Friday, February 8, 2008

Best Ways to Store Water

Storing Water - Containers

It is always best to store water in glass containers, not plastic. Water is the universal solvent, it will dissolve some part of everything it contacts. When water is stored in plastic containers, it takes on some of the chemicals that the plastic is made from. Over 60,000,000 plastic bottles go into U.S. landfills daily due to bottled water. The harm to our planet is devastating and totally unnecessary.

Water stored in glass containers tastes better, looks better and is better for you. If our water looks and tastes better, we will naturally drink more, resulting in a multitude of health benefits.

Glass is better for you and better for our planet!



Bottled Water Facts!

Bottled Water Facts

Millions and millions of dollars are spent each week on advertising campaigns to give consumers the perception that bottled water comes from some pristine mountain spring or magical underground aquifer assuring purity and quality. However, the fact is that bottled water is often times little more than just tap water in a bottle... sometimes worse!

You see, the Federal regulations that govern bottled water only require it to be as good as tap water, not better. There are no assurances, regulations or requirements that bottled water be any higher in quality than tap water, and according to some recent studies, it may often be of lower quality.

The fact is that people pay from $1 to $4 a gallon for the perception of higher quality, when in fact, the quality of bottled water is at best "unknown"! Over 90% of the cost of bottled water is in the bottle, lid and label.

The bottled water industry is full of deception and questionable ethics. Industry lobbyists successfully fight every year to keep bottled water companies from having to abide by even the minimal health standards set by the EPA for tap water. The FDA, who regulates bottled water, states that "Companies that market bottled water as being safer than tap water are defrauding the American public."

In March of 1999, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released a report called "Bottled Water, Pure Drink or Pure Hype?" NRDC 's report points out that as much as 40% of all bottled water comes from a city water system, just like tap water. The report also focuses on the fact that 60 to 70% of all bottled water sold in the U.S. is exempt from FDA's bottled water standards, because the Federal Standards do not apply to water bottled and sold within the same state. Unless the water is transported across state lines, there is no federal regulations that govern its quality. According to the NRDC "bottled water companies have used this loop hole to avoid complying with basic health standards, such as those that apply to municipally treated tap water". Also, all carbonated or sparkling waters are completely exempt from FDA guidelines that set specific contamination limits.

According to the NRDC study, "even when bottled waters are covered by FDA's specific bottled water standards, those rules are weaker in many ways than EPA rules that apply to big city tap water." For instance, if we compare EPA regulations for tap water to FDA's bottled water rules: (these examples are quotes from the NRDC report)

City tap water can have no confirmed E.coli or fecal coliform bacteria. FDA bottled water rules include no such prohibition (a certain amount of any type of coliform bacteria is allowed in bottled water).

City tap water, from surface water, must be filtered and disinfected. In contrast, there are no federal filtration or disinfection requirements for bottled water.

Most cities using surface water have had to test for Cryptosporidium or Giardia, two common water pathogens, that can cause diarrhea and other intestinal problems, yet bottled water companies do not have to do this.

City tap water must meet standards for certain important toxic or cancer-causing chemicals, such as phthalate (a chemical that can leach from plastic, including plastic bottles); some in the industry persuaded FDA to exempt bottled water from the regulations regarding these chemicals.

City water systems must issue annual "right to know" reports, telling consumers what is in their water. Bottlers successfully killed a "right to know" requirement for bottled water.
The Natural Resources Defense Council report concluded that; "Therefore, while much tap water is indeed risky, having compared available data, we conclude that there is no assurance that bottled water is any safer than tap water."

So why tolerate the inconvenience and high price... for water that's' quality is such an "unknown"?

Point-of-Use water treatment, with a quality in-home water filtration system, is "by far" the most economical, the most convenient and the most capable way of producing the healthiest, best tasting water... and at a fraction of the cost of bottled. "Bottle your own!"

With home water filtration you can conveniently re-fill your own bottles... at home... with great tasting, healthy water for less than ten cents a gallon, instead of dollars per gallon.
Filtering out the chlorine, lead and other contaminants, at the point of use, just prior to consumption, is really the only way to know for sure about the quality of your water. And when you factor in the benefits of lower cost, convenience and quality assurance, in-home water filtration system is clearly the more sensible alternative to bottled water.

There's also another great bonus... protecting the environment. Every day millions of plastic water bottles are being discarded ... contaminating our precious natural resources. A single home water system can keep thousands of plastic bottles from ultimately polluting our environment.
Dare to be aware, learn the facts!

http://www.bottledwaterblues.com

Say No to Bottled Water

Bottled water banned in major U.S. cities!
San Francisco, Los Angeles, Pheonix, Chicago, and many more have recently jumped on the "Ban bottled water" wagon making it illegal to spend city dollars on bottled water.The realization that bottled water is seldom of higher quality than tap water has caused a major shift in public opinion. "It causes 60 million plastic bottles A DAY to be manufactured, transported and then disposed of in U.S. landfills, it's killing our planet, and for no good reason..." Eric Olsen, Natural Resources Defence Council.

Consumers typically buy bottled water under the misconception that it is safer, purer or healthier than tap water. Bottled water companies have spent "billions" to mislead consumers into thinking it's better.
Now the public is talking back and asking some very tough questions;
Is bottled water really better quality than tap?
How do you know the quality of your bottled water?
Is the cost and inconvenience of bottled water worth it?
Do you know bottled water is a #1 source of plastic pollution?
Are you aware most studies show bottled water quality to be the same or lower than tap water?

Get more information at www.bottledwaterblues.com