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Bottled water and tap water quality is being questioned and under scrutiny
Drinking filtered water is just plain inexpensive health insurance! Consider these recent stories in the news: New contaminant 'stars' include perchlorate, PFCs The public and its water suppliers likely will look to the water treatment industry to develop technology to remove these contaminants, whether the treatment occurs at the municipal or point-of-use/point-of-entry level, according to WQA Technical Director Joseph Harrison. The public seeks the "peace of mind" offered by the fine-tuning of municipal waters for these often hard-to-remove contaminants, assurance that the industry can provide, he said. "We are still looked upon as the industry that's on the cutting edge of water treatment technologies," Harrison told conference attendees listening to WQA's Industry Issues Report. Harrison said perchlorate, which occurs naturally and as a man-made rocket propellant, has been released to the environment in at least 25 states, and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found it in samples taken from a number of public water systems. Although the EPA has set a reference dose upper limit of 24.5 parts per billion (ppb) for perchlorate in drinking water, several states are setting their own lower limits. For example, California is about to establish a new state maximum contaminant limit of 6 ppb; Massachusetts has established Quality of bottled and tap water under scrutiny DALLAS, March 29, 2007 (Water Tech) - A sports nutritionist who presented a seminar at the American College of Sports Medicine 11th Annual Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition here said that bottled water doesn't always stack up when compared with tap water, according to a March 28 Medical News Today report. Sports nutritionist Cynthia Sass, R.D., C.S.S.D., said in the report that although bottled water is perceived as a healthier, safer choice over tap water in consumer surveys, that is not necessarily true. In her presentation, Sass noted that consumers need to gather more information on bottled and tap water to make more informed choices. Sass, quoting bottled and tap water survey results from independent groups such as the National Resources Defense Council, said that both bottled and tap water may contain contaminants such as bacteria, arsenic, lead or pesticides, according to the report. EPA cites NC city for high levels of lead in water DURHAM, NC, March 29, 2007 (Water Tech) - State regulators notified city leaders here on March 27 that an excessive amount of lead in the city's drinking water fails criteria set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to a March 29 article in The News & Observer. Deputy City Manager Ted Voorhees said that the city's water supply does not have a serious lead problem and the that the city is considering action to appeal the citation, according to the newspaper. The EPA continues to investigate Durham, which, as reported by WaterTech Online™, recently was given a violation notice for withholding from the state drinking water test results that had revealed harmful amounts of lead. USGS finds trace chemicals in L.A.-area wells LOS ANGELES, March 30, 2007 (Water Tech) - State scientists said that they found traces of chemicals in almost all of the 35 groundwater wells they tested throughout the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys, according to a March 28 article in the Los Angeles Daily News. The state survey, part of a 10-year, $50-million study conducted by the US Geological Survey (USGS) and sponsored by the California State Water Resources Control Board, measures contaminants at very low levels - smaller than 1 part per billion, according to the article. USGS officials presented preliminary findings on the L.A. groundwater basin March 28, the article reported, noting that a USGS research hydrologist said the data is being used to characterize water quality before problems arise. Scientists who tested water from the groundwater wells found volatile organic compounds in 33 of the 35 wells tested; the most commonly detected solvent was tetrachloroethylene (PCE), according to the article. 'Emerging contaminants' make the news NEW YORK, April 3, 2007 (Water Tech) - An article published in the April 3 edition of The New York Times, carried on international news sources, details the threat emerging contaminants pose as well as the dilemma it is causing environmental officials. As WaterTech Online™ recently reported, emerging contaminants, including constituents of personal care products, prescription drugs, pesticides and other substances, are showing up in rivers and other water supplies and some of them, called endocrine disruptors, can adversely affect the body's hormone production. The Times article reports that US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) researchers have found traces of pharmaceutical and personal care products almost everywhere - including groundwater and surface waters - they have looked for them, and researchers are noting that the volume of emerging contaminants into the environment is increasing. Researchers are torn on how to address the problem due to its magnitude and potential cost, as well as their view that there are no definitive conclusions yet over how the emerging contaminants are impacting both humans and resources, the article said. SAN BENITO, TX, April 6, 2007 (Water Tech) - The Military Highway Water Supply Corp., which supplies water to about 8,500 customers in Cameron County, recently notified many of its customers that tests indicate arsenic levels in the water exceed the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limit, according to an April 5 KRGV-TV story. The EPA maximum contaminant level for arsenic in water is 10 parts per billion (ppb); the water utility's supply tested at 11 ppb, according to the report. Residents expressed concern because the utility company supplies water to four local schools, and the water is used for irrigating local farms and hydrating local livestock, according to the report. US drank 9.5 percent more bottled water in '06 ALEXANDRIA, VA, April 10, 2007 (Water Tech) - Bottled water consumption in the US hit 8.25 billion gallons in 2006, 9.5 percent more than the amount consumed in 2005, according to a report released by the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and the Beverage Marketing Corp. (BMC), a April 9 IBWA press release reported. Wholesale sales of bottled water were about $11 billion for last year, which is 8.5 percent more than the previous year, according to the press release. IBWA said 2006 annual per capita consumption of bottled water in the US increased by over 2 gallons, from 25.4 gallons in 2005 to 27.6 gallons last year. Multi-Pure Commentary: Multi-Pure's MP880 Series has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Arsenic V. Think that finding a good, high-quality dog food is important? LAS VEGAS, NV, March/April, 2007 (The Vegas Dog) - All of the beneficial ingredients that go into dog food will not help your dog if it is not drinking enough fresh clean water. Water is the body's most important nutrient. Adult dogs' bodies are 60% water, and a puppy's is 84% water. Dogs can lose all of their fat and half of their protein without adversely affecting their health, but a loss of 10 % of their water can cause significant problems. Dog owners should place as much attention on the quality of the water their dog drinks as they do on the ingredients that go into the best dog foods; not all water is the same. The criteria for clean drinking water for dogs is similar to the criteria for drinking water for people. Dogs should have access to fresh clean water at all times. This is even more important than giving it the best dog foods on the market. Dogs need three times more water than they do food every day. They need even more water if it is extremely hot, if the dog is lactating or if the dog is exercising more than normal. Healthy food and water choices for your pet will be the difference between a happy healthy long life or health challenges and an early departure...just like people. Drinking filtered water is just plain inexpensive health insurance! Consider these recent stories in the news: Link: |