Drugs In Our Water

While you may not know it, there are drugs in your drinking water. If that doesn't scare you, it should, particularly if you have children.

If you have spent any time online looking for information about your drinking water – and many people do – you may have discovered that your water isn't as clean as you would like it to be. This, of course, means leaving the water quality up to you – the end consumer.

Finding pharmaceutical drugs in the drinking water is just about the last straw that broke the camel's back. The ramifications of this are quite enormous if you stop to think about it. It is even more of a concern when you realize that over 86 percent of Americans get their on tap water from a public utility.

You would think you would be safe if your water comes from the local water company; however, that is not always the case. The sad fact of the matter is that over the years the federal government has made things next to impossible to maintain decent water infrastructures.

The big words only mean our nation's water supply – while still classified as mostly safe – is being provided by a crumbling delivery system. Our systems are older, decaying and in some instances, on their last legs. There is virtually no funding available to upgrade the systems and so the decay continues. Ask yourself what problems this will bode for the future. You may not like the answer.

Difficulties like this mean local utilities have a constant battle to meet federal clean water standards and keep their water system in good running order. A lack of funds makes this hard to do and what happens is piecemeal replacement of parts of decaying systems are performed – like a patchwork quilt. As a result of less than optimum water systems, accidents like sewage spills are a regular occurrence. This, of course, makes our drinking water unsafe.

There is no quick fix for this problem either. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency calculates that hundreds of billions of dollars are required to even begin to address these infrastructure problems. Think about this! The health care system is in even worse shape than our water systems and it too needs a major overhaul. Where do you think the money will come from to fund work like this? Right – your tax dollars.

What does a smart water consumer do? They invest in a home water distillation system that is guaranteed to provide clean, fresh and safe drinking water on demand. Really, distilling is the way to go and it provides homeowners with the ability to offer clean, fresh drinking water daily, with no fears about what strange things may be in it.

Larry Wardell is with H2olabs.com, a provider of water distillers and water distillation systems. To learn more about water distillers, water distillation systems, and water purification systems, visit H2olabs.com.

Water Rights Are Critical

The right to water is something that most people don't really think about. They turn the tap on and there it is, free flowing and in most instances relatively plentiful – at least in developed nations. This isn't the case in other parts of the world.

We humans take a lot for granted, and one thing that we abuse on a daily basis is water use. It's there for us and we don't think twice about where it came from, how it is treated, whether or not we will have any tomorrow, and if we should ration it. While these might sound like radical musings, rationing and the possibility of no water are real in many parts of the world.

Here's an interesting question: Do we have the right to water? Most people would likely say yes, but did you also know that in some areas of the world this is a right enshrined in legislation? That may seem pretty drastic, but stop and think about that for a minute. In some areas of our planet, water is so important people fight over it and get killed for it. Scary thought, but a reality.

In 2007, the Water for the World Resolution was introduced into the House of Representatives. Among other things it stated, " Water is a common resource to which we all have an equal right and a responsibility to protect."

While a lovely sentiment it seems people's rights to water are being violated on a daily basis. Consider these statistics to get a clear picture of what we mean. There are roughly 1.7 billion people in the world who still have no access to clean water. Can you imagine what they are drinking?

Over 2.3 billion people suffer the ravages of water-borne diseases every year - and we wonder why the health care systems of various third world countries are strained to the breaking point.

Diseases contracted from water are not just because a source is unclean to begin with, but are the result of the pricing of water. If people cannot afford water, they will source it wherever they are able to, even if that means contaminated water.

Think about this. Water is critical to our very survival. Don't we owe others and ourselves the responsibility of caring for and maintaining fresh water supplies with decent access?

Larry Wardell is with H2olabs.com, a provider of water distillers and water distillation systems. To learn more about water distillers, water distillation systems, water purification systems, visit H2olabs.com.

