USA Water Filter Blog

If 90 percent of the cost of bottled water comes from the cost of the bottle itself, why do so many pay the premium for plastic?

Is the water supply polluted or foul tasting? According to Richmond County Water Treatment Plant Supervisor Matt Locklear, the answer is no – the water here is neither of those things.

We may not live in Daytona Beach, Florida, 2011 winner of world’s best tasting water contest, but the water here is nothing to frown on, according to Locklear.

“We regulate pH and chlorine levels, keeping them within the neutral zone of 7.0-7.2,” said Locklear. Lemon juice has a pH of about 2, baking soda has a pH of about 8 and pure water without contaminants measures about 7.0 on the pH scale.

Bottled water is the second most popular beverage in the U.S. That’s about 38 million water bottles going to the dump every year because 80 percent of plastic bottles are not recycled. It takes 700 years before those plastic bottles begin composting.

“Most water bottles we see come in as waste are 16 oz. size, and those are difficult to get out of the trash stream for recycling if they aren’t already separated when they come in,” said Uwharrie Environmental Recycling Complex Division Manager Joe Reynolds. Most of the County’s garbage has not been separated for recycling , which amounts to a greater amount of bottles hitting the landfill.

 

http://www.yourdailyjournal.com/view/full_story/12488038/article-Bottled-water-vs–tap?instance=home_news_lead

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BPA (bisphenol-A) is a potentially toxic estrogen-mimicking compound used in plastic production that has been linked to breast cancer, early puberty, infertility, and other maladies. It’s dangerous enough that it has been banned in baby bottles in Europe, Canada, and even China–but not in the U.S. And it turns out that it’s almost entirely unavoidable. It’s in water bottles, store receipts, soup cans, and plastic-packaged foods, and many more products we encounter on a daily basis, according to a study from the Breast Cancer Fund and the Silent Spring Institute. The study, Food Packaging and Bisphenol A and Bis(2-Ethyhexyl) Phthalate Exposure: Findings from a Dietary Intervention, suggests that the best solution is subsisting on a fresh-food diet, which could cut down on BPA exposure by at least 60%. Here’s what you need to do in your daily life to mimic the study’s results–and how much of a hassle it may be.

• Drink filtered tap water and rely on BPA-free stainless steel water bottles  instead of slugging down bottled water. Difficulty Rating: Easy
• Instead of eating microwavable meals that come out of plastic containers, eat only freshly-prepared, organic foods. Difficulty Rating: Moderate (or hard, depending on where you live, the size of your bank account, and how lazy you are).
  
• Instead of using plastic utensils, rely on the longer-lasting variety. Difficulty Rating: Easy
• To be safe, avoid all canned foods and replace with non-canned variations (replace canned soup with soup in a carton, for example) unless cans denote that they have a BPA-free lining. If that’s not possible, avoid these specific canned foods, which are known to be high in BPA: coconut milk, soup, meat, vegetables, meals, juice, fish, beans, meal-replacement drinks, and fruit (yes, we realize that encompasses most canned foods). Take special care to avoid foods that are acidic, salty, or fatty.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1743599/this-is-how-to-avoid-bpa-in-your-daily-life

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The “going green” trend is going strong as more Americans discover that doing their part for the environment is now simpler than ever. Many small, everyday acts can help the environment – things as simple as using a water purifier instead of buying bottled water or switching to concentrated laundry detergents.

Procter & Gamble’s environmental education program, Future Friendly, offers these helpful hints for changes that can benefit the environment and, in many cases, your pocketbook.

 

Water, water everywhere
Water is a precious commodity that needs to be protected to ensure the health of the planet and our communities. Consider these water conservation tips as you go about your daily activities:

* Use a water purifier – While bottled water is a convenient aspect of modern life, the downside is the disposal of all those empty plastic bottles. When you compare the annual capacity and average price of a water filter to the price of water bottles that would hold the same amount of water, switching your household to a water purifier such as those available from Pur could keep more than 1,000 bottles out of the landfill and save around $600 a year.

http://www.lvrj.com/sponsored/simple-everyday-conservation-acts-to-help-save-the-environment-118900804.html?ref=804

 

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Staying hydrated is important and you just can’t beat water for the price, these days. Of course we don’t yet know the price of water in the future, but we can somewhat ascertain the price we’ll pay in our personal failed health if we choose sodas and other sugary drinks over water. Save money now and in the future by making water your beverage of choice.

