USA Water Filter Blog

It turns out that my water is just fine, if a little “hard” tasting. I bought a water softenerthat attaches to the sink, which my husband loves to make fun of in our new book, but it does improve the taste. (A note: On the episode of WA$TED with the Evesham New Jersey Fire House l, I found that the firefighters were unable to tell the difference between tap and bottled water if it was chilled enough, so we installed a water cooler hooked right up to the municipal source. It’s also a great idea for businesses—the amount of energy it uses is far preferable to individual bottled water.)

What else can each of us do to help keep the water supply safe in the U.S.? Here’s something: properly dispose of old medications.

Of the 4 billion prescriptions written yearly, it is estimated that some 40 percent go unused. That’s 200 million pounds of unused drugs! Not only is our drinking water at risk from improper disposal of medications, but there is also a risk of accidental poisoning of children and pets, as well as the risk of teen drug abuse from pain meds they get from mom and dad’s medicine cabinet.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/ditch-bottles-water-dispose-of-meds-annabelle-gurwitch.php

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While all eyes are on the spectacular disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, a massive and long-term chemical “spill” that is contaminating the source of drinking water for a heavily populated and possibly widespread mid-Atlantic region is quietly being exposed. The News Journal in Wilmington recently reported on a disturbing situation in northern Delaware –the chemical contamination of groundwater in the area. Chemical plumes of toxic pollutants including benzene, vinyl chloride and chlorinated benzenes are spreading and have reached the Potomac Aquifer, which provides drinking water to much of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey, according to the News Journal report, with concentrations high enough to pose both immediate and long-term health threats.

hese chemicals emanate from the sites of current or former chemical and plastics operations in the area, as well as refineries.

It brings to mind the well-publicized disaster discovered in the late 1970s –Love Canal, a planned community in New York, near Niagara Falls, that was built atop a toxic waste dump. Although there are parallels, the two are not quite the same. The very ground upon which Love Canal sat was full of toxic chemicals, while Delaware’s water supply is threatened by industrial pollution.

Delaware’s problem could prove substantially more widespread, affecting people in several states and regions.

The Environmental Protection Agency notes that the community has shown little interest; perhaps had residents been better informed, they would have taken notice.

http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20100803/DW02/8030343/-1/DW

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The current administration goes with the flow when it comes to drinking water, and, starting Sunday, is serving up tap water during cabinet meetings instead of bottled mineral water.

The move was decided upon by Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser with the objective of proving to the people of Israel that the country’s tap water is fit for drinking. However, the move is an initiative of the Forum of Water Corporations, which claims that tap water is significantly less expensive than bottled water.

“Beyond being a waste of public money, this habit displays a lack of trust in tap water, for which the government itself is responsible, which in fact is clean, healthy and for which there is no impediment to drinking it,” wrote Forum Chairman David Kochmeister to Hauser. “The cabinet must lead by example for the citizens of Israel and show faith in its institutions that work day in and day out to ensure the supply of quality water to the citizens of the country.”

Hauser agreed with him and thus announced that the cabinet will start drinking tap water instead of mineral water.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3927940,00.html

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ANAHEIM—Most people who engage in the tap versus bottled water debate probably do not know the extent to which the federal government goes to make sure there is not any difference between the two.

Sure, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates tap water and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates bottle water, but the standards EPA sets for your municipal water system will inevitability be imposed on bottled water manufacturers by FDA, often on the very same day.

FDA’s Henry Kim and the International Bottled Water Association’s Bob Hirst teamed up Monday for a sort of graduate course in bottled water safety.

It was one of dozens of presentations made at the annual meeting being held near Disneyland by the 99-year old International Association for Food Protection (IAFP).

“Bottled water is considered a processed food,” said Kim.  He went though the regulatory structure that makes sure bottled water does not fall behind the standards EPA imposes on public tap water.

The latest example of how that works involves EPA proposed revisions to the 1989 Total Coliform Rule for all public water systems.   It is accepting public comment until Sept. 13, 2010, and if adopted FDA will turn around and impose the new rule on the bottled water industry.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/08/tap-water-standards-imposed-on-bottled-water/

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Greening your life—reducing your impact on the environment—takes a little research and planning. Because the kitchen is the most waste-producing room in an average house, it’s a great place to start. The best way to do it is slowly, by starting with the easy, budget-friendly choices and moving on from there. Here are eight simple ways to green your kitchen.

1. Exile excessive packaging. Oats, popcorn, flour, pasta, dried fruit, beans, and even cereal can be purchased in the bulk section (also called the bag and weigh section) of your local natural foods grocery. Some mainstream supermarkets are even catching on to this eco-friendly trend. You simply scoop what you want out of a large covered bin and then the cashier weighs it when you check out. Although the store usually provides plastic bags, bringing your own reusable containers is a better option. Have a cashier weigh your containers while empty, and then the cashier will subtract that weight from the filled container.

If you can’t find your favorite foods in the bulk section, try to select the largest size that you can reasonably use (white vinegar will last forever, and can be purchased in gallon jugs, for example), or choose the brand that is packaged in cardboard or recyclable plastic, and be sure to recycle it when you’re through.

