-Your Daily Cookie-
© 07/12-13/08
By Dahni

 

 

 

 

Water Cookie – Certified Filtered & pH Balanced

   Good day, here is your cookie for today, ‘The Wonder of Water,’part 2 of 2. What’s the Best Water?

    The Flavor of the Day

   If you read the previous post or if not, most of us realize the importance of drinking water. Every living thing needs water and this is NOT the question. The question is, where are we getting our water from?

   All of our favorite beverages have as their main ingredient, water. We wash our hands with water. We bathe and shower with water. We wash our clothes and vehicles with water. We water our lawns and gardens with water. Many of us even drink water. Water, water, water everywhere, but where does it come from? To answer this, first think about drinking a glass of  water or taking a bath/shower. Regardless of its source, if this water is not filtered and/or purified before a single drop touches our skin or our tongues, our bodies will filter it! 

   Over 100 years ago, people either relied on private wells or their local municipalities for their water.  Due to the outbreak of Typhoid fever, Cholera in this country, something had to be done to protect the health and lives of people. It was discovered that many diseases were water-borne.  In 1908, the city of Chicago, IL was the first to add chlorine to a community water system. Adding chlorine was instrumental in eliminating many types of these diseases.

    Chlorine

   Even though the addition of chlorine to municipal water supplies effectively killed many harmful bacteria, this additive was not and is not without its problems and controversy. In the 70’s, chlorinated water was shown to contain chlorinated by-products (Trihalomethanes), by combining with certain naturally occurring organic matter such as, vegetation and algae. In 1992, the American Journal of Public Health published a report that indicated certain unhealthy effects associated with consuming chlorinated water. Standards have been set for the amounts of chlorine put into water. These amounts are seemly small parts per millions of gallons of water. Chlorine dissipates over time and distance.

   To insure that every customer has the same amount of chlorine in their water, some customers may actually have more. The municipal water supply chain may have several different substations. A finite number of customers are served from each substation. Let’s say a substation serves 1,000 customers in an area of 2 square miles. Let’s also say, the last customer on this ‘run’ is two miles away and perhaps, customer number 1 is right next to the substation. In order to supply every customer with the same amount of chlorine, it becomes necessary on occasion to add more to the outgoing water. If you live close to the supply, you may detect a high chlorine odor or taste when the chlorine is being added. As an example to understand this, if the law requires 2 ppm of chlorine, it may start at 4 ppm and finally dissipates over the long run until it reaches the last customer at 2 ppm.

   EPA guidelines allow up to 4 parts per million (ppm) in municipal tap water. But this is a higher percentage than the 3 ppm suggested as safe for swimming pools.

 Chloramine

    Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia. It has been used for water treatment as far back as 1953.  Chloramines can occur naturally in swimming pools that have been chlorinated. It should be noted that the burning sensation swimmers experience in their eyes is more likely caused by chloramines and not high chlorine. As such, chloramine should not be used to treat pools, aquariums (toxic to fish), and many zoo animals cannot tolerate chloramines. Chloramine must also be removed from the water prior to use in kidney dialysis machines, as it would come in contact with the bloodstream across a permeable membrane.  

    The EPA has begun regulating chlorine, chloramines and byproduct levels in the drinking water of all communities, adding a nationwide level of oversight. Chlorine and chloramine levels are capped at 4 parts per million, but there is no cap set for ammonia. With San Francisco’s chloramine program, however, chloramine and chlorine levels are capped at 2 ppm and ammonia at 0.5 ppm.

 Other Concerns

    Research and public awareness started to change. Besides what was being pumped into the water (chlorine, chlormine, fluoride etc.), the infrastructure of the water supply was looked into. The water is distributed by way of usually underground pipes made of metal and often lead. An entire community near Grand Rapids, Michigan came under scrutiny not long ago, when they looked at large numbers of adverse effects of lead poisoning, believed to be caused by years of ingesting water supplied through lead pipes.

