Featuring Recent Articles Concerning Our Drinking Water & Water Filters October 18, 2007 marks the 35th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, a landmark law intended to restore and maintain the physical, chemical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. In passing the Clean Water Act, Congress set the goals of eliminating the discharge of pollutants into the nation’s waterways by 1985 and making all U.S. waterways fishable and swimmable by 1983. Although we have made significant progress in improving water quality since the passage of the Clean Water Act, we are far from realizing the Act’s original vision. Thousands of facilities continue to exceed their Clean Water Act permits. Nationally, more than 3600 major facilities (57%) exceeded their Clean Water Act permit limits at least once between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005. The 10 U.S. states with the highest percentage of major facilities exceeding their Clean Water Act permit limits at least once are Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Ohio, Connecticut, New York, North Dakota, California, and West Virginia. The 10 U.S. counties with the most facilities exceeding their Clean Water Act permits at least once in this period are Harris County, Texas; Los Angeles County, California; Worcester County, Massachusetts; New Haven County, Connecticut; Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana; Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Hartford County, Connecticut; Will County, Illinois; Wayne County, Michigan; and Erie County, New York. These facilities often exceed their permits more than once and for more than one pollutant. The 3600 major facilities exceeding their permits in the time period studied reported more than 24,400 exceedances of their Clean Water Act permit limits. This means that many facilities exceeded their permits more than once and for more than one pollutant. The 10 U.S. states with the most exceedances of Clean Water Act permit limits between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005 are Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, California, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida. Nationally, 628 major facilities exceeded their Clean Water Act permit limits for at least half of the monthly reporting periods between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005. These facilities often exceed their permits egregiously. Major facilities exceeding their Clean Water Act permits, on average, exceeded their permit limits by 263%, or nearly four times the allowed amount. The 10 U.S. states with the highest average permit exceedance between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005 are New Mexico, Vermont, Arizona, West Virginia, Iowa, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, California, and Hawaii. Nationally, major facilities reported more than 1800 instances between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005 in which they exceeded their Clean Water Act permit limits by at least six-fold (500%). The U.S. states with at least 100 exceedances of at least 500% above the permit limit are California, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
Save Our Aquifers
Aquifers are one of our most precious resources providing millions of people across the U.S. with water for drinking, household uses, agriculture and industry. Today, because of pollution, our aquifers are in trouble. Chemical spills, golf courses, agricultural runoff and industrial wastes are major contributors to this problem resulting in chemical laden water entering the aquifer system.
There are a number of things we can do at home to reduce water contamination. Reducing our use of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Being careful so as not to spill gasoline, oil, antifreeze, chemicals, etc. Another thing we can all do is CALL OUR CONGRESSMAN. Demand more restrictions on golf courses, agriculture, and industry. Demand higher fines on violators.
Many people believe the water contained in aquifers is tens of thousands of years old. This is simply not true. Aquifers continually receive water. When it rains, surface water, which may be carrying pollutants is absorbed by the earth and makes its way to the groundwater. Below the groundwater is porous rock which allows the groundwater to make its way to the aquifer. The end result is, any pollutants picked up by the rain water, finally finds its way into the aquifer. That is how surface pollutants enter our aquifers before we drink the water.
Our aquifers in many areas are suffering from a shortage of incoming water due to drought. Here in Florida and Georgia, we have been living with a drought the past few years. Our aquifer, here in the southeast is fed by rains occurring in eastern Alabama, southern South Carolina, all of Georgia, and north Florida. When less water is coming in, resulting in lower groundwater levels, aquifers receive less incoming water. When no rains occur, contaminants build up on the surface of the earth. Then, when it does rain, the rainwater carries a higher level of contaminants. This is a very important issue.
Our very existence depends on healthy water. Drinking water contamination is known to cause cancer, kidney, heart and liver damage, nervous system disorders, birth defects and reproductive disorders, just to name a few.
