ARTICLES

2017 RESOLUTIONS: REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEM VS BOTTLED WATER

DEC 30, 2016

“This year I vow to get healthy!” Good for you! Many of our team members at Donley Service Center have the same goal for 2017! That’s why we’re talking about water filtration today. Your body is made of about 60% water so when you talk about getting healthy, you have to talk about putting clean, healthy water in your body. Many of us think that purified, spring-derived, rock-purified, fairy- dusted bottled water is the end all, be all of healthy drinking habits, but research is showing differently. Bottled water may not be as healthy as purifying your own household tap water.

ARE YOU SURE BOTTLED WATER IS PURE?

Is bottled water just more expensive tap water? Yes, unfortunately about 40 percent of bottled water is regular tap water. We think spending a few extra dollars on fancy labels is better for our health, but that may not actually be the case. Eric Goldstein, co-director of the urban program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a nonprofit organization devoted to protecting public health and the environment says, “No one should think that bottled water is better regulated, better protected or safer than tap.”

Your municipal water treatment plant is held to stricter standards than the than the bottled water industry. The Environmental Protection Agency requires them to test for contaminants as often as several times a day, but the Federal Drug Administration requires private bottlers to test for contaminants only once a week, once a year, or once every four years, depending on the contaminant.

Companies are not required to list the source the of their bottled water on labels, websites, or any other public document so you’re never sure if you’re getting actual “spring water” or simply paying a thousand times more for the water you could be drinking from your faucet.

THERE ARE NO CONTAMINANTS IN BOTTLED WATER… ARE THERE?

Since many bottled water companies are pulling from their local tap, contaminates are present in the clear liquid.

A 2009 study by the Environmental Working Group revealed as many as 38 low-level contaminants in bottled water. An average of eight showed up in ten popular brands, including:

  • Disinfection byproducts (DBPs)
  • Caffeine
  • Tylenol
  • Nitrate
  • Industrial chemicals
  • Arsenic
  • Bacteria

NO SURPRISE DRINKING FROM PLASTIC BOTTLES POSES HEALTH RISKS

Ever experienced a strange chemical taste when sipping yesterday’s bottle of water? Well, that’s not dust fallout from the zombie apocalypse, you’re tasting a variety of health-harming chemicals that have leached out and contaminated the water. These can be:

But heat and time only magnify the leaching process. Chances are high that these chemicals have already permeated your beverage by the time you crack the cap.

YOUR BEST WATER FILTRATION OPTIONS

A reverse osmosis system is your best bet, as it will remove harsh chlorine byproducts and other chemicals from your drinking water. An in-line reverse osmosis system filters the water right before it comes out of your faucet giving you clear, great tasting purified water. A good system will address all of the chemicals found in well-water or an urban water supply.

Installing a reverse osmosis system in your home will help ensure that your family isn’t ingesting metal ions, aqueous salts, sodium, chloride, copper, chromium, lead, high concentrations of arsenic, fluoride, radium, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrate, and phosphorus.

Ideally, you’ll want to consider both a whole house filter which will purify the water as it enters your homes, meaning all of the water in your shower, bath, washing machine, dishwasher, etc., is purified.

So, as you think about your 2017 resolutions to get healthy and stay in shape, don’t forget that water plays a large part in achieving those goals. It will be hard to hit the pavement every day if your water isn’t as clean and as pure as it could be. We know you want the best for the ones you love which is why we wholeheartedly recommend a water filtration system for your home too. Call us today to learn more about the cost, installation process, and benefits of a reverse osmosis system.