USA Water Filter Blog

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released a report today stating that at least 31 U.S. cities have tap water that is contaminated with a dangerous chemical known as chromium-6. At first hearing it, most Americans are oblivious to what chromium-6 is; however, if you think back to the movie Erin Brockovich, you may begin to understand the gravity and implications of these results.

The movie portrayed residents of Hinkley, California who were plagued with a variety of cancers, some that their children were born with. All of their ailments were a direct cause of their exposure to chromium-6. Just as in the movie, the consequences of contact to chromium-6 are real and may affect millions of Americans.

According to the Environmental Working Group, chromium-6 is technically deemed cancerous if inhaled.  However, the EWG are investigating the extent to which chromium-6 is cancerous when ingested. Water supplies are usually contaminated with chromium-6 by eroding steel and metal plating facilities.

Rebecca Sutton, a senior scientist with EWG and lead author of the study, explained to CNN that there are a significant amount of documented studies showing a positive correlation between contact with chromium-6 and an increased risk of stomach cancer in humans.

As stated in EWG’s report, “Studies in both animals and people show that exposure to [chromium-6] via drinking water leads to elevated chromium levels in tissues, particularly the gastrointestinal tract, blood, liver, kidneys and spleen, and in increased toxicity.”

Opting for bottled water isn’t necessarily a safer choice either because it isn’t guaranteed that there aren’t traces of chromium-6 in it. “There is no legal limit for [chromium-6] in bottled water either, so consumers cannot assume it is free of the contaminant,” stated in the report.

Sutton recommends investing in a quality water filter to protect yourself.

http://allmediany.com/details_news_article.php?news_artid=514

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Los Angeles—On Wednesday December the 22nd, the drinking water standard was reported to be
increased by Environmental Protection Agency since tap water many cities in the country are polluted by chromium, which is very hazardous to people’s health.

The spread of chromium has caused the worry
to the Agency that it may poison the people around the polluted areas. The finding will cause EPA and the local officials in the polluted areas to check how bad the pollution is and to determine on doing the water testing on the suspected areas.

EPA stated that the standard of water will be increased according to the regulation made earlier this September and will be legalized in 2011. According to the head of EPA Lisa P. Jackson, the spread of chromium in water tap in cities in the country has worried her on the safety of drinking water in the country.

It is reported that Honolulu, Norman, Madison, Riverside, and San Jose are where the pollution of chromium is in the highest level. Because of the report, many senators were gathered and discussed the matter and later urged the socialization of the new drinking water standard in order to stop the hazard to the people in the country, especially those who live in the worst polluted area.

http://thebreakingstory.com/many-cities-in-us-are-polluted-by-chromium/1860/

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In many parts of the world, bottled water makes sense because tap water is not to be trusted.

Greater Victoria is not one of those places. Our tap water is safe, plentiful and available at a tiny fraction of the price of the bottled stuff. As an added bonus, it’s better for the environment to use the local water.

About 30 per cent of Canadians say bottled water is their primary source of water. Yes, we all have the right to spend our money as we see fit. Based on logic and facts, however, it’s hard to explain why so much bottled water is sold here.

Saanich Coun. Vicki Sanders wants to do something about it. In the new year, she will present council with a recommendation from the municipality’s environment committee calling for a ban on the sale of bottled water in municipal facilities.

The plastic bottles would need to be phased out over three years if Saanich goes ahead with a ban. That would give the municipality time to provide places for us to fill reusable bottles.

Last year, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities passed a motion encouraging municipalities to phase out the sale of bottled water at their facilities where potable water is available.

The reason? The environmental impact. These bottles have to be manufactured, filled with water and shipped to warehouses and stores. After they are emptied, the bottles are recycled or added to the waste in landfills.

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/high+costs+bottled+water/3973455/story.html

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What’s in that bottle of water you just bought? Ads suggest it’s pure H₂O, implying that it’s less contaminated by pollutants than what flows from the tap. But recent tests commissioned by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit environmental organization based in Washington, D.C., show that 10 bestselling brands of bottled water contained “a surprising array of chemical contaminants…at levels no different from those found in tap water.”

The International Bottled Water Association countered that the EWG’s report contained “false claims and exaggerations” and maintains that bottled water meets federal standards for drinking water quality.

So what’s a water drinker to do? Get the facts and then decide for yourself.

Fact No. 1: An estimated 45 percent of bottled water comes from ordinary municipal water supplies.
Many bottlers begin with municipal water, filter it and label their product as “purified” water. “Spring” water must come from an underground spring. “Mineral” water must come from an underground source and contain at least 250 parts per million of total dissolved minerals. “Artesian” water must come from a well that taps into an aquifer.

