Water Filtration

The EPA’s current drinking water standards are specifically designed to protect children and adults. The standards take into account the potential effects of contaminants on segments of the population that are most at risk. When the EPA sets each standard, the agency conducts a risk assessment, in which scientists evaluate whether fetuses, infants, children, or other groups are more vulnerable to a contaminant than the general population. The standard is set to protect the most vulnerable group.

Often, children are not the most vulnerable group. For example, even though children may be more vulnerable to microbial contaminants than the general public, people with weakened immune systems are even more at risk. People with weakened immune systems include those who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, such as lupus or Crohn’s disease, or those under-going chemotherapy. If the EPA finds that children are the most vulnerable, their risk becomes the most important factor considered in developing the standard. Standards for lead, nitrates, and nitrites are specifically based on risk to children because they are the most vulnerable to these contaminants. If a group other than children is the most sensitive, children are automatically protected.

For most drinking water contaminants the EPA regulates, there is little data to indicate whether children are more sensitive than the general public. However, the EPA is undertaking research to address this important issue. Children, especially infants, drink more fluid per pound of body weight than adults. Very young children’s immune systems are not yet fully developed, making them less able than healthy adults to fight microbes in drinking water. These microbes may induce diarrhea and vomiting, which may cause children to become dehydrated more quickly than adults. Children may also be more susceptible to chemical contaminants that affect learning, motor skills, and sex hormones during important stages of growth.

Despite high confidence in existing standards, the EPA is conducting additional research regarding possible impacts of various contaminants on children and other vulnerable populations, and on new and emerging contaminants. For example, EPA is conducting risk assessments that will consider infants’ and children’s sensitivity and exposure to certain pesticides. The EPA is committed to using the best available, peer-reviewed science and data in developing new standards and reevaluating existing ones. Also, the EPA continues to monitor localized health problems, including outbreaks caused by microbial contaminants in drinking water and other health problems that may be associated with other contaminants (e.g., solvents and other industrial chemicals).

Although the EPA makes every effort to ensure that the drinking water for both adults and children is a safe as possible, many families have opted to take their own steps to make sure the water they drink is the healthiest available. More and more homes now use one type or another of water filtration system or water purifier. From basic filtration pitchers to highly efficient reverse osmosis units, products for filtering drinking water are being purchased by homeowners who have decided to take matters into their own hands.  

Installing a drinking water filter in your home may be common practice, but what about a shower water filter? Many people pay top dollar for filtered and bottled water, but those same toxins you avoided in drinking water are seeping into your body every time you shower.

Installing a filter like the Crystal Quest Shower Filter comes with many benefits. Not only do shower filters lead to healthier water, but they are affordable and easy to install, they increase the resale value of a home. They also leave the hair and skin healthy, and less in need of expensive shampoo and body washes.

Many homeowners unhappy with the quality of their drinking water are turning more and more to either a variety of water filtration systems or to one source or another of bottled water, although the latter is slowly becoming less prevalent every day. However, for those whose source of drinking water is a well or for those who live near a well, wells have become a major health issue making either of these choices far better than doing nothing. Why? People have been drinking from wells for centuries, haven’t they? Yes, they have, but since the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century, more and more wells have become increasingly contaminated, and one particular type of well that has suffered more than most is called an injection well.

What is an injection well?
An Injection well is a device that places fluid deep underground into porous rock formations, such as sandstone or limestone, or into or below the shallow soil layer. These fluids may be water, wastewater, brine (salt water), or water mixed with chemicals.

The Underground Injection Program (UIC) defines an injection well as:

• A bored, drilled, or driven shaft, or a dug hole that is deeper than it is wide,
• An improved sinkhole, or
• A subsurface fluid distribution system.

How an injection well looks (is constructed) depends on the fluid injected and the depth of the injection zone. For example, deep wells that inject hazardous wastes into isolated formations far below the Earth’s surface are designed to provide multiple layers of protective casing and cement. Shallow wells that inject into or above drinking water sources are usually of simple construction and inject non-hazardous fluids.

What are injection wells used for?
Injection wells have a range of uses that include waste disposal, enhancing oil production, mining, and preventing salt water intrusion. Widespread use of injection wells began in the 1930s to dispose of brine generated during oil production. Injection effectively disposed of unwanted brine, preserved surface waters, and in some formations, enhanced the recovery of oil. In the 1950s, chemical companies began injecting industrial wastes into deep wells. As chemical manufacturing increased, so did the use of deep injection. Injection was a safe and inexpensive option for the disposal of unwanted and often hazardous industrial by-products.

In an effort to turn things around, in 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Part of SDWA required EPA to report back to Congress on waste disposal practices, and develop minimum federal requirements for injection practices that protect public health by preventing injection wells from contaminating underground sources of drinking water (USDWs).

The UIC Program protects USDWs from endangerment by setting minimum requirements for injection wells. All injection must be authorized under either general rules or specific permits. Injection well owners and operators may not site, construct, operate, maintain, convert, plug, abandon, or conduct any other injection activity that endangers USDWs.

The purpose of the UIC requirements is to:

• Ensure that injected fluids stay within the well and the intended injection zone, or
• Mandate that fluids that are directly or indirectly injected into a USDW do not cause a public water system to violate drinking water standards or otherwise adversely affect public health.

For more information about how the UIC regulations protect ground water visit: www.epa.gov/UIC

Many people who don’t like the taste of, or don’t trust the quality of, tap water often turn to bottled water. But bottled water can come with its own downfalls. It isn’t as strongly regulated as tap water, which can actually lead to more chemical contamination, and is a burden on the environment. Similarly, tap water can contain chlorine and fluoride in various levels.

