The Importance of Pure H2O

We live in an era of universal contamination. It’s all around us. It is in the soil from which we harvest our food, the air we breathe, and the water we consume. It is also inside of us. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported “we are all contaminated with a slew of pesticides, solvents, plastics, and metals that we pick up daily from our material world”(1). This buildup begins in the womb and accumulates throughout our lifetime. Children are especially at risk due to their weaker, less developed immune system. In many instances children were found to have “ higher concentration of pollutants than adults, a finding particularly true for many heavy metals and pesticides”(2). “Modern chemistry keeps insects from ravishing crops, lifts stains from carpets, and saves lives; but the ubiquity of chemicals is taking a toll”(3). That toll has been referred to as our “Chemical Body Burden”. It is the result “of 50 years of increasing reliance on synthetic chemicals for every faucet of our daily lives. Only recently have regulators grasped its scope. Health officials have yet to fully comprehend its consequences… we are guinea pigs when it comes to the unknown long term threat that these chemicals pose in our bodies and in particular our children”(4).

There are almost 80,000 registered chemicals in use today with 3,000 used in large volume. The CDC study looked at only 148 in its report. Only 43 of 1,200 pesticides in current use were examined. This is not to suggest the study was flawed, but that they only looked at the tip of the iceberg. The possible combinations and concentrations of chemical are mind-boggling. The government’s attempts at establishing and regulating safe levels is complicated by the “unknown effect of the interaction of chemicals with respect to the synergism and inhibition of their multiplicative effect on other known carcinogens in the environment”(5).

Scientist, the EPA, and regulators simply do not know the cumulative impact of the Chemical Body Burden on human life. With every glass of water we potentially ingest a chemical cocktail of unknown consequences. The US Geological Survey reported that “streams in agricultural and urban areas almost always contain complex mixtures of pesticides and degradates”(6). The EPA’s standard for safe levels of water borne contaminants is based on individual levels of concentration not the complex potential mixtures present in US waters.

This not an attempt to spread panic, but to raise awareness in the hope that individuals will realize we live in a time where we must take personal responsibility for the safety and purity of the water our family consumes. Because of the cost involved, the government and local municipalities can do but so much.

According to the Congressional Budget Office report on the Future Investment in Drinking Water Infrastructure dated April 11, 2002, it will cost anywhere from $11.6 billion and $20.1 billion between 2000 to 2019 annually to update our drinking water infrastructure. Additionally, operating and maintenance of these systems are projected to average anywhere from $25.7 billion to $31.8 billion annually. This amount is estimated in 2001 dollars. As time goes by, costs will increase.

Bibliography:

(1)  U S Center for Disease Control and Prevention- Third National Report
      on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals.
(2)  Oakland Tribune Newspaper, March 27, 2006
(3)  National Geographic Magazine, October 2006
(4)  Oakland Tribune Newspaper, March 27, 2006
(5)  Kraybill H.F. & M.A. Mehlman Advances in Modern Toxicology,
      Environmental Cancer Volume 3 pp 47-48 1977 Hemisphere Publ Washington DC
(6)  Pesticides in the Nation’s Streams and Groundwater, 1992-2001

Clean, safe, drinking water is not only a third world concern. It is as real as the next glass of water, cup of coffee, or sip of tea you will consume. See what was found in the tap water in a major metropolitan area at this link:

What's in your water?

Does the government really know? Do you really know? Below are some of the major contaminants found in your drinking water today.

Toxic-Metal (Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Nitrates, Copper, Etc)
Toxic Metals are also called inorganic contaminants. Many toxic metals have been linked to long-term health problems such as cancer and serious learning disabilities.
Radioactive Metals (Radium, Uranium, Ceacesium, Plutonium, Etc.)
Radioactive Metals are toxic metals that are also radioactive. Radioactive metals can cause long-term health problems including many forms of cancer.
Micro-biological (E-Coli, Giardia, Hepatitis, Cryptosporidium, Etc.)
Biological contaminants are living organisms such as parasites, bacteria, viruses, cysts, and spores. Of all four types of contaminants, biological contaminants are by far the most dangerous.
Petro-Chemicals (Gasoline, Herbicides, Pesticides, Solvents, Etc.)
Petroleum-Based chemicals are also called “organic” contaminants. Man have been linked to long term health problems including many forms of cancer. Most have unknown long term health effects.

Why is clean drinking water so important?

Water comprises 75% of your body. Water cleanses your system of waste material. Water regulates your body chemistry and temperature. Any contaminants found in water will greatly reduce its effectiveness. Any substance consumed with water will integrate into your body’s functions and chemistry. Dr. Clifford C. Dennison explains this well in “Why I Drink Distilled Water”.

We at Westar are dedicated to spreading awareness of this problem. With knowledge comes awareness of choices. We are not saying that government is lax or lacking. We are saying that the problem is too big for government to solve alone and too important to for us to ignore. Westar Waterworks is committed to making point-of-use water treatment as common in the home and office as dishwashers, ice makers, and microwave ovens. Even though we believe that only steam distillation provides the assurance of the “Security of Purity”, we support and encourage any point of use water treatment be it carbon filtered, reverse osmosis, etc. Clean water is too precious to take for granted.