As a life-long devotee of drinking water (its my FAVORITE beverage) I have also followed the path to pure drinking water by buying bottled water and having water treated by reverse osmosis delivered to my home. But where our health is concerned, we may be short-changing ourselves by focusing on “pure” drinking water. I’ve recently learned exactly what drinking this “pure” water does and doesn’t do when it comes to being safe and healthy.

What water treated with reverse osmosis and bottled water will do is provide you with water that tastes and smells good. And if you’re lifting those five gallon bottles into your home dispenser, you’re also going to get some nice looking biceps. And bottled water does harm to the environment by producing, transporting and disposing over 60,000,000 plastic bottles EVERY DAY in the U.S. alone.

What this type of pure drinking water doesn’t do is a lot. Bottled water doesn’t give you water that’s any safer than tap water. Even the FDA has noted this fact by stating, “…companies that market bottled water as being safer than tap water are defrauding the American public.

Water treated with reverse osmosis doesn’t provide you with essential minerals like calcium, potassium and magnesium, which our bodies need to work well and be healthy. The reverse osmosis procedure strips out these important minerals while stripping out other contaminants.

Drinking water that’s been stripped of these important minerals has a negative effect on our teeth and bones. And the acidid nature of demineralized water in our bodies effects our ability to resist cancer.

Reverse osmosis also doesn’t filter out synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs) because of their tiny molecular size. So they are able to get through the filter and into your drinking water.

So now that you know what pure drinking water does and doesn’t do, what’s the next step? Well, if you’re still interested in safe, healthy water for you and family you may want to consider a home water filtration system. But not just any water filtration system. You have to do some research so that you can find a quality system that will deliver the kind of pure drinking mineralized water that nature intended you to have: clean, safe, health, good tasting and smelling.

A quality water filtration system will also be affordable, easy to install and maintain and will have strong customer support. And believe me, there are some great water filtration companies out there that will provide you with pure drinking mineralized water you can have confidence in.

Well, I can tell you that if you were looking for drinking water stations located on your city street corners, similar to a gas station, you won’t find them. Drinking water stations are just another term for a system that purifies contaminated drinking water.

This water purification system is called a drinking water station because that is where the water filters and other mechanics of the system are housed. Contaminated drinking water is passed through the filters in the appliance in order to remove harmful substances from your drinking water.

Nowadays, consumers are becoming more aware of unwanted, dangerous contaminants in their drinking water, including chlorine, lead and VOCs (volatile organic contaminants). So water purification systems, such as drinking water stations, are in constant demand.

But how do you know if you’re buying a system that really cleans contaminated drinking water?

Well, it’s just a matter of doing your homework. Is it just your drinking water that you’re concerned with? Or are you interested in being able to filter all the water that comes into your home and that your family uses?

You can easily find quality drinking water stations that are very affordable, convenient and easy to install. You can also find whole house water filters that will make it possible for everything that dispenses water – faucets, toilets, baths, showers, washing machines, etc. to deliver safe, pure water.

In my experience, products that use a multi-stage filtration system are the best. This way you can be confident that chlorine, metals and VOCs are being eliminated.

So now that we’ve cleared up any possible confusion about drinking water stations, what’s your next step?

Just use the information I’ve given you, you will be well on your way to finding the best drinking water stations, and/or water purification systems that you can buy. And when it comes to the health of you and your family, nothing but the best will do.

Fact #1 – The EPA and the National Geological Survey have verified the presence of prescription drugs in drinking water.

Samples from numerous water supplies from around the country have turned up trace amounts of drugs such as anti-depressants, antibiotics, contraceptives and caffeine. Since everything that passes through our bodies eventually ends up in our water supplies, it only stands to reason that all the medications that are taken on a daily basis in this country will make their way into our drinking water.

Since we have a finite supply of water on this planet, it has to be continually recycled and reused. As such, there is a high probability of exposure to these waterborne pharmaceuticals.

Fact #2 – At the present time, the long term health effects of drugs in the drinking water are unknown.

Despite the lack of information about how we can expect these drugs to effect us, medical science is mainly concerned about the creation of “super bugs” from prolonged exposure to even low levels of antibiotics. The experts studying this issue are worried that these super microorganisms could become resistant to antibiotic treatment. If doctors can’t fight the sickness caused by these super bugs, many people could suffer and perhaps, die.

Fact #3 – Most of our municipal water treatment facilities are not presently equipped to remove prescription drugs in drinking water.

A vast majority of city water systems still use chlorine as their main method for treating water. Chlorine is a chemical disinfectant and not a filter, so it can do nothing to remove drugs in the drinking water. This means that our home water resources are at risk.