If you’re still searching for a safe and clean source of drinking water, but are conscious of the health and environmental impacts, a countertop water filter system may be the best choice. Systems such as Crystal Quest Countertop Filters provide six stages of filtration, weeding out hundreds of contaminants present in tap water. Countertop filtration systems are also an inexpensive solution to the water quandary, are easily disposed of, and with a lifespan of up to three years, create substantially less trash than bottling water does.

The EPA emphasizes protecting sources of drinking water from contamination because it is more desirable, effective and economical to prevent contamination of drinking water supplies than to pay for treatment, or to clean up an already-polluted source. States are currently assessing all the drinking water sources within their boundaries. These assessments map the rivers, lakes and ground water wells that supply public drinking water and identify principal threats to water quality. States can also utilize millions of federal dollars to take actions to protect source waters. To learn more about protecting drinking water sources, visit www.epa.gov or call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline.

Once informed about the sources and quality of your local drinking water, you can make the best possible choices about the water you and your children drink. Today, more and more homeowners and businesses are choosing one type or another of water filtration system to ensure the water they provide for their families and employees is as safe as possible. This is proving to be an excellent alternative to buying bottled water or waiting for their local bureaucratic wheels to roll faster.

People who utilize methods of water filtration hope to take a step towards health.
Most sources of drinking water contain very low levels of radioactive contaminants, also known as radionuclides.  Most of these occur naturally, although drinking water can also become contaminated from human-made nuclear materials.  Most radioactive contaminants remain at levels low enough not to be considered a public concern, however, long-term exposure to even low-level radionuclides in drinking water has been flagged as a contributing factor for cancer.  Exposure to uranium in drinking water may also damage the kidneys. 

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has established drinking water standards for several types of radioactive contaminants, including combined radium, beta emitters, gross alpha standard, and uranium.  Different U. S. states have different standards of compliance for drinking water.  Check online to obtain the most current information regarding drinking water standards of compliance for your area.

 Many people prefer bottled water because of its taste. The taste of all water has to do with the way it is treated and the quality of its source, including its natural mineral content. Most bottled water comes from a ground water source, where water quality varies less from day to day, or is treated and immediately bottled. Bottled water from a dedicated source or plant may have a more consistent taste than tap water, which comes from surface sources and must travel through pipes to reach homes.

One of the key taste differences between tap water and bottled water is due to how the water is disinfected. Tap water may be disinfected with chlorine, chloramine, ozone or ultraviolet light to kill disease-causing germs. Water systems use these disinfectants chlorine and chloramine because they are effective and inexpensive, and because they continue to disinfect as water travels through pipes to homes and businesses. Bottled water that is disinfected is typically disinfected with ozone or other technologies such as ultraviolet light or chlorine dioxide. Ozone is preferred by bottlers, though it is more expensive than chlorine because it does not leave a taste and because bottlers do not need to worry about maintaining disinfectants in water sealed in a container. Untreated water, whether from a bottle or a tap will invariably have the characteristic taste of its source.

If you are unhappy with the taste of your tap water, but also have a problem with the cost and/or environmental issues related to bottled water, there are a number of water filtration systems on the market today that offer an excellent alternative to both tap and bottled water, from basic filter pitchers to high-tech reverse osmosis units, with the cost factor becoming more and more excessible to the average person.

From the EPA Health Water Series.

Unfiltered water used for bathing and showering can cause twice the amount of ordinary exposure to chlorine, both through the skin and by inhalation.  Crystal Quest bath and shower filters will eliminate chlorine to promote healthy hair and skin.  A bath and shower filter may help fight dry hair, dandruff, and skin problems such as eczema by making the effects of bath and shower water gentler. 

It is also believed that chlorine may vaporize in hot shower water and transfer into the bloodstream when inhaled.  Some studies have linked chlorine to bladder, liver, stomach and colon cancer as well as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and some allergies.

The acronym “RV” stands for recreational vehicle, usually defined as a piece of enclosed equipment that can be used both as a vehicle and a temporary travel home.  RVs are also commonly referred to as motor homes or sometimes just as a brand name like “Winnebagos”.  They are designed for everything from vacations to camping to part- or full-time living, for which they are often parked in special parks designated specifically for them.  RVs are available to rent in most major cities and popular tourist destinations.
Some enterprising people use RVs as mobile office spaces, and they may outfit them with generators, extra desk space, upgraded electrical and satellite Internet capabilities.

Drinking water is always a concern, and a Crystal Quest RV water filter is another great way to upgrade an RV, ensuring the availability of quality drinking water wherever its travelers may roam.

Most bulk water bottles now sold are made of polycarbonate, a clear, blue-tinted plastic. They are available in 2, 3 and 5 gallon sizes. These are strong, long-lasting and relatively safe. However, they have been found to leach trace amounts of a chemical that can affect hormones in the body. If polycarbonate bottles are used for dispensing/storing water, it is recommended they not be used with demineralized water which is chemically aggressive and can cause more leaching. (Demineralized water is water that has been treated by distillation, deionization or reverse osmosis). Glass bottles are generally a better choice, especially for demineralized water. They’re available in 1 and 5 gallon sizes, and they can be ordered and shipped to your residence. Typically, costs for bottles are $15 to $20 per 5 gallon bottle, plus $10 to $20 for shipping. Costs for smaller range from $5 to $10.

There are several models of miniature pumps available that fit onto the necks of water bottles. These enable you to draw water from a bottle that is standing upright, so you don’t have to tip the bottle for pouring. Manually operated pumps have a plunger that you move up and down like a bicycle pump. Battery-driven pumps do the work for you. Less expensive but equally efficient ceramic and plastic dispensers that support upside down water bottles are also available.