Sources of Water Pollution

With the way things seem to be going on planet Earth, one of the greatest fears people have, aside from wondering whether or not we have enough water, is how polluted is the water?

You may be wondering how water gets polluted in the first place. Where does the pollution come from? In most instances there are usually two types of pollution sources – the non-point source and the point source. Not to confuse anyone here, the non-point source generally comes about as a result of runoff directly spilling pollutants into a water source. If you are thinking things like herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals, you’d be right on the money.

On the other hand the point source would be considered to be the result of a broken pipe, underground line, or ruptured sewage tank leak. If we're dealing with a sewage/manure leak or spill, this is referred to as organic pollution. These types of pollutants are mostly found emanating from large agricultural operations.

The fecal matter ambushes the water and sucks the oxygen right out of the water, due to the high levels of nitrogen and phosphates. The results are dead plants and fish. Obviously this is not water you would care to drink.

Another source of water pollution, also causing depleted levels of oxygen in water near the source, is thermal pollution. What happens here is the power plant or other facility (even a drug manufacturing plant) uses water as a coolant for their operations. The water returns to the source hotter than when it was used, which affects oxygen levels with the same results as organic pollution – dead fish and plants.

Ecological pollution, call this Mother Nature pulling a fast one, results from natural disasters like landslides or a volcanic eruption. It could even be something as simple as a dead animal left floating in the water. Again, this is not water you would want to drink. As you may gather, the sources of water pollution are endless, and most of these things we do not have any control over -or do we?

We do have control over our drinking water and control over making it the purest, freshest water for our own health and welfare. This is achieved by water distillation; the only process that will ensure the water is clean and safe to drink. No other water purification method is as effective as distillation.

Larry Wardell is with H2olabs.com, a provider of water distillers and water distillation systems. To learn more about water distillers, water distillation systems, water purification systems, visit H2olabs.com.

Human Polluted Water

It's a sad fact, but the major source of water pollution today is human beings. We just cannot seem to understand that dumping things into water supplies contaminates them beyond redemption, in some instances.

Since water is so critical to our very existence, one would think that people would understand that throwing things into the water only makes it contaminated. Sources that were once sustainable become unfit for human consumption. One wonders what people are thinking when they abuse the very thing that helps sustain life on the planet.

There are usually four culprits that contribute to the ruination of water sources in our country: municipalities, industrial pollutants, agricultural pollution, and natural pollution – meaning a natural event like a landslide that contaminates a water source. Actually, there is one other major pollution source that many people are familiar with; however, most people do not connect it with water contamination – global warming run off. Witness the melting of glaciers that have been solid for thousands of years, until recently.

Agricultural operations put a big load of pollution into the environment due to animal waste and chemical pollutants, with the by-products of chemical and waste run off ending up in the water tables and finding their way to streams and rivers. Stopping this type of pollution usually requires a great deal of education, but more importantly the provision of alternatives to dumping chemicals into streams, etc.

It is not too much of a stretch of the imagination to guess how municipalities pollute their waterways. In some areas, it is common to find a smaller municipality dumping their waste products into nearby rivers and even the ocean. If that same municipality also has a large manufacturing plant close by, it is a good bet that pollution from it will wind up in the water as well.

The bottom line in this massive, overwhelming problem is the only thing an individual is able to do is be pollution conscious for their own corner of the world. In particular, make safe drinking water a priority for the family.

Doing this involves the use of a water distillation system that makes water as pure as it can be. No other purification method is as effective, so this would assure a safe drinking supply in your own home year round. Fighting water pollution would be an overall agenda to follow for the greater good of the world, but being safe at home is the first priority.

To learn more about water distillers, water distillation systems, water purification systems, visit H2olabs.com.

Is That Water Really Safe to Drink?

Heaven knows we have all asked ourselves this question at one time or another after taking a drink of water right out of the tap in the kitchen – is this water really safe to drink?