   Years ago, I lived in the Kalamazoo, MI area and did some contract work for Upjohn Laboratories, formed in 1886. In 1995, Upjohn merged with Pharmacia AB, to form Pharmacia & Upjohn. Today, through a series of mergers, the remainder of Upjohn is owned by Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company. But at the time I was there (prior to 1995), Upjohn was certainly not anywhere close to being the largest pharmaceutical company, but they had their own Zip code (at their main location), and their facilities were vast and state of the art. I used to joke that if you were to wonder through Upjohn without an escort, you may never be found or seen again.

    I am confident that what I am about to write applies to all pharmaceutical companies, but Upjohn had one of the most advanced water treatment, filtering and purification systems in the world. Can you imagine why employees and anyone entering the building were not allowed to drink this ‘purified’ water? In fact, Upjohn removed all public and employee access to municipal drinking water for fear that their own runoff might contaminate the municipal water pipes. This was a proactive measure to minimize potential lawsuits. Guess what they supplied to the building for drinking water? Bottled water.

 Bottled Water

   Not long ago, the thought of buying bottled water was unheard of and would have been thought of as crazy notion. True, the ‘water coolers’ had been used for years in businesses and later homes. Much of this was due to convenience, as sometimes other water sources were either not available or too far away. Sometimes it was due to the desire of improving the taste of the otherwise safe water. Perhaps a few were even drinking bottled water for health reasons. With greater research and public awareness, this all changed. Soon, many were getting into this new business, the bottled water business.

   Changes of all kinds in the USA, generally start on the west coast and the east coast (principal ports of entry), then spread across the rest of the country. By the time the bottled water craze reached the Midwest, the same city that first started chlorinating their water supply in 1908 was again a source of media attention. A Chicago company started selling bottled water for say $1 a gallon, but it only cost them pennies. A great return on their investment and they sold a lot of this so-called bottled water, before the end. The local Municipal Water Company dispatched workers to the area of this business to investigate the possibility of a water main break, because of the volume of water being supplied to this area. They found no such break. What they found was a company, filling jugs with nothing more than water from the tap, and selling it as bottled water to the unsuspecting public.

   Still, the water craze continued and continues to this day, with ‘designer waters’ and fancy labels and bottles, a single serving selling for as much as $3. Another area of concern is the storage of bottled water.

What is the best container for storing filtered water?

   Glass is always best, however if glass is not practical, then a high-grade polycarbonate material is best. Clear plastic bottles and pitchers with a #1 in the recycle triangle on the bottom, like the bottles used by Evian and the higher quality bottled waters, are the best option for water storage since they have been shown to release the lowest levels of plastic component chemicals into water. Translucent, colored or bottles with a number other than 1 on the bottom should be avoided because there is the possibility of higher levels of chemicals leeching into the water from the plastic.

   While much bottled water is of good quality, there are little or no regulations or means of ensuring bottled water quality… it is a self-policed industry for the most part.

Physical Treatment

Heat Treatment
Reverse Osmosis
Distillation
Micro filters
Slow Sand Filter
Activated Charcoal Filter
Sol-Air Water Treatment
Improvised Mechanical Filter

Chemical Treatment

Chlorine
Iodine
Silver
Potassium Permanganate
Hydrogen Peroxide
Coagulation/Flocculation agents
KDF -

   KDF Process Media are high-purity, granulated copper and zinc-based alloys that treat water through a process based upon the principle of redox (Oxidation-Reduction). Originally, KDF was shorthand for Kinetic Degradation Fluxion. KDF Fluid Treatment’s unique combination of copper and zinc creates an electro-chemical reaction. During this reaction, electrons are transferred between molecules, and new elements are created. Some harmful contaminants are changed into harmless components. Free chlorine, for instance, is changed into benign, water-soluble chloride, which is then carried harmlessly through the water supply. Similarly, some heavy metals such as copper, lead, mercury and others, react to plate out onto the medium’s surface, thus being effectively removed from the water supply.

