Water Quality Solutions

Water the Way it is Supposed to Be

2008-08-10T14:15:00.001-04:00

In most “developed” countries, water quality standards are pretty high, and it is easy to come by. We don’t spend our days gathering water for our family, and we don’t really worry much about diseases caused by water born pathogens like dysentery. In developing countries, however, over 3 million deaths a year are caused by water-related diarrhea, and most of those deaths are children.

So, in comparison to many places in the world, water in the US looks darn good. High standards don’t guarantee risk-free water. We use chlorine, so we don’t worry that what comes out of the tap will subject us to dysentery and other pathogens. But ironically, though it helps us in many ways, chlorine poses different kinds of risks. The chlorine we add to our water system interacts with organic compounds already in the water, and creates disinfectant by-products such as THMs. Not good. This combination has been shown to increase miscarriage rates, birth defects, and cancers.

Chlorine isn’t the only addition to our water that may have dangerous side effects. In recent years, studies have shown the presence of antibiotics,other pharmaceutical, and personal care ingredients in our water supplies. According to a report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), more than one BILLION pounds of chemicals were dumped by manufacturers into common water bodies between 1990 and 1994. That stuff had to go somewhere, and our water treatment facilities aren’t really designed to take all that gunk out!

Short-term Solutions

So, what can we do to protect our families from unwanted chemicals? The first thing I suggest is to put a quality filter between your faucet and your body. Whether it’s drinking water, or bathing water, both need to be filtered before they have the chance to affect us—and particularly our children.

You may have already focused on drinking water, but our skin is our biggest organ, so chemicals can become bio-available via that route. And when we shower and bathe, chemical-filled steam can enter our bodies through our lungs. Depending on whose study you believe, you can receive between 6 to 100 times more chemical exposure from breathing versus drinking unfiltered water. (As long ago as 1986, the American Chemical Society told us, “Taking a long hot shower is a health risk.”)

I have found no financially acceptable system that removes every bit of contamination from water. For the most part, though, activated charcoal and reverse osmosis are two good treatment options. We need to conserve water. Reverse osmosis wastes up to three quarters of the water that it puts through. Plus it removes the beneficial minerals that our bodies need. So it really is not an economical,environmentally friendly, or healthy choice.

When researching what will work best for you, look for a filter that can handle the things your municipal water company apparently can not, like THMs. Your water company should send out reports annually. You can also use filters on showerheads and bath faucets. There are choices available for every budget.

Long-term Solutions

Protecting ourselves in our own homes really isn’t the whole solution. We need to look upstream, literally, and figure out how to keep water free from these contaminants in the first place. One important way we can do that is to support organic foods. Pesticide run-off from crops is a big source of our contaminated water supplies. By supporting sustainability of harvested crops, we also support cleaner natural resources—like water—for our future.

Water quality is an issue that has raised more than a few concerns over the past few decades. Chances are good that the water you use every day for drinking, cooking and bathing is far from pure.

If your water is supplied by a well, it could be affected by contaminants in the ground water. Only you will be treating the well water for those contaminants.

"Residues of 39 pesticides and their degradation products have been detected in the groundwater of 34 states." National Academy of Sciences

If your water is supplied through a municipal water treatment facility, there are many contaminants that may slip through. Some aren’t considered harmful – they only do things like stain your teeth, or give your water an unpleasant odor, taste or appearance.

"Drinking water plants are old and out of date, and water supplies are increasingly threatened and contaminated by chemicals and micro-organisms." Natural Resources Defense Council

The very chemicals that we put in our water to kill harmful bacteria leave traces in the water, and make it unhealthy or unpleasant for bathing or drinking.

"Cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is as much as 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine." U.S. Council of Environmental Quality

A home water filter may be one of the best and most important investments that you ever make. Aquasana has a filter for any budget!

FACT: The Environmental Protection Agency only requires testing of municipal water sources for about 80 of more than 75,000 known contaminants.

FACT: The standards for safe drinking water are safe for a 175 pound healthy adult. Those standards may not be safe for children, pregnant and nursing mothers and adults with compromised immune systems.

