For cleaner drinking water take back the tap! If you are concerned about the quality of your water at home call your plumber to install a water filtration device in your home so your family can have safe & healthy drinking water 24/7. Whole house or point of use (at faucet) filtration is available at an affordable price.
If you want to save money, drink cleaner water and do the right thing for the environment please read the following information:
Many Americans drink their water out of plastic bottles—a convenience that stuffs landfills, clogs waterways and guzzles valuable fossil fuels. Americans spent nearly $11 billion on over 8 billion gallons of bottled water, and then tossed over 22 billion empty plastic bottles in the trash. More than 70 million bottles are consumed each day in the U.S. drain 1.5 million barrels of oil over a one year span.
Bottled costs us a thousand times more than water from our faucet at home, and it is no safer or cleaner. The bottled water industry spends millions a year trying to convince you that their product is somehow healthier than tap water, when in fact that’s just not true. Take Back the Tap is a non for profit organizatio who campaign to get consumers to ditch bottled water. they say “As much as 40 percent of bottled water started out as the same tap water that we get at home.” A Natural Resources Defense Council study found that, with required quarterly testing, tap water may even be of a higher quality than bottled, which is only tested annually.
The plastic used in both single-use and reusable bottles can pose more of a contamination threat than the water. A safe plastic if used only once, #1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) is the most common resin used in disposable bottles. Also as #1 bottles are reused – which they commonly are – they can leach chemicals such as DEHA, a known carcinogen, and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), a potential hormone disrupter ( both in men and women). According to the Journal of Environmental Monitoring some PET bottled-water containers were found to leach antimony an elemental metal that is an eye, skin, and lung irritant. And ….because the plastic is porous you’ll likely get a swill of harmful bacteria with each gulp if you reuse #1 plastic bottle.
Do not keep bottled water in the car. When the bottle is heated or frozen the chemicals leach into the water.
Avoid plastic bottles altogether with a metal water bottle that can handle a variety of liquids, including fruit juices and that won’t leach chemicals into your beverage. Klean Kanteen’s stainless steel bottle is lightweight, durable, and entirely chemical free. Avoid detergents that contain chlorine when cleaning Klean Kanteens; chlorine can corrode stainless steel. Another attractive alternative to plastic is the aluminum Sigg bottle with a taste-inert, water-based epoxy lining. Independent lab tests commissioned by the company found that the resin leached no detectable quantities of BPA, while other unlined aluminum and polycarbonate bottles subjected to the same conditions did.
Tips:
- If you are concerned about the quality of the water from your home tap – have it tested!
- Call a reputable plumber for an easy to maintain home water filtration system. There are many types of filtration systems available – let your plumber know what your specific concerns are and he will let you know which system will best suit your needs.
- Clean drinking water -not only is it good for you and your family but homes that have engery efficient equipment and water filtration systems sell faster in this tough home market.
- If you have concerns about the plastic bottles leaching chemicals into the water your drinking there are better bottles on the market for about $20 – several sizes are available – some are made especially for a child’s small hands – see below for bottle information. There some very cool looking designs – choose a different pattern or color for every day of the week!
Visit www.foodandwaterwatch.org and take the pledge to take back the tap, promising to choose tap water over bottled whenever possible and to support policies that promote clean public tap water for everybody. And meanwhile, invest in a safe, reusable bottle.
Better Bottles
Kleen Kanteen stainless steel water bottle w/ cap, 27 fluid ounces ($17.95; www.kleankanteen.com)
MLS Stainless Steel Thermos Bottle, 1 liter ($22.16; www.mls-group.com)
Sigg resin coated aluminum sport bottle, 25 ounces ($19.99; www.mysigg.com)
Nalgene HDPE Loop-Top Bottle, 16 ounces ($4.53; www.nalgene-outdoor.com)
Check out this video on bottled water at youtube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEyo7X0u_fA
and for more info … http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/bottled
Leave a Reply
