Warning Against Bottled Water...

We can argue till we're blue in the face about the lack of health standards for the production of what is allowed to be sold to consumers in this country and other countries around the world, but it starts with us as a society making it our buisness to know what it is we're buying into. How many people actually read the ingredients in the foods they buy? Unless we put the spotlight on companies by checking into what they're putting into the products they're  selling, they will continue to get away with lower standards of quailty due to the lack of awareness on each and everyone one of our parts.

Get informed about what you put into your body. If Organic foods are becoming the current trend, it means we're getting on the right track, but what about the water we consume? We've become so environment conscious that the majority of households are drinking bottled water in an effort to make healthier choices. There are two problems with bottled water, firstly, one third of all bottled water contains contaminants! Unfortunalely the average consumer isn't aware that bottlers are required in most cases only to meet the same quality standards as tap water.

Taken from an article entitled "One Third of Bottled Water Contain Contaminants" on freedrinkingwater.com Written by Greg Lucas, Sacramento Bureau Chief: http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-bottled-unsafe-drinking.htm it states "The Food and Drug Administration needs to tightened its regulations on bottled water after a four-year study by the NRDC found that of 103 brands surveyed, one- third contained levels of contamination.

Of the hundreds of contaminants state and federal regulators measure, bottled water is subject to a higher standard for only two, according to Randy Kanouse, EBMUD's Sacramento lobbyist.

Bottlers don't have to create a "consumer confidence" report each year like water agencies do. The reports tell customers what's in their water. It details levels of contaminants, if any, like lead, aluminium, arsenic and salt."

When I read this I was angry that consumers are so misguided in their attempts to take action! Here we're meant to believe that by drinking bottled water we are minimizing the amount of contaminants we're consuming. (Of course more effort could be taken to the recycling these water bottles that are packing the landfills, but that's another topic of conversation I'll put on the shelf for another day!)

What a croc! I thought. It seems that with the popularity of bottled water, like anything else, companies are popping up everywhere to get in on the action and reap the profit of what seems to be the current trend.

Ok people, it's time to take a more simpler approach to this situation. While we wait for the government to take action by imposing standards that would improve this situation we still have to make a choice about the water we drink.  I can share with you two ways you can begin to improve the current state of your drinking water:

1) Filter your tap water using a water filter fit you can buy at your local department store. (I chose to use a brita water filtration kit I bought at my local Walmart).

or

2) Purchase a whole house filtration system. There are plenty of places online you can get information about what they are and how they work. One of the best places I've found on the web is Excel Water Technologies  http://www.excelwater.com/ because this site not only sells water filtration products but they discuss water and have a whole section dedicated to the effects of water contaminants. Articles of interest about water can be found here - http://www.excelwater.com/eng/b2c/about.php

or

3) Get informed about the company that produces the water you're drinking and get pickier about from whom you buy your water. Don't take for granted that just because the water is available for sale that just like any other product on the shelf, it's good for you.  Like any other foods we've begun to pay attention to such as foods high in fats, high in preservatives, ect. make it your buisness as a consumer to inform yourself to make the best choices for you and your family.

Just remember, no matter what you choose; we set the demand, we set the standards! It begins with getting informed.