While all this may sound good, keep in mind that all municipal water supplies are filtered, and many come from springs or aquifers and contain enough minerals to be called mineral water. If you’re curious where your bottled water comes from, check the label, visit the company’s Web site or call their 800 number to ask.

Fact No. 2: Bottled water is less regulated than tap water. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates tap water and requires municipal water systems to test annually for contaminants and publish the results. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates bottled water but has no testing or publication requirement and rarely inspects bottled water plants. “In other words, consumers have to take bottlers’ word for the purity of their products,” says Nneka Leiba, co-author of the EWG report.

If you’d like to view the latest test results for the water that flows from your tap, contact your municipal water supplier to ask for a copy. You can also have your water tested — which may not be a bad idea if you live in an older home, since old pipes can sometimes add contaminants to your water. The EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) can provide the names of reputable laboratories.

Fact No. 3: Chemicals may leach from plastic bottles into bottled water.
This is controversial. Some experts say there is little, if anything, to worry about. But several studies, show that chemicals from plastic bottles leach into bottled water, notably formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acetone. The EWG recommends storing water in stainless steel bottles, not plastic.

Fact No. 4: Home water filters are cheaper than bottled water.
OK, so maybe you don’t like the taste of the tap water in your area, or the test results reported to the EPA were less than stellar. Water filters can help at a fraction of the cost of bottled water.

Fact No. 5: Plastic bottles are bad for the planet.
Americans drink nine billion gallons of bottled water a year, packaged in the equivalent of about 35 billion one-liter plastic bottles. It takes a great deal of energy to manufacture those bottles, says Allen Herskowitz, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council. It takes even more energy to fill those bottles and ship them, often thousands of miles, to market. In the end, the vast majority of empty water bottles end up in landfills.

So give some thought before you buy your next bottle of water. Some people like the convenience, especially when they’re out and about. Others prefer the taste. But if your primary concern is purity, you might do just as well turning on the tap.

http://www.liverightlivewell.com/sonsanddaughtersofafrica/diet/is_tap_water_better/index.html?source=Outbrain

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World business and political leaders are making major efforts to get China to save the global economy. From international trade organizations such as the World Bank to politicians including President Obama as well as China’s own rulers—all are pushing China to succeed the U.S. and Western Europe as the next nation of consumers who will drive world economic growth.

Since the 2008 financial crisis, the international pressure for China to rescue the global economy has only intensified and is certain to continue this year. There has been serious pressure for another round of efforts to persuade China to re-evaluate its currency, the renminbi, which Washington hopes will effectively give Chinese consumers more money to buy imports.

But as the spending power of Chinese consumers grows, so do China’s environmental problems. China has 16 of the world’s most polluted cities, its lakes and rivers are disappearing, and although it is the world’s largest energy user and carbon-emitter, but it’s still only the 18th per capita emitter.

In other words, as Chinese consumers save the world’s economy, China’s environmental problems may get worse, much worse.

Take water, the ultimate consumer product. In addition to consuming potable water by cup or bottle, the Chinese, like their counterparts worldwide, consume water indirectly as a critical ingredient in their new and more water-intensive diets based on meat. It takes approximately 1,000 tons of water to produce a single ton of grain and 7 tons of grain to produce a ton of beef. An upshot, then, of China’s switching from their pre-1978 bean-protein-based diets to Kung Pao chicken or McDonald’s hamburgers is that it uses much more water. Many Chinese industries also use massive amounts of water. It takes, for instance, 400,000 liters (or 105,000 gallons) of water to manufacture a single car. And last year, for the first time, Chinese consumers surpassed their American counterparts by buying the most cars.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-01-01/chinas-environmental-problems-and-economic-growth/

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New Year’s resolutions are difficult to keep. For that matter, making any behavioral change is a challenge. So, what do you do next to lighten your carbon footprint in the New Year? Following are some less common (but simple and painless) ideas for making small choices in your life that will have greater implications for the environment.

Chances are that if your reading this column, you’re already on the road to a more sustainable lifestyle. By reading, you’ve shown your interest in sustainability, and you’ve undoubtedly already adopted many of the most common “green” tips found in hundreds of articles in papers, magazines and the web these days. You may have already changed the light bulbs in your home from incandescent to CFL’s, reduced the temperature on your water heater, or installed a low flow showerhead.

