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WHAT'S THE HARM IN HARD WATER?
Hard water harms nearly every item in your home, leaving mineral deposits and scale build-up on everything your water touches. Hard water is especially tough on plumbing and on water-using appliances, resulting in more repairs amd ,pre frequent placement - and costing Americans billions of dollars a year.
WHAT ARE SOME CONSEQUENCES OF HARD WATER IN MY HOME?
- Pipes become clogged with scale, reducing water flow
- Rust stains on sinks
- Faucets crusted with hard-to-remove deposits
- Towels and clothes are dingy and rough
- Glassware and dishes marred by spots and cloudiness
- Increased expenses for detergent and other cleaning products
- More time and effort devoted to cleaning
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF TREATED WATER?
- Extend the life of your water heater, fixtures, dishwashers and laundry equipment by years
- Cut spending on detergents and other cleaning supplies - by as much as half
- Increased water heater efficiency
- Clothes are cleaner, softer and last longer
- Eliminate the inconvenience and expense of bottled water
- Clean, healthier drinking water
- Better flavor in coffee, soups and ice cubes
- Great lather with less soap and shampoo
- Everything - hair, towels, fruit - rinses cleaner
- Improved water flow through cleaner pipes
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LINKED ARTICLES:
NY TIMES ARTICLE:
That Tap Water Is Legal But May Be Unhealthy
REPRINTED ARTICLES:
EPA BOTTLED WATER STUDY
Summary
Deficiencies in bottled firm’ surveillance, facilities and their operation and plant quality control result in the production of bottled water whose quality does not comply with the 1962 U.S. Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards.
The pilot survey of 25 bottling establishments and bacteriological and chemical examination of approximately 50 bottled water products revealed the following:
- Eight percent of the bottled water samples examined evidenced the presence of the coliform organism. which is an indicator of the potential presence of pathogenic bacteria High standard plate counts gave additional evidence of contamination.
- Gross changes in standard plate counts were noted in the 25 samples that were examined during a 63-clay storage test.
- Discrepancies were found between the actual chemical composition and that stated or implied on the label. Quality control measures were generally deficient in the bacteriological and chemical analyses of the bottled water and were not regularly performed. Bacteriological surveillance was judged inadequate in almost all cases.
- None of the 25 bottles reported ever having a complete chemical analysis of their bottled water. Laboratory control data revealed virtually complete lack of source water testing or chemical analysis of finished water. Based upon criteria covering eight sanitation categories, it was found that in many cases bottling was not performed under sanitary conditions. Sanitary deficiencies were found in all facilities surveyed. Plastic bottles arrive at the plant in cardboard cartons and are shipped without caps; thus the interiors are exposed to airborne contamination and the presence of foreign matter. Yet, these bottles are presumed by the bottles to be sanitary enough to be filled without even rinsing.
- Glass bottles are usually washed with a hot caustic solution but the temperature or strength of the caustic solution is seldom monitored. Bottle caps are sometimes used directly from the packages in which they are received, sometimes (but not always) disinfected and frequently placed on by hand.
- The significance of employee sanitation and facility maintenance is that the product water is subject to contamination, not only from the containers, but also from the physical surroundings and the people who come in contact with any part of the bottling operation.
It seems apparent that high bacteria plate counts occurred in water subject to filtering or distillation. as well as in those subjected to any of the forms of disaffection commonly used in the bottling industry. In some cases labeling of bottled water did not correspond with the contents revealed by chemical analysis. Results of chemical analyses revealed trace amounts of the following in virtually every sample: chlorine, sulfate, nitrate, copper, manganese, lead, iron, zinc, mercury, and arsenic.
Penn State Professor Warns: If you own your own private water supply,
you have the sole responsibility for managing the quality of your water.
Said, "there are about one million private water supplies in PA, mostly springs and wells fed by groundwater, and about 20,000 new wells are drilled in the state every year, because private water systems are largely unregulated, water quality problems are all too common," Sharpe says; rural residents should be provided with the information they need to maintain a safe water supply. "Residents who receive water from a public water company or authority can be confident that their water meets drinking water safety standards," he says. "But if you own your own private water supply, you have the sole responsibility for managing the quality of your water." Common problems in private water supplies include bacterial contamination, lead, radon, nitrate, iron, acidity and corrosivity, residents need to learn how to detect and treat contaminants they are likely to find in their water.
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