That's a really good question and the answer in most cases is a qualified maybe, and it could depend on what type of water purification system you have in place. However, having said that, have you had your water tested lately? If the answer is no, then it might be time to do that. It's not a complicated process and the results don't take forever to come back.

What happens when water is tested? Basically what happens is the sample you take to the lab will be put into a container that has a chemical reactant in it. If the water turns color, pollution is present. The range of colors that show up tell the lab technician what type of contaminant is present. If you don't know this type of information about your own water supply in the house, you may be compromising not only your own health, but also that of your family members.

This will totally boggle the imagination. Did you realize that there are well over 80,000 chemicals and pharmaceutical contaminants in our water supply? The scary thing is, where there is smoke there is usually fire – meaning if there is one type of contaminant present in your water supply, chances are there are going to be others found as well.

If the above figures don't give you pause for thought, then think about this. There are roughly 2,000 (give or take) chemicals often found in our water that are noted carcinogens (cause cancer). Yes, that would include the chlorine in most water supplies intended to kill parasites. You may be thinking by now that the Environmental Protection Agency is the watchdog for things like this, and they're doing their job, but are they?

Although tap water is indeed tested by the Environmental Protection Agency, it isn't done with the same frequency as it is performed at water treatment facilities. This is because they just don't have enough people to go around to test our reservoirs. So what about your drinking water at home?

While you might think that a filtration system would be the answer to the drinking water dilemma, you could be wrong. The only method of getting the very purest drinking water possible is through a water distillation system.

Water distillers make your tap water as pure as it can be, and there is no other method that is more effective at doing this. This is particularly the case if you are talking about filtration systems. While they may filter out some things, and mask the taste and odor, the filters are often a source of contamination on their own. Be smart and stick with a water distillation system.

Larry Wardell is with H2olabs.com, a provider of water distillers and water distillation systems. To learn more about water distillers, water distillation systems, water purification systems, visit H2olabs.com.

Filtered or Distilled Water – The Wet Debate

For years there has been a great debate over which kind of water is the best, filtered or distilled. It usually boils down to personal choice, but the fact remains that for the purest water available, water distillation is the best method of obtaining safe drinking water.

Many people who are "water aware" spend a lot of time and energy searching the Internet for what they feel is the perfect filtration system for their home. They have the knowledge to understand that drinking straight tap water isn't always the smartest or safest thing to do. This, of course, is a major issue in the 21st century – the safety of our drinking water here at home, and abroad.

There have been enough reports in the media to cause most Americans to have a certain level of awareness that the water they drink could be better, and is a precious resource. While drinking water in most communities is definitely regulated, this does not mean people do not want to do more to make their water cleaner, fresher and purer.

A lot of people will opt for a faucet water filter without really understanding that the filter itself may wind up being a source of contamination over time. However, even though they may not know this, many people insist that this will solve their drinking water problems. To this end, if the ultimate decision is to use a filter system at the faucet, make certain there is a specific list of precisely what contaminants are removed. This is because not all water filters are created equal.

The next thing to take into consideration is how effective the filter is in removing things in the water that no one wants to drink. Read the fine print on the boxes carefully because there will be a wide percentage range of effective filtering from one system to another. Since faucet filter systems are not exactly cheap, calculate the cost of operating one in your home.

To calculate what the faucet is supposed to cost per gallon, again, read the fine print on the package. There is an amazing range of diversity here as well and the price per gallon may range from as little as 10 cents a gallon to slightly over 25 cents a gallon or a bit higher. Be aware that what this means is there are filters that cost up to three times more to operate, but they may not be providing cleaner, fresher, purer water.

When all is said and done about water faucet filter systems, the next step is to investigate the real and effective alternative to these questionable systems – a water distillation system. H2oLabs know all about fresh, clean and safe drinking water, as their water purification method (by distillation) is the most effective method around to ensure safe drinking water.

