Study Shows Pharmaceuticals Removed by Carbon Filters

One of the major problems with some public water supplies is the serious issue of unregulated contaminants. These consist of an array of compounds like pain killers, hormones, heart meds, cancer meds, endocrine disrupters, caffeine, cocaine, etc. These compounds are not regulated and therefore they are not listed on your local water quality report.

If your water source is a river and there are cities upstream of your city, then these compounds are in your water. The only technology known to remove them is reverse osmosis.

I have long suspected that activated carbon filters would also reduce complex compounds such as the unregulated contaminants in drinking water. Continue reading

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Posted in Exposure to Toxins, Healthy Drinking Water, Reverse Osmosis, Water Purification, Whole House Water Filter, Whole House Water Filtration and Purification | Leave a comment

How Important Are Minerals In Drinking Water?

Every day people ask me about the importance of minerals in their drinking water. I’ve studied this issue and used myself as a test case and come to the conclusion that while minerals in water are important there are several factors that are much more important when choosing a water purification system.

I’ve written on the topic of minerals in water before but it comes up so often that I wanted to rephrase a couple of things. These are my opinions but they are based on science, observation, experimentation, and testing.

First, let me say that drinking water with minerals is beneficial only if they are present at very low levels. Continue reading

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Posted in Healthy Drinking Water, Spring Water, Water Purification | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Natures Principle – a natural approach to eating…

One of the interesting aspects about my work is the people who call me each day and the conversations we have. Among those today was a call from Sherry Strong . Sherry is a food philosopher and nutrition strategist. She’s also big into drinking healthy water as part of a sound nutrition strategy. She called to tell me that she’d been on my website and resonates with what she referred to as ‘the wisdom of my philosophy’ about what constitutes healthy drinking water.

What followed was, for me, a fascinating conversation about eating ‘naturally’, a concept she’s developed that suggests that natural ecosystems provide sources of food in abundance levels appropriate to the levels we ought to be consuming. Lest I mix up her message I invite you to learn more about her by watching her video on what she calls:

‘Nature’s Principle’

Frankly, I’d not given this concept any thought in the past and find it to be a refreshing and valid perspective. My background in ecology has led me to know that natural ecosystems provide valuable models for successful survival strategies for life here on earth. If we humans had the wisdom to learn from and mimic natural systems, rather than trying to modify and improve them, our chances for long term survival would increase.

I’ve just learned of Sherry’s eating concept today but intend to learn more. She also tells me that she is launching a training program to teach the concept to consultants who will then take the message to the public.

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Fracking poses dangers to drinking water

Regardless of assurances that it is safe, fracking is proving to contaminate drinking water supplies. News articles in Pennsylvania and Wyoming this week point to the contaminantion of well water by the practice of fracking.

“Fracking poses serious threats to safe drinking water.” Jan Jarrett, president of the environmental group PennFuture, said the news underscores the need for more research and protections in Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has handed a potent weapon to opponents of shale gas development in North America, as its report of tainted ground water linked to gas drilling in Wyoming lends credence to the worst fears of people living near drilling operations. Continue reading

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Posted in Exposure to Toxins, Well Water Purification, Whole House Water Filter | 1 Comment

Iowa Drinking Water is Polluted with Arsenic

If you live in Iowa you’re drinking water may contain arsenic. Iowa drinking water is polluted with arsenic. The element occurs in Iowa’s soil naturally.  Health officials are encouraging private well owners to test their water.  Public water supplies test for arsenic regularly.

“All of them (public water systems) have arsenic problems,” said Diane Moles of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources water-supply staff. “They need to either put in treatment or be able to blend them down” by mixing in clean water from other uncontaminated sources.

If you’d like to test your well water, give me a call: 866-691-4214 Continue reading

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Posted in arsenic in drinking water, Healthy Drinking Water, Sweetwater LLC, Water Purification, Well Water Purification, Whole House Water Filtration and Purification | Leave a comment

Oral Contraceptives in Drinking Water Contribute to Prostate Cancer

A new study suggests that oral contraceptives contribute to prostate cancer for those people living downstream.  Birth control pills contain the female hormone estrogen, and in recent years, some experts have raised concerns about the presence of estrogen and similar compounds in foods and the water supply.