If you’re packing your lunch, use reusable containers instead of plastic baggies for lunch items, and tote them all to work or school in a reusable lunch bag. Many of these bags are insulated too, so your lunch will stay fresher.

BONUS: Packaging costs money too, so by buying in bulk and portioning out the food yourself, you’ll save cash!

2. Consider compost. Onion peels, carrot trimmings, apple cores, and egg shells will all become nutrient-rich dirt in a few months if you toss them in the compost. If they wind up in the landfill however, chances are they’ll stick around for a lot longer. Oxygen is necessary to keep the decomposing process moving along, but landfills are designed to keep air and water out. A carrot stick in a landfill could stick around for over a decade.

To compost, you can buy or build a compost bin, or if you have a big yard, a simple compost pile will work just as well. If you don’t have a yard, check out worm composting, which you can do in your own kitchen. Completed compost can be used to fertilize vegetable or flower gardens, container gardens, and even houseplants, returning nourishment to the soil instead of clogging up the already over-crowded landfills.

BONUS: Kitchens generate a lot of waste, but when you compost, you can significantly reduce the amount of trash in your kitchen and at your curb. But make sure you do it properly, as certain foods should not be composted.

3. Buy organic. Choosing organically grown foods, which aren’t treated with chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, when you have the option helps to reduce the pesticide burden on the earth. Read more about the reasons to choose organic food here, and then learn how to buy organic on a budget.

BONUS: Organic foods are usually richer in nutrients too—they do a body good.

4. Eat locally. Besides tasting fresher, locally-grown food is more ecologically sustainable. It benefits farmers and the local economy, as the profits from what is grown near you stay in your community. Check out your local farmer’s market for the best just-picked fruits and vegetables of the season, and select produce that was grown using organic methods to compound the eco-benefits. Buy large quantities and freeze, can, or dry them to enjoy locally-grown food all winter long. Or start your own organic backyard garden—the ultimate in local food.

BONUS: When you buy food that’s been shipped across the globe, you have to “eat” those transportation costs when you buy. Local food is also seasonal, which means it tastes better and is also more affordable.

5. Use greener cleaners. Chlorine-free automatic dishwashing powder, petroleum-free soap, and non-toxic floor cleaner are all easy to find in most grocery stores. These products work just as well as their conventional competition, but leave behind less toxic residue for our bodies and the environment to process. You can also make your own cleaners with common household items like baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, borax, and washing soda.

BONUS: “Green” cleaners are usually better for people who have chemical sensitivities. Besides being better for the planet, they’re healthier for everyone in your household.

6. Drink filtered, not bottled. If you’re buying bottled water, consider this fact: In the state of California alone, nearly three million used plastic water bottles wind up in the landfill every day. Although you might recycle yours, keep in mind that it takes energy and resources to manufacture and transport these bottles—and to recycle them too. A better option is to buy a water filter that attaches to your kitchen faucet, and fill reusable bottles at the tap.

BONUS: You’ll save tons of money by saying no to bottled water and save trips to the grocery store to get it.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100802/LIFE07/308020002/8-Ways-to-Green-Your-Kitchen

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Surendra Kumar, a resident of posh Banjara Hills, decided not to compromise on his family’s health, eschewing the unreliable, possibly unhygienic water supplied through municipal taps for packaged drinking water. Confident that he had bought five litres of the purest drinking water available, he found instead, to his horror, that the container was contaminated with fungus, mould and bacterial colonies.?

“I bought the 5 litre bottle of Bisleri mineral water on July 15 from Road?No.10, Banjara Hills. The?date of production is July 7, 2010 with the code number 8906017290071. We were shocked to find?fungus formation at one corner of the jar. There were also many dirty particles. I wonder whether we are paying money for ill health. I made a call to Bisleri-Habsiguda office and they informed to their?franchisee Gautami Industries,” Surendra told this paper.

Surendra is not alone — the packaged water industry bears testimony to the droves, who blindly believe that a sealed, branded bottle of water is always potable. But, even as leading brands in super-stringent consumer markets like the USA and the UK often fall far short of regulatory standards, here in India, awareness about Central guidelines is increasing. The Natural Resources Defence Council, an?environment action group in the USA, clearly states that “no one should assume that just because he or she purchases water in a bottle that it is?necessarily any better regulated, purer, or safer than most tap?water.”

For water to be fit to drink, it must pass strict physical, chemical and biological tests. Health experts say, physically, water must be clear, free of turbidity and with total dissolved solids not exceeding half a gram?per litre of water. It should be free of harmful?chemicals and generally available elements present should be within prescribed limits.

http://www.bharatchronicle.com/is-bottled-water-really-safe-for-drinking-8090

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Filling up a water bottle on the University of San Francisco campus will become easier this fall after dozens of existing water fountains are upgraded to encourage the use of reusable bottles.

The upgrades come as the result of a three-year campaign by students on the school’s “green team” to get the campus to stop selling single-use water bottles in cafeterias and school stores.