It's a fact that tap water has numerous things in it that no one wants in their system on a daily basis, things ranging from chemicals to toxins. Only the distillation method used by H20Labs produces the purest drinking water possible. All tap water contaminants are distilled out for you to pour down the drain. Without a doubt, the safest method to get the purest water possible is to use H20Lab's water distillation system.

To learn more about Water distillers, water distillation systems, water purification systems, visit H2olabs.com.

What You See Isn't Always What You Get

When it comes to water, what you see isn't always what you get. It may look fine, seem fine and even smell fine, but there isn't any way to really tell if it is fine – not unless it is tested or you distill your own water at home.

Now you’d think that if you sent a water sample away for testing that you could rely on the results, correct? Evidently that isn't always a good idea. Apparently, in Arizona, the owner of a lab who was hired to perform fecal coliform and E coli tests faked it and didn't do the testing. The lab owner was supposed to test wastewater from irrigation canals and wastewater plants.

It wasn't until one of the regular clients couldn't understand why their test results were always negative that the fraud came to light. Stop and think about this - if you can't truly rely on lab results, where does that leave you in terms of your own water supply at home? Not that we are saying all lab tests will be faked, but that there is the possibility of something going wrong when third parties handle important things such as this.

The only way to handle these situations with certainty, is to have a home water distillation system. Distillation is the only effective water purification method. You can't beat it for purity and consistent results every time.

People seem to think that tap water; bottled water, and even other home filtration systems are the absolute best. Granted each of these methods has an attraction to it such as convenience, but this does not address the fact that the water is NOT pure. Tap water alone has multiple pollutants, toxins and other chemicals in it – yes, this even includes pharmaceutical drugs.

Bottled water is actually just tap water that's been run through a filter to handle the odor or taste, or both. Home filtration systems with carbon filters do make the water smell and taste better, but the filters get clogged and become a pollutant themselves. This applies even to reverse osmosis and that means filtered water may be MORE contaminated than the source. That's pretty scary.

Distillation on the other hand gives the user the freshness of rain; water that is sparkling and ready to use immediately. Just use regular tap water. What happens is that the tap water gets vaporized into sterilized steam, and from there it is condensed back to it’s a pure liquid state.

Any waterborne contaminants like are removed. The result is 100% purified, clean, great tasting water that is safe for you and your family. This is the way Mother Nature intended things to be.

Larry Wardell is with H2olabs.com, a provider of water distillers and water distillation systems. To learn more about Water distillers, water distillation systems and water purfication systems, visit H2olabs.com.

Private Wells Are Not Regulated

In this day and age when just about anything relating to water is highly regulated, it may come as a shock that private wells are not. Just a few years ago people weren't all that concerned about water quality or water purification in general.

Unregulated private wells are something that bears closer scrutiny given how crucial water is in our daily lives, and not just "any" water, but good, fresh, clean, and safe water. This is where distilled water comes into the picture; it is the purest water anywhere.

It's funny how history has a way of holding our feet to the fire to do something about such glaring oversights. For instance, in 1974 Congress was playing around with the Safe Water Drinking Act. No one paid much attention to the fact that it was designed to regulate America's public water supplies. No one thought much about it, as water on tap was taken for granted. So, Congress mostly focused on the protection of various drinking water supplies like springs, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and ground water wells.

It turns out there is a large hole in the regulations that a truck could be driven through because the Act does not regulate private wells providing water to fewer than 25 people. If that isn't bad enough, it also does not regulate/oversee even larger private water systems.

H2oLabs has the perfect solution for private well water systems – distilling the water, as it is dispensed in the house. It's the only water purification method that literally makes water brand new once again. Even though the Safe Drinking Water Act does regulate contaminants in drinking water, it doesn't apply to private water systems. That means a chance of organic chemical contamination or worse. While it might be filtered, filtration is no guarantee the water will be safe.