Answers

   Three facts remain today:

  •  The Municipal Water Suppliers will not and cannot do (cost prohibitive), much more than they have done already for years.
  •  If you and I want better water, we will have to acquire it for ourselves.
  •  If you and I will not filter our water, our bodies will!

   New construction of homes and businesses now use other materials as pipes leading from the water mains into the locations or line the pipes with safer materials, but they do not alter the water itself. Most of the existing homes and businesses are still using metal water supply pipes into the locations and copper pipes inside the locations. This has led to what are are called, P.O.E. (point of entry), and P.O.U. (point of use), systems.

P.O.E.

   P.O.E. or point of entry systems are commonly referred to as whole house systems for treating the water inside the business or home. One of the first companies to do this was Culligen and primarily to remove hard-water minerals from certain areas of the country where water is by nature, harder than in other areas. Soft water has some benefits to some and irritates others. Some benefits are the lower costs in energy used by hot water tanks. Before the heater can heat the water, it must first heat the rock or the hard water mineral deposits. Without these deposits, the heater should run more efficiently and last longer, saving money. Soft water require less detergents, soaps or other agents to be used in cleaning, which also save money. Even car wash companies use soft water during the rinse cycle, to lessen the effects of spots caused by mineral deposits and detergents left over. Some people do not like soft water as it just feels slippery or slimy to them. Soft water is usually produced by running the water over simple rock salt, which must be added to the ‘brine’ tank on a regular basis. Later, Culligen as well as many other companies began to use other filtering methods for water safety. In some areas of the country due to naturally occurring contaminates, high iron content (rusty water rings or residue), sulphur etc. and it becomes necessary to treat the whole house or business. With others, it is just a matter of personal choice.

    The problems associated with P.O.E. or point of entry are generally two fold:

  •  The system itself is not the problem, but it may be the pipes which distribute the filtered water throughout the home or business. The filtered water may pick up undesired contaminates along their run to the P.O.U. (point of use).
  •  All filters must be changed, replaced, recharged etc. on a regular basis. User error may be thought of as, ‘out of sight – out of mind.’ I don’t know about you, but I have trouble remembering to replace the air filter on my car and heating and air-conditioning system. These are important to my car’s fuel efficiency, our furnace efficiency and the indoor air quality. It’s the same thing with water. If we forget to change the water filters we run the risk of potential health problems.

   It should be noted that both POE (point of entry), and P.O.U. (point of use systems), are more heavily regulated than bottled water!

P.O.U.

   P.O.U. (point of use), systems are nearly found everywhere today. Systems can be purchased directly from many brand name department stores, on the Internet or through various companies which specialize in water treatment and offer professional installation. Years ago, I was involved in this industry and had seen almost every type of P.O.E. & P.O.U. system available. Most of these devices today though enhanced, still pretty much do the same thing. P.O.U. help to eliminate  the ‘out of-sight – out of mind’ problem associated with P.O.E. systems when changing filters. P.O.U. treat the water at the point of use instead of treating it before it goes through the pipes. Instead of having to remember to check your ‘whole house’ system filters regularly, newer P.O.U. devices have indicators right at their location. Many of these devices use colored indicator lights as green or red. Red shows the filter needs to be replaced. Some devices will show the water quality is still good, allowing the user sufficient time to replace the filters. Others will not operate until the filters have been changed. Some may think this is great business this consumable and replaceable business and others may think it is just expensive replacing filters, but this is just the way it is.

   As to the devices, they primarily are for showering and drinking water, usually installed at the shower head or above or below the kitchen sink. When traveling, some either take a portable device with them or use bottled water. If you are on a bicycle trip, there may be occasions when you may still need to use public water and the need for a sports bottle which can filter the water is required.