“Students are finally getting it,” said Seth Wachtel, a professor and green team adviser. “[Single-use] water bottle prevalence grew in the last five years, but now its going the other way, which is a really great thing.”

The big victory for the USF green team came when the campus’ only meal provider, Bon Appetit, agreed to stop selling water bottled in plastic, according to the school’s website.

Moving from single-use bottled water to reusable bottles is one of many projects the green team has taken on, according Wachtel.

The student group helped persuade Bon Appetit to only use fair-trade coffee, and it was instrumental in starting recycling programs and a campus garden.

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/USF-dumps-plastic-water-bottles-99739169.html#ixzz0vSGgvMGz

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When Philippe Cousteau and Cathryn Berger Kaye first met to discuss co-authoring a book for teenagers about the precarious state of the planet’s water environment, the pair had no way of anticipating that an oil spill in the Gulf would draw even more attention to the worldwide water situation.

Last month, “Going Blue: A Teen Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers & Wetlands” was rushed to press by Free Spirit Publishing in Minneapolis because of the book’s timeliness.

“All of us feel pretty helpless about the Gulf crisis, but the broader issue remains — water is in crisis everywhere,” said Judy Galbraith, president of Free Spirit.

While images of damaged wildlife and shoreline have dominated the media over the summer, Kaye believes teens concerned about the situation in the Gulf should consider taking action on behalf of their ownlocal water environment.

“Not everyone can help with rescue efforts in the Gulf, but the message of our book is to be water smart right where you are,” said Kaye, who is an international service-learning consultant. “Everyone has water issues in their own back yard.”

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/family/99674604.html?elr=KArksD:aDyaEP:kD:aU2EkP7K_t:aDyaEP:kD:aUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

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RICHMOND — When I want a drink of water, I usually grab a handful of ice out of the fridge, dump it in a glass, stick the glass under the kitchen faucet and fill it up. The ultimate refreshment on a hot summer day and it’s also very economical.

My wife, on the other hand, goes into a panic if there is no commercially bottled water in the house. She sticks bottles inside the door of the refrigerator and monitors them to make sure nobody that else has sneaked a sip. If she inadvertently takes the bottle out and carries it to the table or somewhere else in the house, she angrily accuses everybody else of stealing her water.

Now, let me explain to you how commercially bottled water works. In various locations throughout the land, as we speak, right now, there are companies working round the clock manufacturing millions of plastic bottles per day. Other locations are using injection molders to manufacture the little caps that go on the bottles.

Said bottles and caps are shipped to a central location (bottling company) where any number of hoses are attached to a city water main. The water may or may not be heated or strained before it goes inside the bottle. But the bottles are rapidly filled with water from the public supply that serves your faucet at home. A conglomeration of whirring machines assure that this process is expedient.

The bottled water is then labeled, placed in lots of 24, on cardboard containers, shrink wrapped, placed on a pallet and loaded on an 18-wheeler. After going through a middleman (wholesaler) or two, the pallet loads of water arrive at your favorite retail outlet. Depending on how much of a sucker you really are, and also on your vanity, this stuff can fetch anywhere from a dollar up to five bucks per 20 ounces if you purchase it by the bottle.  It’s way cheaper by the case — anywhere from 6 to 10 bucks for the low end stuff — 10 to 20 bucks if the label is written in French or claims to be Canadian.

http://richmondregister.com/viewpoints/x1243780687/Bottle-versus-tap

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The negative ecological effects of bottled water are well documented. From draining aquifers, to propping up military juntas (greetings, Fiji water), to burning through large quantities of fossil fuels through international shipping, and of course the endless parade of plastic bottles which end up in ourlandfills and oceans, bottled water is uniformly ecologically unsavory for anyone who can safely drink their local water.

Yet, much as cell phones have rendered the street payphone all but extinct, the rise of bottled water has usurped the once familiar water fountain. Even if one has a refillable water bottle in tow, often there’s nowhere to refill it. In cities such as New York the situation is even direr because outside of parks public restrooms are non-existent. One must choose between sneaking into the bathrooms of a certain coffee chain or pay for the cheapest item on the menu at a local fast food establishment, even then one is faced with another problem. Often the sinks aren’t deep enough to allow one to refill a full sized water bottle.

While cities are increasingly bringing back old infrastructure – New York’s Green Market now features stalls with tap water to allow any and all to refill their bottles – sometimes one gets thirsty and need to purchase a bottle of water.

This makes Tap’dNY’s business model that much more compelling. Tap’dNY, a Brooklyn based company, bottles and proudly sells filtered New York City tap water within New York City. Operating from the premise that no water is better than New York City’s tap water – which locals will vigorously defend, claiming that it gives everything from pizza to bagels a distinctive tang – Tap’dNYs bottles feature tongue in cheek tag lines such as“water just like mom used to serve”, “no glaciers were harmed in the making of this water”, and “refills available at any new York city tap.”

http://www.justmeans.com/Tap-d-NY-Taps-Into-Environmental-Conservation/24128.html

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