Everyone knows that our sources of trustworthy drinking water are fast disappearing. Heavy uses of pesticides and fertilizers have contaminated ground water sources. Every day new contaminants are isolated in what was considered pure water. To date 2100 such toxins have been identified, things you wouldn?t want to know you are ingesting.
Older houses have the additional problem of lead pipes and these add dangerous metals to otherwise acceptable water. Then too, city water systems are notorious for violating standards established by the EPA. And even if they did maintain these standards stringently, are the established levels of contaminants really safe? What might be lurking in the water yet to be discovered?
In response to this news, many have decided to buy bottled water, eight billion gallons of it a year, and rising. Since the label says "Spring water" or Glacier water," they are confident it is better than what's in the faucet. Unfortunately, this may not be the case.
The first reason is that what is inside the bottle may not be what it says on the outside of the bottle. Though interstate sales of bottled water are regulated by the FDA, the industry within state borders is not regulated. Some states do not retain even one full time employee to oversee inspections. The FDA does not consider water a high priority and may not even check bottling plants yearly. Several bottled water companies recently agreed to print on the labels the source of their water (often the faucet), and stop duping the drinkers into thinking it came from a glacier somewhere.
Secondly, though the source may be a natural spring or stream, this does not guarantee it to be safe. Springs and wells are not exempt from the comtaminations mentioned above. To give insult to injury, imagine buying someone else's spring water that is not as pure as your own!
The third problem deals with the plastic bottle itself. Most water comes in bottles marked with a number 1, or the name PET or PETE. This stands for polyethylene terephthalate. The bottles are probably safe if the water is drunk without extended storage. However, if the bottles are stored in warm areas, the plastic can actually leach into the water.
The National Institutes of Health recently showed that bisphenol, used to make water cooler jugs, sport drink bottles, and other hard plastic bottles, may case neurological problems in developing babies. How might it affect the rest of us? So if you bring water from home in plastic bottles to avoid the water cooler, you may not be any better off.
Finally there is the environmental problem. Fewer than 20% of the empty bottles are actually recycled. The rest end up as tons of landfill that will not biodegrade. And making the bottles takes water, like 72 billion gallons a year. In fact, it is estimated that two liters of water are needed to make every liter of bottled water.
Obviously bottled water may not be the best choice in trying to provide yourself and your family with trustworthy water. A viable alternative is to purchase a water filter and purify your own water. Just be certain that the filter uses the activated carbon method. Also, store the filtered water in glass containers, not plastic and take it to work in a glass lined thermos. The filter is obviously more expensive than a pack of bottles, but in the long run, you will actually save money. Even better, you will have the peace of mind knowing your drinking water is trustworthy.
Older houses have the additional problem of lead pipes and these add dangerous metals to otherwise acceptable water. Then too, city water systems are notorious for violating standards established by the EPA. And even if they did maintain these standards stringently, are the established levels of contaminants really safe? What might be lurking in the water yet to be discovered?
In response to this news, many have decided to buy bottled water, eight billion gallons of it a year, and rising. Since the label says "Spring water" or Glacier water," they are confident it is better than what's in the faucet. Unfortunately, this may not be the case.
The first reason is that what is inside the bottle may not be what it says on the outside of the bottle. Though interstate sales of bottled water are regulated by the FDA, the industry within state borders is not regulated. Some states do not retain even one full time employee to oversee inspections. The FDA does not consider water a high priority and may not even check bottling plants yearly. Several bottled water companies recently agreed to print on the labels the source of their water (often the faucet), and stop duping the drinkers into thinking it came from a glacier somewhere.
Secondly, though the source may be a natural spring or stream, this does not guarantee it to be safe. Springs and wells are not exempt from the comtaminations mentioned above. To give insult to injury, imagine buying someone else's spring water that is not as pure as your own!
The third problem deals with the plastic bottle itself. Most water comes in bottles marked with a number 1, or the name PET or PETE. This stands for polyethylene terephthalate. The bottles are probably safe if the water is drunk without extended storage. However, if the bottles are stored in warm areas, the plastic can actually leach into the water.
The National Institutes of Health recently showed that bisphenol, used to make water cooler jugs, sport drink bottles, and other hard plastic bottles, may case neurological problems in developing babies. How might it affect the rest of us? So if you bring water from home in plastic bottles to avoid the water cooler, you may not be any better off.
Finally there is the environmental problem. Fewer than 20% of the empty bottles are actually recycled. The rest end up as tons of landfill that will not biodegrade. And making the bottles takes water, like 72 billion gallons a year. In fact, it is estimated that two liters of water are needed to make every liter of bottled water.
Obviously bottled water may not be the best choice in trying to provide yourself and your family with trustworthy water. A viable alternative is to purchase a water filter and purify your own water. Just be certain that the filter uses the activated carbon method. Also, store the filtered water in glass containers, not plastic and take it to work in a glass lined thermos. The filter is obviously more expensive than a pack of bottles, but in the long run, you will actually save money. Even better, you will have the peace of mind knowing your drinking water is trustworthy.
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If you're looking for a water filter with great value, consider the Berkey Filters. The filters that ship with the Berkey Light can purify up to 6000 gallons while preserving in the minerals that help you.
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