tap water

Will Air and Water Borne BPA Change the FDA’s Tune?

Posted by: Rhona Reid On March 20, 2018 7:00 am

It’s almost funny.  The FDA is militant about not allowing perfectly edible and delicious unpasteurized Camembert and many other legendary cheeses into the country, but it is far more laid back when it comes to the controversial chemical BPA – linked to low birth weight and certain types of cancer.

More dangerous than carcinogens in your bottled water?

According to the FDA, unlike a decent wheel of Brie de Meaux, BPA is “probably alright in very small doses.”  We’re paraphrasing here, by the way, but you get the gist.

Narrow Sighted?

“Probably alright in very small doses” is fine when you’re talking about certain things.  Cleaning your teeth with the kids’ toothpaste for a day because you’ve run out? …

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Bottled Water – The Biggest Con of All?  Part II

Posted by: Rhona Reid On March 15, 2018 12:00 pm

So, we’ve laid bare the extortionate cost of bottled water and highlighted the practice of selling tap water in bottles at a hugely inflated profit.  Persuading people to buy filtered tap water in a bottle with a slick label is quite a coup for the drinks industry.  

Ingredients: Tap Water
BPA is Here to Stay?

But it’s not just the ever-rising cost to both your pocket and to the environment.  Bottled water is problematic in other ways as well.

“Certain chemicals found in plastic bottles can have effects on every system in our bodies.  They can affect ovulation, and increase our risk of hormonally driven problems like PCOS, endometriosis and breast cancer, among other things.”

~ Dr Marilyn Glenville …

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Bottled Water – The Biggest Con of Them All?  

Posted by: Rhona Reid On March 13, 2018 7:00 am

The PR job is a good one, to be fair.  When it comes to bottled water, people are prepared to throw a lot of money at it, regardless of the environmental price and the sky-high cost to their pocket.  

Tap Water: Now Available in Bottles
Water Check

Bottled water costs more than tap water.  A lot more.  In fact, a new report from The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that some people are paying an astonishing 10,000 times more per gallon for bottled water than they are for the water that comes out of the tap.

But here’s the next shocker: frequently the water that you buy in a bottle is…erm…tap water.  

“We don’t believe that consumers are confused

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America Brings Home Report Card; Gets a D

Posted by: Rhona Reid On March 1, 2018 12:00 pm

America’s Water Infrastructure Report Card for 2017 is in and it’s fair to say that there’s room for improvement. It’s not exactly new news to talk about the state of America’s pipelines and how millions of Americans are drinking water that might be harmful to their health, but the report card highlights another aspect of the problem – the waste.

Must try harder?
Pipe Down

Many pipes were laid during the early-mid 20th century and have a lifespan of 75‐100 years.  There are an estimated 240,000 pipeline fractures every year and with an average annual repair rate of 0.5%, the repairs will take around 200 years to complete, by which time the pipelines will have been around for …

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The Great American Water Taste Test!

Posted by: Rhona Reid On February 22, 2018 12:00 pm

In early February, the 18th annual Great American Water Taste Test took place at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.  

After days of testing, judges finally found some clean tap water in America.

Over two days, water samples from around the country were blind-tasted by a panel of judges, tasked with finding a winner.  What are they looking for?  Taste, smell and clarity are the watchwords according to The National Rural Water Association, the main sponsor of the event.

Water Good Winner!

After some serious sipping, the gold medal was awarded to Arcadia Water Utility of Wisconsin, which beat off some stiff competition from the City of Salisbury, MD Paleo Water and the Southeast Water Users District, ND, …

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Water, Water Everywhere…

Posted by: Rhona Reid On February 7, 2018 12:00 pm

It sounds obvious, but water is everywhere at the moment.  From Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water cleaning up during awards season; the reckless craze for so-called “Raw Water”; the fact that South Africa’s Cape Town is about to reach Day Zero when the water runs out, and closer to home, that America’s own water supply is barely out of the news these days.  

Water is making headlines every day.
What Do We Want From Water?

Water is big news.  Of course it is, it’s a massive part of our lives.  We depend on it for life itself and yet we’re all guilty of wasting it from time to time.  So how did we become so complacent about …

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Why Reverse Osmosis Is NOT the Answer to Chromium-6

Posted by: Rhona Reid On February 6, 2018 7:00 am

The cancer-causing contaminant Chromium-6, brought to the public gaze by Erin Brockovich, is at levels exceeding public health goals in 50 states.

Chromium-6 – Here to Stay?

Millions of people are trying to find a workable solution to protect themselves and their families and to avoid drinking contaminated water.  

What Reverse Osmosis Water Does to the Pipeline

A reverse osmosis water system is sometimes touted as a possible solution on both a domestic and municipal level.  After all, it removes contaminants and that’s the goal, right?

Unfortunately, reverse osmosis is not a solution on either front.  On a city-wide basis, aside from the prohibitive cost of building the plant, the stripped-back water – though admittedly free of contaminants – …

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Half of All Americans Have Radiation in Their Water

Posted by: Rhona Reid On February 1, 2018 12:00 pm

According to this report published in January by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), 173 million people – around half of all Americans – have been exposed to radiation in their drinking water.  That means an increase in the possibility of developing certain types of cancer and can also have a detrimental effect on fetal development.  

Radioactive elements enter our groundwater…and stay there.
The “Erin Brockovich” Chemical

By studying 50,000 water systems countrywide, the EWG found that millions of people across 50 states are drinking water that contains radioactive contaminants; including the most commonly-occurring radioactive element, radium.

In Texas – one of the worst affected states – up to 80% of homes are supplied with water containing potentially dangerous levels of …

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The Environmentally Friendly Odd Couple?

Posted by: Rhona Reid On January 30, 2018 7:00 am

 
Back in November last year we talked about America Recycles Day, a great cause supported by Keep America Beautiful.

We all need to do more of this.

Now, it’s easy to think about the bottled water industry being right at the other end of any “Earth-friendly” scale, but some recent news is heartening and perhaps surprising.  

Planet-Friendly Partnership

On January 17, at the 2018 Keep America Beautiful National Conference, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) announced that it would be sponsoring the Keep America Beautiful initiative. 

“We stand committed to helping Americans better understand recycling and its potential for economic, environmental and community benefits by working with all stakeholders—manufacturers; the waste management industry; government entities; other nonprofit

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Resolution?  What Resolution?

Posted by: Rhona Reid On January 25, 2018 12:00 pm

If you’re among the just-over-half of the population who didn’t make a New Year resolution, then by now you might fall into one of two camps.  The first is being oblivious to the whole thing and simply getting on with life without the pressure/pleasure of a self-imposed goal to work towards.

Does your Near Year resolution look something like this?

The second camp includes those who look on with a touch of envy at the bright-eyed fervor of those winning at their resolutions.  They have a goal.  A “thing.” Something to help pass the long, decidedly un-festive January days.  Dry January?  Veganuary?   At this stage of the month, if you haven’t given something up, then you might be feeling a …

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