It was in our homes, workplaces, even our automobiles!
Being in our water pipes is a new one to me.

that used a compound that contained asbestos to seal the joints, after time the asbestos erodes into the water.

In the 80's they used cast iron pipes which is another story.

The day I installed my filter, I immediately saw white flakes of asbestos.

So far, so good.

my dad and at least one other guy I know about (Navy, mid 60's) handled things on those ships that resulted in debilitating injuries. My dad's psoriasis while in the Navy was noted in his records, and he has been retired for decades (he ended up with a disfiguring psoriatic arthritis). Thankfully he is near a good VA hospital, from what I've read that is sort of luck of the draw. He was on the west coast and lord knows what they were hauling to Asia.

You're right -- I HAVE been lucky. But you never know what is around the corner, waiting for you.
I'm grateful that I'm still healthy enough to enjoy my life in my early 70's.

worked on Navy Ships during Viet Nam. His job was scraping all the asbestos off old pipes that needed to be repaired or replaced. No Mask or Respirator.........

He contracted? mesothelioma, about ten years after leaving the navy. He was promised, like so many others, a settlement would be made......he died a few months from his lung ailment and still no settlement has been reached.....nearly SIXTY YEARS LATER.....

that is crazy. Was he part of a lawsuit or something?

My dad was well taken care of, but this was just local VA reps looking out for him, I think. There was no legal action or anything like that. I remember going along to a couple of different hospitals for assessments and my dad retiring when I was in high school. He was working at a factory, and they had him driving forklift because it was about the only thing he could do with his rapidly declining joints. He held out until he hit the 15-year mark for a small pension. Then the VA "retired" him with a pension and social security. They started doing operations to replace joints with pins. He also agreed to take methotrexate (it was new for arthritis at that time); and still takes it. The hope was that the methotrexate would keep his shoulders and hips from getting worse. He's 80 now and no wheelchair. He has gone to the same hospital all these years.

The current political polity would rather ignore or cover up issues that impact health or the environment in general. The same story over and over again: it costs money.

Peace ☮️

Last edited Fri Jun 26, 2026, 10:33 AM - Edit history (1)

Spare no expense, because their lives are worth more than the people who elected them. That’s what defines “equality” in the US now. Race, religion, healthcare, housing, schools, and public water all on the chopping block for our fascist asshole leader of “free world”. Tax breaks for the rich… let them eat cake.

Since it doesn’t break down in the body, ingesting asbestos is potentially harmful, but not near as bad as inhaling the fibers.

or possibly the agency that regulates utilities.
Or go to the media.
This is serious stuff.

Theoretically this is how our drinking water is processed.

Our house is in the Catskills Mountains and there’s no one uphill from us. Our well was drilled to 175 feet and the water is delicious and pure.

We’re fortunate.

Since the early 1900s many water pipes were concrete with added asbestos for increased tensile strength. This piping has a lifespan of 50-70 years and is failing - right now.

I wondered about ingested asbestos; the dangers of inhalation are well documented but there is disagreement about asbestos in drinking water.