In an article published June 2, 2014 by the Canadian news provider CBC News journalist Blair Sanderson advises against the consumption of water from garden hoses. Sanderson reports that garden hoses often leach phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA) and lead at levels exceeding drinking water standards. While those made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) have the highest phthalate and BPA content, copper fitted hoses leach lead in the highest quantities. In California, U.S. hoses carry a warning that they contain “one or more chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects”. Canada Health, the Canadian agency for health, recommended that people not drink from hoses, also because of additional risks from bacteria, dirt and insects. The U.S.-based non-profit research group Ecology Center recommends storing hoses in the shade to prevent leaching, choosing a hose made of natural rubber or polyurethane, and looking for lead-free hoses. Gideon Foreman, executive director of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, states in the article that garden hoses are “not meant to be drunk from … they’re not regulated, and there is some danger that the chemicals in the hose, just like other plastics, can leach."
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Blair Sanderson (June 2, 2014). “Watering gardens with lead, BPA and phthalates.” CBC News
