Healthy Water and Cleaner Landfills

We’ve been told for the past decade or so that drinking water from the cities' water systems in the United States is potentially full of toxic chemicals like lead, chlorine, mercury, copper and bacteria. We've read scare stories about municipal water systems being polluted by sewage systems. As a result, many people have become used to drinking bottled water as a healthier and safer alternative to ordinary tap water.

Now we’re finding out that bottled water isn’t as healthy as first thought. Firstly there’s the container itself. That handy plastic sports bottle people have become used to carrying around is often made from plastics that contain cancer-producing toxins called phthalates. They actually leach into the water that people are drinking and accumulate in their bloodstreams. Studies are showing that the concentrations of phthalates in bodily systems are increasing with each generation, mainly as a result of drinking water bottled in toxic plastic containers.

Then there’s the fact that these plastic bottles aren’t biodegradable. Plastics now represent at least 25% of the contents of our landfills. And plastics won’t break down for at least 10,000 years…some estimates are even longer. So the healthy-water solution has turned into a big health hazard. What can people do?

Fortunately, there are a couple of easy and inexpensive solutions to your drinking water problems.

You can install a simple filter system onto your kitchen tap. And you can now buy a portable filter system that’s as convenient as your old sports bottle, but the bottle is not toxic.

First, there are filters that can be attached to your kitchen tap. They’ll reduce chlorine and heavy metals, and generally make your tap water taste better. For example, the Brita system costs about $20 - 40 for the starter kit, and $20 for each replacement filter. It will filter about 100 gallons of drinking water and lasts for about 4 months.

For about the same price, you can now get a 16 ounce portable filter system, from Back to the Tap, which actually filters as you drink. It uses a number 4 LDPE plastic bottle, which is the kind of plastic that doesn’t leach phthalates into your water. The filters are replaceable, and you can refill it anywhere with plain old tap water. It can be refilled about 300 times, so that’s 300 sports bottles you’re not adding to the surplus of plastic that’s already in our landfills.

Going green does take some forethought and planning, but it’s getting easier every day. It’s really rewarding when you can see an immediate impact on your own health. It’s an added bonus when taking care of your own health also makes the environment healthier.