Shower Filter System

2008-07-06T18:31:00.011-04:00

The Aquasana Shower Filter has a unique two-stage filter process. Stage 1 removes chlorine and enhances pH balance with a natural copper/zinc mineral media called KDF-55D. The second filtration stage uses a carbonized coconut shell medium for the removal of synthetic chemicals, THMs and VOCs that vaporize from tap water and are inhaled or absorbed through the skin, potentially causing adverse health and cosmetic effects.

The result is the healthiest, most refreshing shower experience you'll ever have.

"It's Like showering in natural spring water!" Jonathan Antin/Celebrity Hair Stylist, Host of Reality Show "Blow-Out"

Offers tremendous benefits to people with skin conditions and breathing disorders. "The benefits are immediate and very noticeable!" Dr. Alan Pressman/Health Talk Radio

Chlorine strips the natural protective oils from skin and hair, causing excess dryness. By removing chlorine and other chemicals found in tap water, now known to be a significant source of exposure to harmful VOCs and THMs, you eliminate health risks related to inhalation and skin absorption of these chemicals.

Your shower water will feel better, and will be better for you!

Complete Basic Under the Counter System

2008-07-06T17:44:00.011-04:00

This patented, twin cartridge drinking water filter installs in seconds to standard kitchen faucets and provides up to 30 gallons an hour of ultra-filtered high quality water for drinking, cooking and other beverages.

Aquasana's exclusive dual filter system uses a combination of carbon filtration, ion exchange and sub-micron filtration to produce truly healthy, great tasting water right at your kitchen tap. Filters out chlorine, lead, VOCs, MTBE and Cysts, and leaves in the natural trace minerals!

Check it out at Aquasana.com

Whole House Water Filter

2008-07-03T19:05:00.000-04:00

The Rhino® EQ-300 Whole House Water Filter has completed three years of evaluation by Underwriters Laboratories. The product, the factory and all performance claims are certified by UL under the strictest industry guidelines.

Beware of companies that claim certified components vs. a certified product. If the product itself is not certified, you have no way of knowing what you are getting!

This deluxe, high-capacity system is easily installed in any home and has a 300,000-gal./3-year certified capacity, the best value of any whole house system in America!

Purity Sport Bottle Filter

2008-07-02T10:07:00.000-04:00

The Purity Sport Bottle Filter offers the quality of bottled water with the convenience and economy of tap water!

This unique product allows you to use any tap water source and have great tasting, healthy filtered water. Great for the office, school, gym, shopping, travel or anywhere!

The replaceable filter cartridge removes lead, chlorine and chemical contaminants for 40 gallons/ 60 days. This is a must product for everyone! Comes with 3 filter cartridges.

5 Reasons Why Aquasana Is America's #1 Water Filter:

2008-06-26T13:45:00.014-04:00

1. Highest Performance:

Filters out chlorine bad taste and odors, lead, VOCs (volatile organic chemicals), THMs (trihalomethanes), cryptosporidium, giardia and MTBE. Patented process leaves in natural minerals for best taste and better health!

Aquasana is better than bottled water and better than other water filters,
and its performance is certified and documented. The healthiest, best-tasting water on Earth

2. Best Value:

At Aquasana.com there is no middleman. They are the manufacturer and offer great factory direct value. They guarantee the best-tasting, healthiest water on Earth. No other home water filter, at any price, has ever produced better results than Aquasana! Compare Leading Brands such as Brita, PUR, Culligan and others.

The #1 rated home water filter in America...
Voted "Best Buy" by Consumers Digest magazine 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007!

3. Award-winning Customer Service!

Because you're dealing direct with the manufacturer, you get professional service from the experts.

4. Ultimate Convenience!

The products are designed to be easy to install and easy to maintain, and offer the ultimate in convenience. The optional cartridge replacement program ensures that fresh new cartridges are delivered to your doorstep every 6 months, at great savings!

5. Lifetime Warranty

With the convenient "Water 4 Life" cartridge auto-ship program, the Aquasana water filter is WARRANTED FOR LIFE against defects or damage, even if the damage is your fault! No other company stands behind its products like that. All Aquasana Systems come with a 60-day 100% MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE.

The Aquasana.com Web site was designed to showcase and offer their complete line of at value-added factory-direct prices, and to provide important factual information on water quality and its relationship to human health. Please take a few minutes to tour Aquasana.com and learn the vital importance of "healthy water."