   As to the effectiveness of P.O.U. systems, they all do basically the same thing. Some are better than others and then there is the cost of the systems. Some are more expensive than others and the same goes for the filter replacements. There is one thing missing from most of them that I know of, pH balancing.

pH Balancing

   pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. pH is a measurement of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. Because of its mathematical formulation, low pH values are associated with solutions with high concentrations of hydrogen ions, while high pH values occur for solutions with low concentrations of hydrogen ions. Pure water has a pH of 7.0. Not all water is pure! The pH scale generally reads from 0 – 14. The lower the number below 7, the more acidic the solution. The higher the number above 7 the more alkaline the solution. The pH scale is similar to the Richter Scale in measuring the intensity of earthquakes. As examples, liquid drain cleaner with a pH of 14, is 10,000,000 more alkaline than pure water at 7, and battery acid with a pH of of 1, is 10,000,000 millions times more acidic than pure water at a pH of 1. The farther the distance to the left or to right of pure water at 7 on the pH scale, the stronger the solution is, acidic or alkaline.

   Almost everyone has read some pH rating on shampoo and other cleansing or cosmetic product. We bathe to remove acids in the form of soils, oils etc. To do this, we use alkalines. Just as battery acid can burn skin and cause damage, high alkaline substances can burn and cause damage as well. When the proportions of acids and alkalines are correct, this is called pH balancing, when the alkaline forces the acid and the result is close to a 7 (pure water), as possible.

   Almost all of us, some time in our lives, have experienced ‘acid ingestion.’ We use some form of alkaline (antacids = anti acid), to balance this so that our stomachs are not so upset. Alkaline levels that are too high have be shown to cause lethargy, nausea, occasional headaches, and later general malaise with loss of appetite. Have you ever eaten too much ice cream and felt any of those symptoms? I have. Exercise, consisting of ascending and descending a short flight of stairs has produced marked fatigue and dizziness, due to excessive levels of alkaline substances. To reduce these symptoms we add acids. Again when the proportions are correct, we have pH balance.

   Except for our stomach, our bodies by nature, are slightly alkaline. Much of the American diet is acidic, which is a main concern for our overall health. The neutral zone for pH balancing is 6.8 – 7.2. Our blood is approximately 7.4. All food and drink we consume should be in balance of the neutral zone. All water is not pure (7), and all water is not pH balanced. Balance is essential for the proper absorption of nutrients. I only know of one P.O.U. (point of use), water system that does this.

   My wife and I had to purchase a new refrigerator about a year ago. We purchased one which filters and chills the water. You can do the same test as I did by purchasing an inexpensive pool and spa test kit. The kit measures chlorine content and pH. First, I tested our municipal water right from our kitchen faucet. Chlorine was detected. Next I tested the chilled filtered water from our refrigerator. No chlorine was found, but the pH was exactly the same as our tap water. The final test was with a sports bottle (portable P.O.U.), that filters the water. There was no chlorine detected, no odor, no unpleasant taste and the water was pH balanced. All three situations started with regualr municipal water.

 The Best Water

   Until you make some necessary changes, at least purchase some glass or high-grade polycarbonate gallon pitchers or containers which show a #1 in the recycle triangle on the bottom. Fill them with tap water (if this is all you have available), and them place one in your refrigerator and the other as backup. By the time the water is chilled enough to drink (about 2 hours), most of if not all of the chlorine will have dissipated. Please think in terms of adding a P.O.E. and/or a P.O.U. water system as soon as possible.

   For extra protection (if it is financially feasible), invest in a P.O.E. (point of entry), system for your house.

   Add to your P.O.E., P.O.U. (point of use), systems which will filter your water for bathing, for drinking and portable systems for the times you are not at home. Your P.O.U. water systems should balance pH. If you are interested is such systems, just leave a comment with your name, email address and indicate your interest: for the shower, above sink, below sink, sports bottle, all of the above or any combination. I will send you the information, ASAP.

   Click on the following link to find information about your local water quality.

 http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html

   If we don’t filter our water, our bodies will. It’s your water, why not have it ‘Pure H20′ and have it pH balanced. Drink up and enjoy the ‘Wonder of Water, that’s the Best Water!

  Tomorrow’s cookie – ‘Pistachio-Rosewater Cookies’

 

 Baking cookies Just for You,

 Dahni the cookie man

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dip Dunk or Don’t