No one likes to think they are drinking re-cycled, used water that has perhaps passed through a carbon filter or two and has come out the other side looking and smelling OK, but who knows what's really in it. With an H2oLabs Home Water System the idea is to make water every day, meaning it's fresh and has no contaminants in it. Fresh water with a great taste is the best way to start the day.

To learn more about Water distillers, water distillation systems and water purification systems, visit H2olabs.com.

The Purer the Better

Let's face it, the purer our drinking water is, the happier we are. We know and appreciate the benefits of pure drinking water and realize it's fast becoming a rare commodity in the world. It's time to take matters into your own hands.

The lengths some of us go to make sure we have clean, pure water to drink might even be funny if it weren't for the fact we spend so much time and money doing it. We buy bottled water under the mistaken impression it is pure; install home purification systems that merely mask the taste of the tap water, and may even become sources of contamination themselves. So what's the real scoop? Bottled, tap, purified, reverse osmosis or what?

Well, let's take a short step back and figure out roughly how much Americans spend on what they think is pure water each year. Would you believe over $35 billion dollars on bottled water by brand name companies? That's a startling amount of money going to waste. Check out the most recent brags in the media by Pepsi and CocaCola that say they're predicting bottled water will out sell their soda products. Isn't that something?

If they figure water will outstrip soft drinks, then that should tell you water is becoming the main focus of many American's lives, and they want the best there is. Well, bottled water is not the best there is. What is really needed is clean, healthy and safe water, but not have to pay an arm and a leg for it -- and what doesn't cost big bucks these days?

Bottled water just doesn't cut it as it comes from the same source your tap water does, with the exception of some form of purification; so it remains just that -- tap water with stuff in it you don't really want to drink. Ditto for reverse osmosis, as it does not take out chlorine, herbicides and pesticides. You get the idea. No, the only really tried and true method of getting pure, healthy and safe drinking water is with distillation.

The water distillation process gives you something called "rain in a chamber." You use regular tap water and it's vaporized, converting to sterilized steam as it gets heated beyond boiling temperature. This takes place in a stainless steel vaporizing chamber. The vapor diverts into a stainless steel condensing coil and gases, including chlorine, are eliminated. The vapor is then condensed back to its original state. Now that is pure and fresh.

Larry Wardell is with H2olabs.com, a provider of water distillers and water distillation systems. To learn more, visit H2olabs.com.

The Right to Water Is Legislated

The right to water is something that most people don't really think about. This isn't the case in other parts of the world.

One thing that we abuse on a daily basis is water use. It's there and we don't think twice about where it came from, how it is treated, whether or not we will have any tomorrow, and if we should ration it. Rationing and the possibility of no water are real in many parts of the world.

This precise conundrum was the reason for many places banding together and enshrining the right to water in legislation. For instance, in 1994 in Panama, there was a constitutional amendment that recognized the State’s responsibility to guarantee water for adequate development. H2O Labs has a passionate interest in people's right to clean water.

In 1995, Ethiopia came on board and stated that their water policies shall aim to provide all Ethiopians access to clean water. Uganda also waded into the fray and passed legislation that said the State "is obliged to fulfill fundamental rights to social justice and economic development including clean and safe water."

This was just the tip of the iceberg and other countries began to follow suit. Gambia, in 1996, said the State would endeavor to facilitate equal access to clean and safe water; South Africa rolled the right to have access to sufficient food and water into their legislation; and in 2004, Uruguay rubber stamped a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to water.

Although there is legislation that says people have the right to water, it's not always being actively followed. In other words, it's being honored more in the breach. Witness public water utilities installing pre-paid water meter access in poor areas, where people desperately need water, and shutting them off when the bills get behind. This is why H2O Labs is a major proponent for home distillation systems.

There are an estimate 1.7 billion people in the world that still have no access to clean water and over 2.3 billion sick with diseases from water-borne diseases. It isn't hard to figure out why the health care systems in those countries can't keep up with the sickness.