This year, I’ve organized my suggestions for sustainability by the senses to illustrate how interconnected we are as individuals to our environment. Living sustainably means living in harmony with our surroundings, maintaining a symbiotic, rather than a parasitic, relationship with the environment. As individuals, we may find it easier to change one behavior over another. I hope, by offering a range of alternatives, that each of you will find one or two resolutions that you can keep for 2011 and beyond. In the long run, it’s our future generations who will benefit.

Taste

Drink Tap Water: The bottled water industry has grown rapidly in the last decade at great harm to the environment. No more pure than tap water, bottled water taxes the aquifers it is drawn from and sells it to you in a plastic bottle. Oh, and you get to pay for it.

http://pacifica.patch.com/articles/a-lighter-footprint-for-a-new-year

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Another year has slipped through our hands and we hop right into a new one -2011 is the year of the rabbit. I hope last year was all you expected it to be and that you are looking forward to what’s to come.

I think that the making of New Year’s resolutions is an important ritual and that we should aim for constant improvement and better living at home and within ourselves.

Here is my list of resolutions for 2011:

Reduce clutter. I make this one every year, but I think an annual reminder is imperative. If you are not using it, don’t need it or don’t love it, pass it on or throw it out. From a piece of paper to a sweater to a table lamp, the same rule applies. Keep clutter at bay and continually edit all spaces.

Less paint, more texture. This year I will aim to reduce painted wall space at home and replace it (actually, cover it) with texture. Stone, paper, fabric, leather, concrete or even metal. The most stunning homes have minimal painted wall surfaces.

Create a meditation centre. All of us need a special space, a quiet corner in which to read a good book, knit a sweater or simply sit and think. Surround yourself with mementos of the things that mean the most to you (a photo collection in fabulous frames, for instance), add a good lamp to read by and your favourite chair, even if it’s the old worn-out recliner.

Start a library. A few stacks on a coffee table or shelves filled will volumes of books on your favourite topics and passions. Whether you surf auction sites for first editions and rarities or shop Amazon for the latest best-sellers, start collecting and start enjoying,

Stop buying bottled water. This year, we will install a water-filtration system. We’ll always have fresh, clean water to drink, we’ll save money on deliveries and we’ll do something positive for the environment.

http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2912146

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Saanich could become the first municipality in the region to ban plastic water bottles from its facilities.

Coun. Vicki Sanders will bring a recommendation from Saanich’s environment committee to council in the new year, asking that the program be gradually phased in.

Sanders is not aware of any other local municipalities that have imposed such a ban. Other cities in Canada, including London, Ont., and Toronto, have done so, as has the city of Nelson in the Kootenays.

“We need to move on this but with baby steps, so it gives people and people in business time to adjust,” Sanders said.

She will suggest that the municipality gradually phase out the use of plastic water bottles at municipal facilities over three years. It echoes a call last year by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. The national organization passed a motion encouraging municipalities to phase out the sale of bottled water at their facilities where potable water is available.

Although the plastic water bottles are recyclable, they still have to be manufactured and transported. Between 40 to 80 per cent of plastic bottles end up in landfills.

Some 30 per cent of Canadians say bottled water is their primary source of water. We drink 1.8 billion litres a year.

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Saanich+seeks+plastic+water+bottles/3962419/story.html

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The year 2010 will likely go down in U.S. history as one of our worst environmentally, considering the world’s largest-ever oil spill took place and the dead-end on Capitol Hill in shaping a new energy policy.

There were some “green” lights along the way, however, both nationally and locally, which may help define the new year and beyond, including:

• National stimulus funds totaling more than $300 million went to state incentive programs for swapping out old appliances for energy efficient ones, of which $18.7 million was handed out to New Yorkers.
• Two major environmental laws passed in Albany: the School Grounds Pesticide Ban and the BPA ban in products for infants.
• A variety of environmentally friendly trends truly mushroomed, from our trading in plastic bags for canvas ones at many retailers to an expanded New York Green Fashion Week in which designers hyped animal-free, fair trade, organic or recycled materials.
• Another trend, this one perhaps caused by the current economic downturn, growing and eating “local” and taking a “staycation” took root, as did ecotourism and purchasing carbon offsets for those who did travel.
• Home Depot and other retailers boasted aisles of CFL and LED lights and light bulbs this year as never before, as fluorescents go the way of land-line telephones.
• Renewable energy took a few more carbon footsteps on Long Island this year. Although a wind farm off the South Shore is still being studied, many Long Islanders chose backyard wind turbines, solar-electricity, solar hot water, and geothermal energy options.
• http://bellmore.patch.com/articles/green-year-in-review-and-what-about-next-year

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