Once you have all the facts, the decision is easy. Aquasana, it's the right choice! Visit the Factory Direct Catalog for great values on America's highest-rated home water filtration products: Aquasana, Rhino, Sun Water, and Pure Shower.

Remember, our bodies contain more than 70% water!
Very few things affect our health as much as the quality of our water.

Children are at higher Risk of Water Contamination

2008-06-02T13:07:00.002-04:00

Children are affected by contaminants and pollutants differently than adults. If you have children in your household you should be especially concerned about the tap water that they are using.

The EPA standards used to establish what is "safe" for drinking water is based on health effects for the average adult. So, the health of all of those who are not average, including babies, pregnant women and their unborn, the elderly, and the chronically ill, may not be getting "safe" water from their water taps.

Infants and children drink more water than adults compared to their body weight. Also, children are still developing. The body functions that allow adults to filter out toxins do not work as well, if at all, in children.

You really should consider using home water purifiers and filters.

Water Quality Association Fact Sheet

2008-05-28T10:45:00.000-04:00

There have been some articles recently about drugs being found in our water. The Water Quality Association released a fact sheet in March 2008. The first fact on the list is as follows:

"Filtering systems in the home provide the highest technology available for treatment of drinking water. Less than two percent of all water consumed is ingested by humans, making these “point-of-use” systems the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly."

This is an exact excerpt.

With the current level of technology available for our water treatment, it will be extremely difficult to ever remove all the contaminants that end up in our water. We have to take things into our own hands.

The second fact on the list reaffirms this:

"While utilities are required to meet safety standards set by the U.S. EPA, home filtering systems act as a final contaminant barrier and can further purify water for drinking."

What can you do to prevent water Pollution?

2008-05-25T14:44:00.000-04:00

Preventing Water pollution is a global problem that is not easy to solve. Solutions start with the individual. Ask yourself: "What can I do to prevent water pollution?" Every person can play an important part by practicing conservation and by changing certain everyday habits. Here are a few examples of what you can do:

Keep pet wastes and debris out of storm drains--so that pollution does not drain directly to lake, streams, rivers, and wetlands
Apply lawn chemicals sparingly--follow the directions carefully
Dispose of used oil, antifreeze, paints, and other household chemicals properly--Check to see if the community where you live has established procedures for correct disposal of the these items
Have your septic system inspected and pumped regularly to ensure that it functions properly.
Purchase household cleaners that are low in phosphorous
Use permeable paving surfaces such as wood decks, bricks, and concrete lattice to let water soak into the ground.
Control soil erosion with shrubs and ground cover, they soak up 14 times more water than grass. It will slow runoff and soak up pollutants.
Don't hose down driveways or sidewalks. Dry sweeping paved areas, along with careful trash disposal, are simple, effective pollution reducers.
Do not pour hazardous products down any drain or toilet.
Wash your car on the grass so soapy water soaks into the ground.
Use a hose nozzle to prevent water from running when not in use.

Water the Universal Solvent

2008-05-24T16:29:00.000-04:00

Because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid, water is called the universal solvent. As you study the water cycle, you realize that whatever form water is in or where it is in the cycle, it can pick up all kinds of minerals, nutrients, chemicals , good and bad.

The worlds population is growing. With that growth comes greater demand on the worlds' natural resources, especially water. We need to be very careful with what we add to the water cycle and how we use water in our everyday lives.

Unregulated Water contaminants

2008-05-24T12:36:00.000-04:00

The Environmental Protection Agency sets water quality standards for our drinking water. However, there are many more potentially harmful contaminants that are not regulated or even monitored on a regular basis.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) presents the potential relevance of the water-quality findings in its National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. It uses Health-Based Screening Levels (HBSL) to evaluate what the data may mean to human health issues. The EPA has not set water standards for about two thirds of the contaminants measured by the NAWQA Program and other USGS studies. The USGS set up the program to supplement the Federal drinking water guidelines.

Data for 436 unregulated compounds in the HBSL database:

158 Pesticides
81 Pesticide byproducts
66 VOCs
60 SVOCs
11 Major ions
15 Trace elements
7 Nutrient
7 PCB compounds
31 Emerging contaminants from manufacturing additives, domestic use products, and plant/animal biochemicals

Check it out for yourself at: http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/HBSL