Is your Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Read through the following section to see what you can do to drink the best water around.

1. Does your drinking water taste or smell of chlorine? Chlorine is proven to create toxic by products called chloroform and trihalomethanes (THM), when it comes in contact with organic material found in the water supply. THM’s have been proven to cause cancers and increase miscarriages. Although it is important to keep the water supply disinfected, we do not advocate removing chlorine at the public water source, instead one can nearly eliminate this toxic chemical by installing a water purifier in their home and on their shower. Chlorine also has a tendency to dry your skin and many people are allergic or sensitive to its presence.
2. Do you receive your water from a public or private source? It doesn’t matter where the water comes from, the best course of action to take is to have your water tested in a local lab or a home water tester. Be safe and test your water.
3. Is your home over 25 years old? Most houses built 25 years or more ago have lead pipes, unless they have been upgraded. Check you water pipes and if they have copper pipes or steel pipes, you probably have lead in them somewhere. We have many water purifiers that get the lead out. This is the least expensive way. Or you can change the water pipes by a certified plumber. Lead is proven to be a metabolic poison and can cause damage to the kidneys, liver, nervous, reproductive, cardiovascular, immune and gastrointestinal systems.
4. Do you live by an agricultural farm? If so you will probably find nitrates in your water which come from fertilizers leeching into the water table. Nitrates are known cancer causing substances which are best to avoid. Also, pesticides and herbicides are potential hazards to your health if you live near farms.
5. Are you or your public water supplier located near a toxic spill? Some communities are located on toxic dumps (Love Canal). Some communities don’t even know they are. If you suspect you do it’s best to insure yourself against any potential problem and have a water purifier in your home for you and your family.
6. Does your water contain fluoride? This is a controversial subject with many people. It’s banned in Europe and many cities in the US are following suit. Find Fluoride Removal Water Purifiers
7. Cysts, Bacteria, Virus, etc. You never know what can accidentally or purposely get into your drinking water. Too many times people have consumed water infected with these live organisms unknowingly. It’s not too late to be prepared and insure yourself against these potential hazards.

If you live in the USA, check the Chemical Scorecard for your zip code, to find what toxic chemicals are in the air or water in your area.

In the Summer 1995 issue of Heartland magazine is a four-page article about water quality in the US. Highlights:

• Drinking water is listed as the number four health hazard in the US
• Majority of bottled water is drawn from city sources and not filtered
• Nearly all city water is “purified” using methods developed near the turn of the century (i.e. chlorine). Most of the contaminants known today were not even around back then.

Very Important Information — Direct from the Center For Disease Control> Cryptosporidisosis, Cylospora, Center for Disease Control Search

What to do About Fluoride in your Drinking Water

Fluoride added to the city water supply is an American phenomenon. Most of the modern industrial world has already tried and rejected fluoridation. Fluoridation of drinking water was originally proposed as a solution to the toxic waste dilemma of the aluminum manufacturing industry. The rationale for adding it to tap water has been claimed but never really proven.

For those who want fluoride removed, Reverse Osmosis, Steam Distillation and our Specialty Filters will do the job. We also have Water Purifiers that leave the fluoride intact, if you so choose. We are currently working to develop a whole house filter system to remove Fluoride.

To explain a bit about fluoride removal, there are some really good and a few not-too-bad ways to go about it. The best technologies are reverse osmosis and distillation. Both remove fluoride effectively. If you do not want the total treatment of a distiller or a reverse osmosis system, the next best thing is a simple filter with a cartridge containing activated alumina or activated tri-calcium phosphate also known as “calcium hydroxyapatite. Under the right circumstances, standard carbon filters can also be used for fluoride reduction.

Activated alumina cartridges have some advantages and some problems. Their effective lifespan is fairly short, they are relatively expensive, and people don’t like the word alumina in the name because it sounds too much like aluminum. That being said, filters with activated alumina are popular. They are most often used in conjunction with other filters, usually carbon, since activated alumina alone does little for water except remove fluoride and arsenic. It does not improve the taste or remove chemical contaminants like pesticides. By using an activated alumina cartridge combined with a carbon cartridge, you get a good, broad-range water filter. We stock one cartridge that combines activated alumina with granular carbon, providing a good all-around cartridge for countertop filters.

There are some more exotic fluoride removal methods, such as specialty ion exchange resins and a unique filter carbon called bone char that is made from animal bones. But the most substantial are the three main strategies just discussed: distillation, reverse osmosis, and filtration with activated alumina.

Article written by Cat Pippin Lowe for PromolifeNews.com.
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