What’s Happening to Our Water?
By K.C. Craichy
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In America’s cities and suburbs more than 15% of the ground is paved. Without the absorption once provided by grasslands and the forest floor, rain now pours off roofs, roads, driveways, and parking lots, coursing into curb grills and storm drains, and eventually into our local streams and creeks much faster than they can accommodate.1
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The result is the inability of our water tables and wetlands to recharge. In the U.S. only 2% of the country’s rivers and wetlands remain free flowing. Because of this, we have lost more than one half of our wetlands. 2
There has been a shift in recent years from a focus on ocean waters to our rivers and streams, which face even greater threats. This is because our streams act as natural filters; when they become compromised, so does our drinking water. Industrial pollutants are not being strained through nature’s filters . . . they are ending up in the water supply. Industry is not the only culprit, however. The majority of the contaminants found in our drinking water can be traced back to excessive or improper use of ordinary compounds such as gasoline, lawn chemicals, and prescription drugs.3
In short, everything that goes down the drain, onto our lawns or fields or into the air eventually ends up in our drinking water. Most municipal water filtration systems are outdated, (many of them installed in the early decades of the last century) and were not designed to effectively remove these synthetic chemicals. Pesticides and herbicides show up in our tap water now with frightening frequency,4 as well as other chemicals , such as chlorine, chloramine, aluminum, arsenic, and fluoride. For more on the heath detriments of these chemicals, purchase Super Health, K.C. Craichy's 7 Golden Keys To Unlock Lifelong Vitality.
The cost to our health
| The more than 75,000 chemical compounds that have been created to make our lives more convenient have exacted a tremendous price on our water and on our health. |
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In the early 1900s, before the advent of chlorine, pesticides and other chemicals, the average person had a one in 50 chance of getting cancer. Today, one in three can expect to get cancer in their lifetime.
The risks are even greater for children. Their systems are still developing and they are getting greater doses of toxins because of their larger consumption of fluids per pound of body weight. They can’t detoxify as well as adults, which makes them especially vulnerable.
Home water filtration systems
A report in the American Journal of Public Health5 linked chlorine to significant increases in certain types of cancer and stated that “up to 2/3s of the harmful exposure was due to skin absorption and inhalation while showering.” The fact is, many of these toxic chemicals are not being taken into our systems from our drinking water, but from the water we absorb into our skin or inhale from steam while showering. Our skin is the largest organ on our body, absorbing virtually anything we put on it. A warm shower opens up our pores, causing our skin to act like a sponge. As a result, we not only inhale the chlorine vapors, we also absorb them through our skin, directly into our blood-stream—at a rate that's up to six times higher than drinking the water.6
That’s why it is very important for families to invest in some water purification strategies. If you’re on a tight budget, a water pitcher system is a good place to start. These systems, such as Brita or Pur, are available at drug stores and general retail stores everywhere. They are effective at filtering out impurities such as chlorine, lead, copper, mercury, giardia, and more. Just remember that these pitchers are made of plastic generally. Once the water has been filtered, it should not be stored in those containers (store it in glass containers instead).
Although water pitcher systems are a good start, the most effective means of making sure all the water in your house is safe is through a point of source (POS) or point of use (POU) filtration system.
The health benefits of filtered water
- Filtered water eliminates harmful chemicals—from chlorine and fluoride to lead and pharmaceuticals. These chemicals can cause a range of health issues, including cancer, hip and bone fractures, and Alzheimer’s Disease.
- Filtered water is a better choice for people suffering from asthma or skin disorders.
- Filtered water has a beautifying effect. Chemicals and chlorine dehydrate our skin and hair. Once water has been filtered, our skin and hair retain natural oils and moisture more effectively. Our skin feels softer, looks clearer, and will age more slowly.
For more comprehensive information on Hydration, see Super Health. |
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The Wellness Filter
Please enter code #8517 for a 5% discount
The Wellness Filter not only provides safe drinking water, it also will save you potentially thousands of dollars in bottled water costs. Developed over 25 years ago in Japan by a famous physiologist, The Wellness Filter utilizes multiple layers of purification media to reduce a broad range of contaminants, including VOCs, bacteria, cysts, giardia, heavy metals, even some pharmaceuticals. And it is believed to be one of the few that offers reduction in chloramine and fluoride. This is one of the most effective systems around for providing safe drinking water at point of use (your kitchen or shower tap).
For the kitchen, Super Health recommends
the Wellness Kitchen S-III , an easy-to-install countertop filter that produces clean, pure, natural tasting water on demand, all day long.
For the shower, Super Health recommends
the Wellness Shower Filter, which offers maximum reduction of chlorine and other contaminants for up to 24 months —two or three times longer than any other shower filter on the market. |
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Added to all municipal water supplies, chlorine is a disinfectant that hardens arteries, destroys proteins in the body, irritates skin and sinus conditions, and aggravates asthma, allergies, and respiratory problems.
1 Battiata,Mary.“Silent Streams,” The Washington Post Magazine, November 27, 2005, p. 15.
2 Kunstler, James Howard. The Long Emergency:Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century. ( New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2005) p. 165.
3 Battiata,Mary.“Silent Streams,” The Washington Post Magazine, November 27, 2005, p. 16.
4 “Water Contamination and its Effect on Our Health,” Information taken from Aquasana web site: http://www.healthynewage.com/water-contamination.htm
5 “Is Your Water Safe—The Dangerous State of Your Water,” U.S. News & World Report, July 29, 1991.
6 “Water Contamination and its Effect on Our Health,” Information taken from Aquasana web site: http://www.healthynewage.com/water-contamination.htm
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