Recent surveys conclude 64 percent of Americans are concerned about their drinking water. Many are looking for alternatives to drinking tap water. Bottled water is not a very good alternative because of the lack of regulations. Bottled water is governed by the FDA – the Food And Drug Association, not the EPA. Bottled water standards are very lax especially if the water is bottled and sold within the same state. Many doctors recommend point of use water filtration systems to combat drinking water contamination.
High quality water filters can reduce contaminants to acceptable levels providing safer, healthier water. Something must be done before this problem gets too big to fix. Please contact your local government representatives and call your congressman. Demand something be done to save our aquifers from future abuse.
MTBE And Your Drinking Water
MTBE , Methyl Tert Butyl Ether, a gasoline additive, is being found in drinking water all over the United States due to fuel spills, leaking gas tanks and leaking underground gasoline storage tanks. MTBE has been used in gasoline since 1979 to replace lead as an octane enhancer as it helps prevent engine knock.
MTBE is contaminating our air, water, and soil. MTBE mixes well with water. Rain distributes MTBE nationwide. Storm runoff carries it into our streams, rivers, and reservoirs. MTBE is very transient as it washes easily through soil resulting in groundwater contamination. Cleanup is virtually impossible due to the vast contamination. MTBE is a known carcinogen.
Many studies regarding health effects of MTBE are currently underway. Lymphoma, leukemia, testicular tumors, thyroid tumors and kidney tumors are a few of the known health effects at this time, however, little is known about the health effects of low level long term exposure.
MTBE, in heavier concentrations, causes bad taste and odor in drinking water. If MTBE is present at levels of 20 – 40 ppb drinking water tastes and smells like turpentine. At this time, 20 – 40 ppb is considered an acceptable level. Public water systems are required to monitor for MTBE.
If you are on city water, your local municipal water supplier can tell you if MTBE is in your water and to what degree. If you own a private well and suspicion possible MTBE contamination, have your well water tested. The EPA can provide you with contact information for certified drinking water testing laboratories. Call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800 426 4791 or go to this website: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/sco.html to obtain the phone number for the office in your state that certifies drinking water laboratories.
Fluoride And Your Drinking Water
If fluoride was beneficial to your health it would be in your daily multivitamin. The american public has been overly exposed to fluoride for many years. Fluoride is a natural substance. The fluoride used to fluoridate water is actually an industrial waste derived from the fertilizer industry. As far as drinking it, there is no benefit at all. Fact is, fluoride is detrimental to human health. If you look at your favorite toothpaste you may find a warning – Do Not Swallow – now look at the active ingredients, you will find it contains fluoride. Warning - Small children are at risk of swallowing toothpaste. Fluoride may not have any benefit to children’s teeth at all. In fact, excessive exposure to fluoride can cause fluoridation in young children’s developing teeth.
There are numerous other risks involved in the consumption of excessive fluoride.
1. Children can suffer from brain damage and/or lower IQ’s.
2. People with kidney disease are more susceptible to fluoride toxicity due to their impaired ability to excrete fluoride from the body.
3. Bone cancer – Harvard scientists have linked fluoride to osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer mainly effecting young males.
4. Weakened bone strength increasing the risk of fracture.
5. Thyroid function – People drinking water containing fluoride who have a low iodine intake can experience reduction of thyroid activity possibly resulting in weight gain, depression or mental acuity.
One thing you can do to reduce your family’s consumption of fluoride is to use a reverse osmosis drinking water filtration system. There are many high quality systems on the market today. A high quality reverse osmosis system will reduce fluoride to an acceptable level.
Compare the NSF certification before you buy. Only buy an RO system that has a post filter. Look for a filtration system that uses high quality carbon block filters as this type of filtration will also reduce other contaminants of health concern.
Chlorine And Your Water
Here in the U.S. most municipal water facilities commonly use chlorine as part of the purification process to kill bacteria. Chlorine kills bacterial cysts such as Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba and Toxoplasma. Without properly treating our water with chlorine or other form of disinfection, disease would develop to epidemic proportions and many would die of dysentery, chlora and other types of waterborne disease.
