms with no ill effects.
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Evidence shows copepods do not transmit disease or directly cause harm. Their presence is Safe according to health authorities.
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Removing copepods would be nearly impossible without enormous effort and infrastructure changes.
Though copepods may seem unsettling, the reality is they represent a very minor component of NYC’s water profile. The water remains perfectly safe to drink without costly new filtration methods.
Can New Yorkers Feel Good About Drinking Tap Water With Copepods?
While the notion of ingesting mini-crustaceans may take some getting used to, current research indicates copepods are harmless and actually benefit New York’s water supply. Their presence does not signal contamination or health hazards.
Provided they are okay with tiny invertebrate neighbors, New Yorkers can continue drinking tap water with confidence in its safety. Copepods have not impacted the taste, quality, or purity of the water flowing into homes and restaurants across the city.
By choosing tap over bottled water, New Yorkers also help reduce plastic pollution and carbon emissions from transportation and manufacturing. So drinking tap water with copepods has environmental bonuses on top of being safe and cost-effective.
Rather than eliciting alarm, New York’s copepods symbolize a natural, well-balanced water system. These tiny creatures have been swimming in our water all along, long before anyone detected them under a microscope. And they’ll continue their vital ecological work of keeping mosquito larvae in check so we can keep enjoying the city’s famously fresh, clean-tasting tap water.
Artificial chemicals like PFOA/PFOS/PFAS
Unfortunately, artificial chemicals can sometimes find themselves into water supplies. These chemicals were made in a lab. They are called polyfluoroalkyl substances, and they are bad for people and animals to eat. They are very hard to control and are not currently regulated. You can find them in Teflon and the lining of fast food wrappers and containers.
We talk more about the concerns around PFOA/PFOS/PFAS here.
Chlorine is usually thought of as a germ killer that keeps pools clean, but did you know that it is also often added to drinking water to keep it clean?
Diluted chlorine is not dangerous, but it can cause asthma and has a bad smell and taste.
Fluoride is found in most toothpaste, and many state and local governments add small amounts to the water supply because it helps keep teeth from getting cavities. However, consuming large levels of fluoride in drinking water can cause bone issues.
What Other Contaminants Can be Found in Tap Water?
When you hear about the copepod problem in New York City, you can’t help but wonder what else is in your tap water.
These are five contaminants that everyone should be aware of.
In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) controls water and makes the Federal and State governments follow a set of rules that say how much, if any, of a contaminant is okay in drinking water sources.
Heavy metals like arsenic, antimony, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, selenium, and many more can get into the water supply and make people sick if they drink a lot of it. There are many causes for heavy metal contamination, including groundwater movement and surface water seepage and run-off.
The Flint, Michigan water crisis illuminated the serious issues that arise when lead is consumed by humans. Lead is exceptionally toxic to humans and should never be consumed. But the water from the river got into Flint’s water supply when it mixed with the pipes and solder in the distribution system, which caused corrosion.
Another heavy metal that gained significant attention when it found its way into water supply is chromium. Julia Roberts’s movie “Erin Brockovich” was about a small town in California called Hinkley and the problems the people there had because their drinking water had chromium 6, a chemical that causes cancer.
The Truth About New York City Tap Water!
Did you find a shrimp in New York City tap water?
A photo posted to the online sharing site Reddit has the Internet abuzz. It shows a tiny animal — a shrimp-like crustacean called a copepod — and announces that the reader found it in his New York City tap water. “You swallow these invisible shrimp with every gulp of NYC tap water,” trumpeted online blog Gizmodo about the discovery.
Is there an invisible shrimp copepod in New York City tap water?
Probably Tiny Invisible Shrimp Copepods like this one are in every glass of New York city tap water — and that’s nothing to worry about. Invisible shrimp could very well be living in every drop of water you drink — but that’s OK, they’re nothing to worry about.
Why does New York tap water taste so good?
New York City is known for having excellent tap water, but why does it taste so good? It might be the microscopic shrimp. Tiny copepods were discovered after a reddit user uploaded photos of what they found through the other end of a microscope after adding H&E stain to New York tap water.
Do shrimp need tap water?
You don’t have to be an expert plumber to install it and make sure the water flow is rapid enough to satisfy your water-changing requirements. Knowing what kind of water your shrimp need is essential for their survival. Using tap water is an option if the water isn’t too harsh and doesn’t contain too many contaminants.