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

Turn on the Tap

According to the Think Outside the Bottle campaign, Americans are the world’s top consumers of bottled water while, ironically, the U.S. has one of the safest public water systems on the planet. So, why did the bottled water craze take the nation by storm? Some experts say it began as small status symbol, mimicking the bottled waters popular in France and Italy. But, as the sources of water changed and companies such as Coca Cola and Nestle entered the game, bottled water spilled over from simply posh to popular.

Too popular, according to nonprofit groups and environmental organizations. Americans spend a combined $11.7 billion annually on bottled water. The Container Recycling Institute (CRI) estimates that every person in the U.S. tosses 160 plastic bottles in the trash each year – or 8 out of every 10 bottles purchased. Given the preciousness of oil in the current economic climate, it’s also important to note that CRI says it takes 15 million barrels of oil per year to make plastic bottles for America’s bottled water addiction.

The Cost of Convenience

The convenience of bottled water has certainly added to its popularity. Think of Little League games, public events, road trips and that handy bottle at your desk. But now, as people become more aware of the environmental downsides of plastic containers and the questionable value of bottled water compared to tap water or filtered tap water, the tide may be turning.

A number of cities have ceased the once popular practice of providing bottled water for employees. In San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom observed World Water Day in 2007 by canceling all the city’s bottled water contracts. Chicago and Salt Lake City followed suit. The popular Austin City Limits Music Festival stopped providing bottled water to its legion of volunteers and rewarded patrons who recycled bottles with a special T-shirt.

The world renown Chez Panisse in Berkeley calculated the carbon footprint of the bottles of sparkling water it imported from Italy and removed the bubbly from the menu. And, in Canada, a movement is sweeping the land. Students in colleges and high schools are protesting contracts with Coca-Cola and Pepsi for their bottled waters. The students are lapping up free, fresh water from school drinking fountains instead.

Questions of Quality

As bottled waters attract increased scrutiny, public water systems are measured against them for both cost and water quality. The cost factor is extremely compelling. A bottle of water costs a dollar and often more, depending upon the brand. Water from the tap costs about $0.00002 per ounce. If a city’s tap water is unpalatable due to chlorine treatment or other sanitizing chemicals, even the addition of a water filter to a faucet gets gallons of water for pennies a day.

Water quality is also variable in both bottled waters and public water supplies. According to the EPA, bottled water is not necessarily safer than water that flows from the tap. In fact, some bottled water is no more than treated (or untreated) tap water. Consumers are advised to read the label on bottled waters to learn the source and the method of treatment. More in-depth questions have to be addressed to the manufacturer. In contrast, specific information about public water systems, water quality and treatment are publicly available on the EPA’s website. The Environmental Working Group also has a tap water database where people can look up water quality and content by zip code.

Well Into the Future

But, the most compelling concern about water in plastic bottles is environmental. The Container Recycling institute says the amount of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles being recycled reached 1,170 million pounds in 2005 while the amount of PET bottles ending up in landfills reached 3,900 million pounds. That number includes some other beverages in PET containers but the institute says water bottles are the biggest problem. Many states offer no redemption incentives on water bottles and the plain, usually sugarless drink is just so popular.

Plastic water bottles in landfills do not rest in peace. They drift or are blown into other areas such as the Pacific Ocean where, according to CRI, they form a messy, toxic mass that is twice the size of Texas. It takes about 1,000 years for a plastic bottle to degrade into tiny pieces that, to fish and birds, often look like food. There is also increasing evidence that PET bottles and other plastic bottles may be a threat to human health.

Consumer Choice

So, what is a water-lover to do? First, the EPA and other experts advise giving your tap water a try. Some municipal systems, such as the one serving San Francisco, pour forth with crystal clear water from the High Sierra. Other communities, where there is heavy agricultural or industrial activity, may not be so fortunate. When contaminants and lead might be present, public systems use a variety of techniques to make drinking water safe. They are regulated by the EPA and frequent testing is federally mandated. That is to say the tap water is safe, but may not be taste tempting.

There are many effective filtering products on the market from faucet mounted filters to pitchers and filtered water dispensers. These devices remove contaminants and pollutants while improving the taste of water. They are quite affordable and provide families with assurance about the quality of water they use for drinking and cooking.

Once the source issue is solved, people will still want the convenience of portability. There is an increasing marketplace of containers for water, from personal water bottles made of reusable aluminum, stainless steel, ceramic and traditional glass. As awareness of the health dangers and environmental downside of plastic bottles spreads, a market-driven demand will result in even more choices for people who want fresh water at their side, wherever they may roam.

The latest model of a reverse osmosis water dispenser uses additional technological advances to provide something safer and cleaner. That’s a good thing, because the older models did not reduce chemical contaminants like chlorine.

Reverse osmosis water filtering systems remove lead and copper. Ion exchange units exchange lead and copper ions for potassium and sodium, electrolytes that are good for the body and improve the taste.

A reverse osmosis water dispenser removes microscopic cysts that cause mild illness in most people, but can cause death in those with weakened immune systems. Kitchen counter units with sub-micron particle blocks remove cysts, traces of chemicals, prescription drugs and more, but they cost less than half what you would pay for reverse osmosis water filtering systems.

A reverse osmosis water dispenser removes minerals, like the old distillation processes. Purifiers with ion exchange “add” minerals, because they are needed for healthy digestion and overall good health.

As you can see, there is nothing that reverse osmosis water filtering systems can do that another effective system cannot do. They are overpriced and the technology is outdated. Plus, unless you get a really expensive mineral revitalization reverse osmosis water dispenser, you may as well be drinking distilled. And, studies have shown that’s not good for your health.

If you are serviced by a treatment facility, the process has already been performed, so the system is redundant. If you have a highly contaminated source, you might need RO, but a compact reverse osmosis water dispenser will not do the job. You would need RO, a disinfection system, and granulated carbon. If you wanted something good tasting and healthy, you also would need a re-mineralization step.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that people with weakened immune systems, due to illness or cancer treatment, should take extra precautions to avoid exposure to cysts. The term “cysts” is used to refer to the oocyst stage in the life of a protozoan, parasite or bacteria. The two most common are giardia and cryptosporidium.

In an otherwise healthy person, infection with these parasites might only cause a “tummy ache”. In a person who is ill, combating cancer or in children with still developing immune systems, an infection of this type can cause death.

They suggest four options; reverse osmosis water filtering systems, sub micron filtration, boiling or bottled. If you choose bottled, you need to verify that the manufacturer uses one of the aforementioned purification processes. If you boil, you will not remove chemical contaminants, in fact you will pollute your indoor air with THM gases that cause cancer.

Since, they recommend either a reverse osmosis water dispenser or sub micron filtration obviously the two devices are equivalent. So, choose the one that you want, but if you go with RO, make sure that it also includes a carbon filtration step to remove hazardous chemicals.