The amazing fact is, as necessary as chlorine is in disinfecting our water supply, it is also considered to be detrimental to human health. When chlorine is mixed with water, . Trihalomethanes and other disinfectant byproducts are produced. Disinfectant byproducts are known to cause cancer, nervous system disorders and reproductive problems and developmental defects. Point of use drinking water filtration devices can effectively reduce chlorine, trihalomethanes and many other disinfectant byproducts.
Bathing or showering in chlorinated water is another health risk. Warm water opens the pores of the skin allowing chlorine to be absorbed. Worse yet, as we shower, chlorine gas is released. The lungs readily absorb the chorine to a high degree. This can cause problems for people with emphysema or other lung disorders. When chlorine has entered the blood stream, it puts an additional stress upon the kidneys and liver as they provide the removal process.
One solution to this problem is KDF shower filtration technology. KDF shower filters change chlorine to zinc chloride, an environmentally safe and harmless substance. Many water filtration manufacturers produce shower filters using this technology.
Can We Trust The Florida Aquifer?
The Florida Aquifer has always been our most valuable natural resource. One of the most productive aquifers in the world, the Florida Aquifer produces over 8 billion gallons of water each day providing water for drinking, residential, industrial and agricultural use. It is also one of the largest aquifers, underlying much of the southeastern U.S. - approximately 100,000 square miles of south-eastern Georgia, southern Alabama, southern South Carolina, and all of the state of Florida.
Today, the Florida Aquifer is suffering. Contamination is making its way into our water supply. Numerous contaminants have been found in various locations throughout the state of Florida. Everything from agricultural chemicals, gasoline, MTBE, pesticides, herbicides and many more contaminants have been found. Leaking gasoline tanks, industrial wastes, septic tanks, agricultural runoff, and street sewers are just a few sources of contamination. Imagine the huge amount of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides used on golf courses, farms, and lawns in Florida. imagine what takes place when it rains. These chemicals and others from different sources are washed into the soil making their way into the groundwater, then through the permeable rock into the water of the aquifer itself.
Many of these chemicals are known to have negative effects on human health. Cancer, birth defects and many other ailments have been proven to be caused by contaminants found in drinking water today. Our cities and towns here in Florida do all they can to provide tap water safe to drink. Demand has increased dramatically within the past few decades as populations are growing rapidly. Many of our older water plants are not able to handle the huge demand. Proper filtration at point of use is the only safe solution as many bottled waters are nothing but tap water.
Public awareness is growing in regards to this issue, but many Florida residents still believe the aquifer is pure. This is a major concern because even if the contamination is found to be at a low level, long term use can be detrimental to ones health. Infants, young children, older people and people with compromised immune systems can suffer illness and possible death due to ingesting contaminated water. Patti Wilson St Augustine, Fl Florida resident since 1993
Don't Let Bottled Water Or Water Filters Fool You
Industry, agriculture and the general public use over 70,000 different chemicals. Many of which can be found in our environment today, polluting the air we breathe, the soil in which we produce our crops, our lakes, rivers and streams. Many of these toxic contaminants are finding their way to our drinking water sources. Amazing as it may seem, municipal water treatment facilities are only required to test for 68 of these contaminants. 51% of the U.S. population does not believe that federal laws governing drinking water quality are strict enough.
Many people today drink bottled water or use drinking water filters because of this. Bottled water is heavy to handle, inconvenient and expensive to buy. Most bottled water is of good quality. Some is not as pure as they would like us to believe. The Natural Resources Defense Council studied a number of bottled waters and found the vast majority of the waters tested to be good quality drinking water. Approximately 25% was actually nothing but tap water., Many of the waters tested were found to contain contaminants of health concern.
The source of bottled water can be misleading at times. Just because the label displays a picture of a mountain stream, this does not mean it was the source of the water. Read the label and the cap of the bottle, usually the actual source will be indicated. If your intention is to use bottled water as an alternative to tap water, purchase the high quality waters.
