With the hot weather upon us, Frisco residents once again will be faced with finding ways to make a reasonable amount of water go a long way. It’s as much a rite of summer as planning vacations and figuring out how to occupy the kids through those long, lazy, school-free weeks and months.

According to a new report from the President’s Cancer Panel, environmental toxins also play a significant and under-recognized role in cancer, causing “grievous harm” to untold numbers of people. Environmental Working Group’s own research has found that children are born “pre-polluted” with up to 200 industrial chemicals, pesticides and contaminants that have been found to cause cancer in lab studies or in people.

There’s good news for consumers when it comes to clean drinking water.  Consumer Reports says water filter manufacturers are producing products that effectively remove impurities, not just improve taste and appearance. Filters costing as little as $30 can provide cleaner, better-tasting water, according to the consumer magazine’s latest water filter tests. Consumer Reports tested 38 carafe, faucet, countertop, reverse osmosis, and undersink water filters. The results appear in the May issue and online.