Fact #4 – It is possible to do something, right now, to protect you and your family from the potentially harmful effects of prescription drugs in drinking water.

You should know that there are plenty of efficient, home water purification

]]> http://www.xdlj.com/why-are-there-prescription-drugs-in-your-drinking-water/feed/ 0 http://www.xdlj.com/drinking-water-and-its-purification/ http://www.xdlj.com/drinking-water-and-its-purification/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:00:19 +0000 buyer's voice http://www.xdlj.com/drinking-water-and-its-purification/ Water that is considered to be drinking water is of high quality and does not pose imminent health risks to the user once they use it. It is estimated that 60 or 70 percent of the human body is water; therefore most body parts contain water. Drinking water is required by the human body for various functions such as the regulation of the body’s temperature and it is the means through which nutrients are transported to all other human organs.

There are many regions in the world that do not have access to clean water. The water is not clean because it has disease vectors. When this kind of water is consumed, it can lead to chronic illnesses. This is the reason why you should have water distribution systems that have water purification technology. Water purification simply means getting rid of the contaminants that are found in raw water.

The physical process of purifying drinking water may be used and this entails using either water filtration or water sedimentation processes. It may also be purified using biological processes like the slow sand filters or the activated sludge. Flocculation and chlorination are the chemical processes that are used to filter water. Electromagnetic radiation is filtering water through the use of ultra violet light.

The purification of drinking water reduces concentration of parasites, bacteria, viruses, algae, suspended particles and other matters that may have come into contact with the water as it falls into the rain. Basically, the quality of drinking water is usually set by the specific government of that area or by the international standards.

Water can be found from various sources including ground sources, precipitation like rain and snow and surface water. Technology has improved the methods used to purify water and many advanced water machines have been introduced. Some of these machines include water vending dispensers; water vending units and reverse osmosis water vending machines.

Improved water drinking sources have been but in place and they include: household water connection, boreholes conditions, public standpipe, protected spring and rain water. In coming up with safe water sources there also has to be the access of good sanitation facilities such as the connection to public sewers and septic systems. Sources from which water can be found include: ground sources (ground water), precipitation (rain, snow), surface water etc. With advancement in technology, purification methods have also advanced for the better with introduction of water machines ranging from products such as water vending dispensers, water vending units and reverse osmosis water vending machines. Lack of water is among the major problems in developing countries. But thanks to the Water aid program, that has helped provide water has seen improvement of hygiene to the people living in areas where by safe drinking water was a problem.

Water does so much more than quench your thirst, it is a vital part of our diet which goes on to form over two-thirds of your body. So, you could argue that drinking pure water daily is as important as any nutritional diet that may be followed.

All of your body’s organ systems need water in order to function properly. You need water to flush out toxins and help your bladder and kidneys to expel undesirable molecules and toxins from your body. Without water, you place greater stress on both your immune and excretory systems.

Drinking water and keeping your body hydrated will also help to increase your energy, improve mental and physical performance, alleviate headaches and fatigue, help with digestion and help keep your body stay more alkaline.

Recent studies have suggested that having high levels of acidity in the body can lead to inflammation of tissues, pain, loss of bone density and wasting muscles. All of which could help contribute to fibromyalgia symptoms.

Fibromyalgia is composed of a group of symptoms involving muscles, bones and nerves.

Fibromyalgia is characterized by tingling in the skin and extremities, skin that is oversensitive to the touch, pain in muscles and joints, frequent muscle spasms and irritable bowel syndrome. Some people with fibromyalgia find it difficult to walk, perform ordinary functions or even process everyday information due to what has been termed ‘brain fog’.

Research has shown that people with fibromyalgia often have zinc, calcium and magnesium deficiencies – deficiencies that can be supplemented by drinking eight to ten glasses of mineralized water a day. Although many of the other symptoms of fibromyalgia will need more than water to overcome them; drinking water can help you feel better, and can ease the pain associated with fibromyalgia.

However, be aware that concern has been raised regarding excess fluoride being linked to fibromyalgia. The Cause of Fibromyalgia, a paper by Jason A Uttley, examines the commonality between fluoride poisoning symptoms and fibromyalgia symptoms. He recommends eliminating the ingestion of all forms for fluoride. This would mean avoiding tap water, which contains fluoride, and drinking pure water instead.

If you’re suffering from fibromyalgia, here are a few drinking water related tips to help you on your way to recovery.

However, we need it all – losing just one percent of our body weight due to fluid loss can cause dehydration and any more than that can lead to serious medical complications. We are constantly losing water, by sweating or urinating, so by drinking water were keeping our supplies topped up.