The other option is a water filter. There are over 400 companies that manufacture and sell water filtration products that treat contaminants found in our drinking water. Most of these products only reduce chlorine to some degree. Only a few companies produce filters that actually reduce pesticides, herbicides and other chemical contaminants of health concern.
NSF International (National Sanitation Foundation) tests and certifies water purification filters to meet certain standards and all claims of performance the manufacturer makes. Any manufacturer of water filtration products that meet the NSF standards are proud to advertise that fact. NSF certifies what the filtration device can reduce, this does not mean the contaminants listed are in your water supply.
Choosing a water filtration system can be tricky to say the least. There are a number of factors to consider in comparing drinking water filters. The first consideration should be the NSF Certification. Always review the NSF Certification of the product to verify that it will meet your needs. Manufacturer certifications can be viewed on the NSF website. http://www.nsf.org
Quality is a key factor in choosing any drinking water filtration system. A quality system will last for years, saving replacement cost. Quality systems do not come cheap, but in the long run they are definitely the best buy and offer more value in contaminant reduction. Most high quality systems are very efficient, and reduce contaminants to the highest degree. Always look for a system that is certified to reduce Bacterial Cysts, Chlorine, Heavy Metals, Herbicides, Pesticides and a vast array of other contaminants. Also check the lifespan of the filter itself, as replacement filters can be very costly. If the filter has a high capacity rating it will last longer, requiring fewer filter changes, therefore reducing costs.
Loose carbon filters should not even be considered as they are a breeding ground for bacterial growth, have a very short filter lifespan and are very ineffective. Solid carbon block filters are highly effective, do not remove the healthy minerals from water, do not require electricity and generally have a high capacity rating. Check the micron rating, 0.5 is very good. A 0.5 micron filter will effectively reduce particulate matter and bacterial cysts. The NSF certification will tell you which contaminants the filter will reduce and to what degree.
Some people prefer reverse osmosis which can reduce additional contaminants. Please note: reverse osmosis removes minerals from the water. It is a good idea to take a vitamin and mineral supplement when using this type of filter on a regular basis to replace the healthy minerals removed from the water. Reverse Osmosis also reduces fluoride, which is a good thing. There is no need for fluoride in your drinking water. Determine what technology is used in the pre-filters and the after filter. Many reverse osmosis units use solid carbon block technology in addition to the RO membrane. An additional filter, such as a solid carbon block, is recommended just prior to the faucet. Again, check the NSF Certification and take into consideration the filter life capacities.
Links to more information:
For more information on drinking water, water filtration, or water pollution/contamination
See our Water Today Page and check out the following links:
http://www.environmenttexas.org
http://www.cdc.gov
http://www.sierraclub.org
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3773&src=
http://www.ewg.org
Water NewsTroubled Waters – 2007 Report
To read the complete report, click here
Think that finding a good, high-quality dog food is important? LAS VEGAS, NV, March/April, 2007 (The Vegas Dog) —
All of the beneficial ingredients that go into dog food will not help your dog if it is not drinking enough fresh clean water. Water is the body's most important nutrient. Adult dogs' bodies are 60% water, and a puppy's is 84% water. Dogs can lose all of their fat and half of their protein without adversely affecting their health, but a loss of 10 % of their water can cause significant problems. Dog owners should place as much attention on the quality of the water their dog drinks as they do on the ingredients that go into the best dog foods; not all water is the same. The criteria for clean drinking water for dogs is similar to the criteria for drinking water for people. Dogs should have access to fresh clean water at all times. This is even more important than giving it the best dog foods on the market. Dogs need three times more water than they do food every day. They need even more water if it is extremely hot, if the dog is lactating or if the dog is exercising more than normal. Healthy food and water choices for your pet will be the difference between a happy healthy long life or health challenges and an early departure...just like people.......................................
