Sassafras Station

Posts Tagged ‘water filtration’

Although filtration of our water supply is required I can’t help but wonder how effective it is? What is actually being filtered out? And even more what is being added?

We are going to address these questions in this article to help you get a clear view of what we are putting into our bodies. Sense different areas of the world contain not only different bacterias but also different levels I am going to focus on areas within the United States.

The government requires filtration of the water supply to remove unsafe bacteria and water-borne viruses. The Government’s regulations apply limits on the exceptable amounts of contaminants to ensure the safety of the public. This means our water supply is not 100% free of contaminants when it enters our home. Sense there are so many contaminants I will not be able to address all of them but I will cover several of them within this article.

The first contaminant I will cover is Crytosporidium which is a microbial pathogen. It is found throughout the United States on the surface of water. Our filtration system does a pretty good job of removing this pathogen but like I said it is not 100%. It can cause abdominal infections and cause diarrhea, nausea and cramps. Those with healthy immune systems can usually fight it off with in a few weeks. Those with compromised immune systems can develop life-threatening illness. This includes infants, small children, elderly and those with auto immune disorders or difficulty fighting off illness.

The next contaminant I would like to cover is lead. Although it is filtered out there is no guarantee our water is 100% free of lead. The government can not monitor the amount of lead being released through the plumbing system itself. This means that not only can low levels of lead be in our drinking water more can accumulate as it passes through the pipes into our homes. This can be very dangerous to pregnant women, children and the elderly. It is recommended to flush your pipes by running your tap water 30 seconds to 2 minutes prior to using the water to drink or cook with, that’s a lot of water down the drain.

Coliform Bacteria are organisms found in the feces of warm blooded animals and humans. There are three different forms of Coliform Bacteria each consisting of there own level of risks. These forms are known as E. Coli, Total Coliform and Fecal Coliform.

E. Coli which is actually Escherichia Coli is a rod shaped bacteria found in the lower intestines. It can cause serious illnesses such as food poisoning in humans. New strains of E. Coli have been known to mutate or evolve. This can be very harmful to the animal host. It causes diarrhea in healthy adults and can be lethal in children in developing countries. One strain of E. Coli known as O157:H7 causes serious illness or even death in the elderly, young and immune compromised. E. Coli can cause Urinary Tract Infections, Meningitis and even gastroenteritis is some rare cases it can also cause pneumonia.

Total Coliform is found in drinking water and is thought of as sourced from the environment. This is watched closely due to the thinking if this can enter the drinking water supply then other dangerous pathogens maybe as well. This is why the “Total Coliform Rule” came into play in 1989 by the Environmental Protection Agency. In 2010 it was proposed that the TCR be revised. This is to ensure protection of the public heath in connection with drinking water distribution systems.

Fecal Coliform when present indicates the water supply has been contaminated with fecal material. This may occur with storms causing flooding and run-offs. This can also include plant material such as from a paper mill. Failed or poorly maintained septic tanks can cause coliforms to spill over into drains and contaminate water surface. When large amounts of rain fall occur it can combine the storm water with the sewage which overloads the streams and rivers bypassing treatment.

Our source of drinking water both from tap and bottled come from rivers, ponds, streams, lakes and wells. Contaminates that can be found in our drinking water include but are not limited to the following:

• Microbiological-viruses and bacteria
• Inorganic- salts and metals
• Pesticides and herbicides
• Organic chemicals-by products of industrial processes
• Radioactive- oil or gas production and mining activities

People in the general public may be more at risk to illnesses. These people include but not limited to:

• Those undergoing treatment
• Compromised immune systems
• Infants and young children
• Elderly
• Cancer patients
• Those who have had an organ transplant
• And those with immune disorders such as HIV and Aids

Chlorination is a way our water is disinfected of microorganisms. With chlorine being added to our drinking water it has reduced the amount of bacteria and other waterborne contaminants. But what happens when Chlorine mixes with naturally occurring substances such as decomposing plant and animal material? Some health officials are actually concerned this can cause a chlorinated by-product which maybe the cause of certain cancers.

Our government has guidelines that must be followed to ensure the water we drink is safe. The filtration system though monitored 24 hours a day 365 days a year is not guarantee the 100% removal of these and many other contaminates. So what steps can you take to protect yourselves and your family? There are a couple of things you can do that are easy and make a big difference. One being, anytime you notice a big change in your water contact your water company. They can send out a technician to take water samples. This way they can catch the problem and begin treatment if needed.

Of course the number one thing you can do is install a filtration system for your home. This system filters all water coming into your home to add an extra line of defense in the protection of your household. If you cannot afford a filtration system for your whole house consider a filtration system for your tap. This will give added filtration to the water you drink and cook with. Put up your defense by filtering what comes into your home.

To learn more about the Simply Pure whole house water filtration system, click here. You can’t imagine how good it feels to shower in pure water, brush your teeth with pure water, and drink pure water without having to shell out $3 for a bottle of artesian bottled water.

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Water is the foundation of all life. Our bodies are made up of mostly water and without a constant supply of new water we will die. The key is to make sure we have a good supply of clean water. Unfortunately, most people don’t have good, clean water in their homes which is why it is very important to have a good water filtration system for your home.

Many people have recognized that they cannot get high quality, pure drinking water from a well or from the city water supply that services them. This is why bottled water has become so popular. Unfortunately, there are some problems with bottled water. It can be very expensive. You have to constantly buy more bottles or have re-usable bottles refilled. It isn’t good for the environment to keep throwing away plastic water bottles. These are just a few of the problems associated with bottled water.

In addition to the problems I mentioned above, you can’t really bath or shower with bottled water. This may sound absurd, but we can actually absorb more of the bad things in our water when we shower or bath than from the water we drink. This is why you should consider a whole house water filtration system. One of the best water filtration system for home, is the Simply Pure water filter. It can deliver pure, bottled water quality to your entire house for just pennies a gallon.

To learn more about the Simply Pure whole house water filtration system, click here. You can’t imagine how good it feels to shower in pure water, brush your teeth with pure water, and drink pure water without having to shell out $3 for a bottle of artesian bottled water.

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