I’m not talking about bottled water. Sure, there is a time and place for bottled water, but rarely! Start cutting back with these 12 tips:

1. Don’t believe the hype. Yes, I’ve been to Evian in France where we had great fun joking that the bath water, the swimming pool, and the water at the car wash was … Evian, of course! However, not all bottled water is of the mineral quality of Evian.

It may be shocking to learn that many bottled water companies package and sell tap water! Consumers are paying as much as 10,000 times the price of tap water to purchase … tap water. In addition to being deceived at thecash register, consumers are leaving behind plastic pollution for generations to come.

2. Purchase a dry-erase marker if you live alone or if have guests, which just about covers everyone. Put a clean glass on the kitchen counter for each person every morning, writing the name on a glass. This will encourage reuse and reduce the volume of dirty dishes. Be sure to wipe the names off before the glasses go into the dishwasher. The high heat makes the marker tougher to remove afterward.

3. Place a glass pitcher of water covered in the refrigerator and add sliced lemons, cucumbers, or oranges. This is a delightful way to serve any beverage

http://www.favstocks.com/12-tips-to-get-off-the-water-bottle/2939667/

 

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Every time we buy a bottle of water we are falling prey to the greatest marketing dupe of all time.

Concordia is taking the first step to banning bottled water on campus by asking the students to vote on the matter in the upcoming elections taking place this week.

“Whether you look at the bottle from a social, political or environmental perspective, there are countless reasons to fill a reusable mug with tap water over the disposable bottled variety,” said Diana Kirkwood, Concordia’s Zero Waste Campus Coordinator.

Aquafina and Dasani, which are owned by Pepsi and Coca-Cola respectively, have stated numerous times that their bottled water is nothing more than filtered tap water.

“You’re already paying taxes to your municipality for your tap water and then if you choose to buy disposable bottled water you are then paying again to companies in which many have admitted are simply bottling municipal sources of water and selling it back to you,” said Kirkwood. “So in reality you are paying for your water twice and supporting the direction of water privatization in Canada.”

Michael Heinermann, co-coordinator of TAPthirst, believes that water is a human right and is one that shouldn’t be privatized. By allowing companies to purchase water resources, society is basically giving them the right to own the water that they then sell to the consumers—water which should be a free commodity.

“Everyone should have access to fresh, safe drinking water,” said Heinermann. “We can’t let Nestle, Coke and Pepsi own the world supply of water, which is already scarce.”

http://thelinknewspaper.ca/article/1340

 

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ASPEN — In an effort to reduce the local use of bottled water in environmentally unfriendly containers, the city of Aspen is considering a program to market its own municipal tap water.

Ashley Cantrell, a city environmental health specialist, explained the proposal during the Aspen City Council’s work session Tuesday. Details are in the preliminary stages, but involve a three-step approach: a campaign to educate locals and visitors about the quality of the city’s tap water; providing free water at two “filling stations” around town, with one location possibly being a park; and selling reusable containers at local retail outlets to offer an alternative to plastic water bottles.

Early this year, following a trip to the British Virgin Islands, Councilman Torre brought up the idea of banning bottled water after seeing the plastic containers littering the waters. The City Council then directed its Environmental Health Department staff to research the issue.

In a recent memorandum to the council, Cantrell wrote that the complete elimination of bottled water “is neither an achievable nor a manageable goal at this time.” But a campaign to promote and market Aspen tap water is doable, depending on costs, most councilmembers agreed during Tuesday’s meeting.

“Rather than target bottled water as a negative thing, we want to promote Aspen tap water as a positive thing,” she told councilmembers.

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20110330/NEWS/110339986/1077&ParentProfile=1058

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“Save your money” has become a bit of a clichéd piece of financial advice – and it’s especially grating during a recession, when many people have very little money left over after paying for basic expenses. But no matter how slim your margins, there are almost always some expenses that can be cut. Fortunately, those cuts need not be overly painful. In fact, many people pay bills month after month on things they could be paying considerably less for – or get for free.