Privatizing water supplies isn't the answer either as this usually leads to monopolies, higher rates and at times, questionable water quality and service. What better reason could their be than to try a distillation system that offers fresh, quality water on demand, with an H2O Labs personal home distillation system?

Water is critical to our very survival. We owe it to others and to ourselves to have the responsibility of caring for and maintaining fresh water supplies with decent access.

To learn more about Water distillers, water distillation systems and water purification systems, visit H2olabs.com.

Checking Out Fluoride Levels in Water

Fluoride levels in water have been a controversial topic since heaven knows when. The debate still rages on even today.

The first thing that should be noted about fluoride toxicity is that science says not all levels of fluoride are actually harmful. This is contrary to conventional wisdom, but the conventional wisdom isn't always accurate either. While fluoride has its place in the greater scheme of things, it isn't toxic in reasonable levels; but if overdone, that's another story.

Most people want safe drinking water, pure, fresh and great tasting without the worry of having "things" in it they don't want or understand. People want a Home Water System where they may make their water "fresh" every day. They want a system that takes out all the bad stuff and leaves fresh and pure water with unbelievable flavor.

Any level of any contaminant in water is not acceptable. Speaking of acceptable, one wonders what is a supposedly acceptable level of fluoride? Safe levels are deemed to be concentrations lower than 0.7 to 1.2 parts per million. This is the level found in public drinking water supplies. It's pretty hard to overdose on that, even over the long-term.

There's a great debate about long-term consumption of fluoride and whether or not it has the capacity to show up later as skeletal fluorosis. Rather than debate the finer points of fluoride toxicity, many people simply opt to purchase a Home Water System that will guarantee purity without contaminants every day.

Fresh drinking water in the home is as much about good health as it is about the best method for ensuring fresh, safe, and good tasting drinking water. Water distillation is the best process to get the freshest and purest water, like Mother Nature intended it to be. Distillation is the only method that produces the PUREST drinking water possible. No other water purification method is as effective.

To learn more about Water distillers, water distillation systems and water purification systems, visit H2olabs.com.

Stainless Steel Bottles Are the Freshest

There is a way to keep your drinking water fresh and pure. Keep it in stainless steel containers.

Not too many people realize that the plastic bottles they drink out of and carry around with them (leave in hot cars and out at room temperature) quietly leach byproducts into the water. There are at least two byproducts of concern - BPA and phthalate, as both of these affect taste and water purity.

BPA is the shortened form of Bisphenol A and is classified as an organic compound. Bisphenol A has been thought to be hazardous since the early 30's but recently made headlines when a US government report, once again, questioned how safe it was for human consumption. H20 Labs understands this problem and had begun marketing stainless steel water bottles.

Science says that low doses of bisphenol A can mimic the body's hormones. Over the long-term it is possible it may cause chronic toxicity in humans. This report and its implications caused a stampede of retailers to pull items made with BPA off their shelves.

Phthalates are actually esters of phthalic acid which are most commonly added to plastics to make them more flexible. However, when this chemical is heated - for instance in a hot car - the chemical leachs into the water. This chemical has a long history of causing liver problems, endocrine problems, and reproductive problems; it is noted to be associated with an increased risk of cancer.

The phthalates are regulated in amount in tap water; however, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has an exemption for bottled water. That is downright scary. There are two chemicals in plastic bottles that have the potential to cause damage due to prolonged exposure. With the number of people who carry their plastic water bottles around with them daily, this is of real concern. This is precisely why H2O Labs started marketing stainless steel water bottles.

It makes sense health wise and environmentally to switch over to using stainless steel bottles to carry daily drinking water. The flavor is much better, as there is nothing like pure, fresh water with a pleasant taste for a healthy body. Just ask H2O Labs to explain what the stainless steel water bottle will do to improve the water we carry with us everyday.

To learn more about Water distillers, water distillation systems and water purification systems, visit H2olabs.com.