“Several studies now have found an association between estrogen exposure and prostate cancer,” said study researcher Dr. David Margel, a uro-oncology fellow at the University of Toronto. In this case, he said, “We think this is environmental —[estrogen] goes into the water, into our food chain.” Continue reading

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Which Water Filter is the Best for You?

Here’s Part 2 of Kevin Gianni’s interview of me about which water filter is the best, minerals in water, total dissolved solids, hydration, types of water filters, how to find your water report.  The following is an excerpt from Part 2:

From Kevin:

“Here are my thoughts:

1. Caffeine found 640 feet deep in Puget Sound.

When Jim said this, I though it was so ridiculous, that I had to look it up to confirm.

It’s true. Continue reading

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Posted in Best Water Filter, Healthy Drinking Water, Questions from You, Sweetwater LLC, Water Purification, Whole House Water Filter, Whole House Water Filtration and Purification | Leave a comment

What’s in Your Spring Water?

I was interviewed by health advocate Kevin Gianni.  We talked about spring water, minerals in water, healthy drinking water and some of the things I’ve learned about testing the water you drink.  Here’s an excerpt from Part 1:

Kevin: “Of all the questions we get on a regular basis, the most frequent types are about water.

What water should I drink?

Is spring water the best?

Is R.O. water OK?

What about distilled?

One of my go-to guys on water is Jim McMahon. I’ve known him for a while now and we, from time to time – like to geek out on water and water systems and environmental issues.

Jim’s very easy to understand, uses a very simple and cost saving method to determine what water is best for you and brings about 30 years of water system and purification experience to the table.

He’s not a theorist, he’s a real ecologist who knows a lot about water.

Today, I have part 1 of a two part interview for you here where Jim explains what the best water to drink as well as if it’s possible that all spring water may not be good for you. (Hint, some may contain radioactive uranium.)”

 

Be sure to read the most important article I’ve written about the importance of minerals in drinking waterThey may be less important than you’ve been led to believe.

Have a great and healthy day!

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Bottled Spring Water With Dinner…

One recent evening I enjoyed a bottle of Acqua Panna bottled spring water with dinner at a local restaurant.  The taste was light and sweet and I made a bet with my dinner companion that the total dissolved solids (tds) content was less than 200.  The fact that the water is bottled in glass added to my delight.

A review of the company’s water quality report when I got home indicates a tds of 140.  Acqua Panna is really delicious and reminded me how bottled water can be paired with food in a way that adds dimension to a meal.  The light sweet taste went well with our salads.  One would then pair water with higher tds, such as a sparkling mineral water, with the heavier main course.

I point this out in part because I enjoyed Acqua Panna so much but also so you might realize how bottled water can be used in the same way that a good wine is used to augment a meal.  I generally only drink bottled spring water when traveling. To learn more about my recommendations, you may read ‘Which Bottled Water Is the Best?’

Acqua Panna bottled spring water is imported all the way from Italy, as are many of the heavier mineral waters, and for that reason I would not promote its use for daily drinking water.  For that, I always urge people to review their local water report and then purchase the best water filter to make the water delivered to your home healthy for your family.

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Posted in Best Water Filter, Bottled Water, Sweetwater LLC | 2 Comments

How To Remove Chloramine From Drinking Water

Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia that is used by some cities to disinfect drinking water.  This article discusses how to remove chloramine from water. Cities began the conversion to chloramine when it was discovered that chlorine interacts with organic material in water to form chemicals that cause cancer and other health problems. These are known as the trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. They are carcinogens. Switching from chlorine to chloramine lessens these compounds.

Chloramine is fraught with its own issues. It has been known to cause skin irritation.  Consumer groups have formed in some cities around the country to oppose the use of chloramine.  It is also dangerous to fish and other aquatic life.  Chloramine can also damage pipes, appliances, and rubber hoses.  And unfortunately chloramine also produces dangerous and carcinogenic byproducts. These are not yet regulated so not listed in your local water report.

Chloramine is more difficult to remove from drinking water than chlorine. Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia. Removing chloramine requires catalytic carbon. Continue reading

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Posted in Best Water Filter, Healthy Drinking Water, Reverse Osmosis, Sweetwater LLC, Water Purification, Whole House Water Filtration and Purification | Tagged , , | Leave a comment