TUTORIAL: Budgeting Basics

1. Water
Everyone needs water, but if it’s adding up as an expense, you probably aren’t drinking what comes out of your tap. Bottled water can cost two to three times as much per gallon as gas. Tap water is just pennies a glass, plus it’s probably a lot cleaner. Tap water is rigorously tested and monitored for safety and quality based on the hundreds of samples most communities take each month; bottled water need only be tested once per week and a study by the National Resources Defense Council found that one-fifth of bottled waters exceeded the state guidelines for microbial limits. (For tips on how to cut your tap water expenses too, read WaterSense: Saving Water And Money.)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/03/28/investopedia51414.DTL

 

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In the upcoming election, you will be asked to vote on a referendum question asking for your support to eliminate the sale of bottled water on campus. Bottled water has repercussions on all levels of sustainability. Considering the environmental impact at Concordia alone, during 2008-2009 we threw away 2.1 million plastic water bottles, while only 10 per cent of these were recycled. This does not include the millions of litres of water and oil that are wasted in the production of bottled water.

However bottled water’s impact also affects social and economic sustainability. Choosing bottled water supports a system of privatization that places your right to safe drinking water into the hands of corporations. In the process, it allows for the degradation of water infrastructure that should be maintained at its highest quality.

Those who advocate for a “choice” are in fact eliminating their choice and their human right to free accessible water. What will voting yes to ban bottled water do for Concordia? It will force the administration to keep our water infrastructure to its highest quality. The water at Concordia is already clean and safe to drink, however a ban will ensure that any problems with water pressure are fixed. Fountains will become accessible to those with mobility impairments and refill stations will be installed at various fountains. So far, more than 100 municipalities, universities, colleges and school boards have banned bottled water. This movement is not just a symbolic one – it is making a real difference in the fight against environmental injustice, cutting down on millions of bottles from going through their destructive life cycle.

So for these reasons and more we are asking you to VOTE YES to BAN BOTTLED WATER on March 29, 30 & 31.

http://theconcordian.com/2011/03/29/re-banning-bottled-water/

 

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On March 21 — the eve of World Water Day — I had the great pleasure of speaking to a large and enthusiastic group of U of T students at an event organized by the Water Working Group. The event featured Dr. Romila Verma, a clean-water advocate from Brock, Debby Danard Wilson, an Anishinaabekwe PhD candidate at OISE, Anne Macdonald, the Director of Ancillary Services at U of T, and Anda Petro and Leanne Rasmussen of the Public Water Initiative here at U of T. The larger issue was the global water crisis, but the reason we came together was to support the call for a bottled water ban at the University of Toronto.

All over North America, students and others are taking the pledge to go bottled water free. To date, 76 municipalities, 4 municipal associations — including the Federation of Canadian Municipalities — 8 school boards, and 21 campuses in Canada have either banned bottled water or established bottled water-free zones. Bottled water sales are down as a result, and a new awareness of the importance of public water is growing.

The bottled water industry is big business. The big four — Coke, Pepsi, Danone and Nestlé — have annual profits of $1.5 billion. It is a highly polluting and toxic industry, with many billions of plastic bottles left behind in landfills, rivers, forests, and oceans every year. Worldwide, 90 per cent of these bottles are not recycled. It also takes large amounts of oil to produce the plastic water bottles and the process of manufacturing and exporting them produces trillions of kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

http://thevarsity.ca/articles/45036

 

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Most of us consider having a safe water supply something so routine we don’t even think about it.

Sure, we might prefer filtered or bottled water for drinking. But for most of us, the water that comes out of the tap is considered by health authorities to be safe for all uses.

That’s certainly not the case in some suburban areas close to Monroe. Residents north of the city who must obtain their water from the Suburban North Water System, for instance, have been under orders from the state Department of Health and Hospitals twice this month to boil water before using it.

As our urban area continues to sprawl, more subdivisions and small communities will face these issues unless the Ouachita Parish Police Jury and the Louisiana Public Service Commission become more proactive about regulating water resource development and usage outside urban systems.

Suburban North’s problems are indicative of a larger issue. The system is one of several owned by Louisiana Land and Water Management Co., whose owner Jeff Pruett has been convicted of violating federal pollution laws.

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20110328/OPINION01/103280317/1002/Local-nonprofit-seeks-gently-worn-formal-dresses/Water-supply-under-threat?odyssey=nav|head

 

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