How can I tell if I am dehydrated?

The easiest way is to look at the color of your urine. If it is pale, you’re probably ok. If it’s any darker than the color of straw, you’re probably not drinking enough. Symptoms of dehydration include headaches, loss of concentration and tiredness, dry skin and eyes.

Ongoing dehydration can cause problems with, among other things, your kidneys, liver, joints and muscles. Many people are unaware that they are dehydrated, they simply become used to not feeling 100%.

You should drink throughout the day, rather than when your body cries out for liquid. From a vanity point of view – hydrated skin looks younger as its plumper, dehydrated skin looks sallow and older. Just by drinking more water could make you look years younger.

How much do we need?

The Food Standards Agency and The British Diabetic Association recommend that people living in the UK (or a country of similar climate) drink six to eight glasses of water every day. That’s about one and a half to two liters, or a big bottle of water. Children will not need as much water as adults. This is based on an average day in Britain, when the weather heats up, or you have done a lot of exercise, you will need to drink more.

Remember to stick to the daily recommended limit, as drinking too much water can be just as damaging. Too much water could lead to water intoxication, which could be fatal.

To find out a more accurate water intake, try Water Aid’s online hydration calculator. It calculates the amount of water you need to drink, based on your weight and amount of exercise you do each day.

What if I don’t like water?

The most effective way to drink enough and stay hydrated is to drink plain water, a fizzy drink only contains about 65% water. If you really don’t like water, try diluting it with a little pure fruit juice.

The Food Standards Agency also recommends drinking semi skimmed milk. If you’re also drinking tea and coffee, it’s worth remembering that the caffeine in them acts as a diuretic, which means you will want to urinate more, so drink a little more to compensate. As for alcohol, this does not count, as it dehydrates you. So if you like your booze, you will need to top up your water intake.

How can I drink more?

Start each day with a glass of water, adding a squeeze of lemon or lime to give your digestive system a boost. Keep a bottle of water with you, in your bag / briefcase.

Keep a bottle of water on your desk and drink as you work. Eat more fruit and vegetables; they have a higher water content, than most other foods. Drink a glass of water at set points during the day, one before lunch, one before you leave work, one as you get home etc… Have a glass of water every time you have a cup of tea or coffee and every time you eat.

Plumbed in water cooler, Bottled or tap water?

Plumbed in water coolers and bottled coolers, is big business these days. Many of us find that the water that comes from the taps does not taste very nice, so using a water cooler or buying bottles, seems like a logical solution.

So a good option is to invest in a water filter. The filtering process lowers the lime-scale content of the water, plus it reduces other substances that can effect the smell and taste of water, such as chlorine.

Even so, there is little doubt that water is one drink should be clean and free of contaminants, no matter one is living in impoverished lands or in the more affluent nations of the world. Getting clean as well as safe drinking water is the prerogative of every human and getting proper as well as clean drinking water an inalienable right of the human race and it is the responsibility of governments to ensure its supply. Getting regulated drinking water can be either through municipal water treatment plants or water well servicing at a campground.

Today, one may even be in awe of the latest contaminant treatment methods being used to obtain pure drinking water. Nevertheless, the human race has, from ancient times, taken steps to ensure that the water they drank was fresh and very often, they judged the quality of drinking water from its taste and were unaware that even best tasting water could be impure. According to historians, there is evidence to support that water treatment was practiced in ancient times and that boiling water was an effective means in eliminating impurities. Even as early as 1905, it was found that keeping water in copper vessels that were exposed to sunlight and then filtered through charcoal could purify water.

Water and The Industrial Revolution

With the coming of the Industrial Revolution, the many steps taken in obtaining clean drinking water found a new horizon opening up and there was need to cleanse and purify water off the many chemicals that had begun to contaminate drinking water. It gave rise to newer and more sophisticated water treatment methods to purify water that had begun to be contaminated, due to the side effects of the Industrial Revolution.

In present times, countries with gigantic populations such as India and China are desperately in need of supplying their populations with clean drinking water. China has set a goal of providing every Chinese with pure and clean drinking water by the year 2020. In this direction, they are planning on ambitious long term projects to tackle the problem of clean drinking water that is seriously hurting the quality of life of its rural population and, threatening millions of these inhabitants.

There are more than one billion people that do not have access to clean drinking water and unsafe drinking water is the greatest killer of children aged less than five years. The access to clean drinking water will enable women and children to devote time to more gainful pursuits and attend schools or plant vegetables. There is thus, plenty of concerted effort being directed in achieving the goal of providing clean drinking water and, even countries such as India, have put their weight behind providing children and women access to clean drinking water.