The Boncor Blog

When is the last time you were concerned about drinking water that contained a parasite such as cryptosporidium? Probably not in a long time, if ever. Well, residents in Portland, Oregon are finding themselves in this situation for the second time in just a couple of months. This news, according to an online article from KATU News, comes just “days before the state is supposed to decide whether to give Portland a waiver on building a $90 million water treatment plant, a second test finds a parasite in the city’s drinking water reservoir.” The Oregon Health Authority will only say that it’s considering the test results and the parasite doesn’t present an immediate threat to human health. City Commissioner Randy Leonard said the water bureau will send a crew to search the creek for beavers, elks or whatever animal is responsible for the cryptosporidium spores. The state has increased their testing for this parasite knowing the Oregon Health Authority will decide by month’s end whether Portland can skip building that $90 million water treatment facility.
If the state does grant Portland a variance on building a treatment facility, the city would be required to test more frequently and notify the OHA immediately if cryptosporidium is discovered. Although immediate threat is not a major concern, to those drinking the water on a regular basis, it may be. Even more alarming is information from the Center for Disease Control; “during the past 2 decades, Crypto has become recognized as one of the most common causes of waterborne disease (recreational water and drinking water) in humans in the United States. The parasite is found in every region of the United States and throughout the world.”

According to the CDC, millions of Crypto can be released in a bowel movement from an infected human or animal. To become infected, a person must consume contaminated food or water, including from streams or rivers. “Cryptosporidiosis is a diarrheal disease caused by a microscopic parasite that can live in the intestine of humans and animals and is passed in the stool of an infected person or animal. Both the disease and the parasite are commonly known as “Crypto.” The parasite is protected by an outer shell that allows it to survive outside the body for long periods of time and makes it very resistant to chlorine-based disinfectants.” Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headaches, nausea, vomiting and a low-grade fever are symptoms which can last for weeks and may result in weight loss and dehydration. Symptoms are more severe for people with weakened immune systems and in the most extreme cases can lead to death. A reverse osmosis system or water filter is qualified to eliminate this parasite. You could boil all of your water which you want to consume, but that is time-consuming and not an eco-friendly solution. With a water filtration system, you are able to still provide your household with safe drinking water as if it were from the tap and worry less about what parasites or other unwanted contaminants you may be drinking.

Every year we hear more and more about global warming and the effects it is having on our weather, drought conditions, and snow pack buildup in the mountain areas. This year many areas are seeing the La Nina weather pattern which is leaving much less snow behind and making experts concerned about the amount of snow melt farmers will have for irrigation purposes this upcoming season. When we run short on irrigation water everyone has to learn more about conserving what we have. As the years go by and more changes occur and our generations are going to have to become more and more able to reduce and recycle what we have in order to continue. Life as we have always lived it is changing and we must change with it.

The importance of water conservation and reducing water loss is important in everything from agriculture to business and residential users. In agriculture water conservation includes using low volume irrigation technologies, reusing and recycling waste water and having proper soil management. While all of these make a difference in the water usage, now agriculture is also developing more drought resistant seeds in order to grow crops that don’t require as much irrigation water. For instance, the USDA has approved the Monsanto drought resistant corn seed upon fears that droughts could significantly reduce the crop this next year. Monsanto has developed this new genetically modified breed of corn that should produce higher yields even in drought conditions than the previously used corn seed would. The problem that the USDA hasn’t considered is that genetically altered anything may have long term effects on the human body that haven’t been discovered yet. Rushing to allow new seed types on the market may be a huge mistake. Instead of simply bringing genetically altered seeds to the grower, perhaps information and new ways to reduce, recycle and reuse water should be at the top of the list.

All Americans are aware of the necessity of water to sustain life. This is a fact that is taught across the country in health class, children are told to drink more water. Adults are informed that for better health we need to drink more water. We cannot live without water. We are learning to reuse and recycle paper to save trees, plastic to save oil, rubber tires are being recycled. We can learn to reuse and recycle and even reduce on water use as well. It is possible to teach people how to schedule irrigating the yard at a time when it would use less water, not wash the car every week, and even reducing water use in the home. Everything from replacing an old toilet or faucet, fixing leaks, taking shorter showers, turning the water off while brushing your teeth, even bathing small children together saves water, these should be practiced by every American household.

Farmers aren’t the only ones that need to be careful of the water we use; every single American needs to be a responsible consumer. There are many new ways available to help us conserve and use our water wisely. Having our own home water treatment system is just one way to be a responsible consumer. Advances in technology have given us several options in water systems that will not only offer us cleaner, healthier water but will also help us use less of it. When we save water, we save money on utility bills too. In our tough economy even a small savings on any bill is welcome. Having great tasting water at the kitchen sink means no longer buying bottled water and that saves our environment as well. Saving water is easy for everyone to do, having your own drinking water treatment system in your home just makes it that much easier.

A recent press release from the San Diego County Water Authority shows that a once very grim future for the water resources in California are now looking better thanks to a combination of Mother Nature and the responsible use of water from residents. From following water restrictions to the use of advanced water technology drinking water systems which limit water waste, the area now finds itself in one of the best situations as of recent years. “Mother Nature and continuing wise water use by our residents, businesses and agricultural customers has helped lead to our best water supply situation in several years,” said Water Authority Board Chair Michael T. Hogan. “I commend our water customers for continuing to use water wisely, even after shortage-related mandatory water use restrictions were lifted this spring. However, it will be important for all of us to continue to use water wisely as a part of everyday life. We are still at the end of a long water supply pipeline, and a return to dry conditions or ongoing regulatory challenges in the Bay-Delta can threaten our supplies again.”

The Water Authority Board of Directors received a report on water supply and demand conditions at its monthly meeting. Staff attributed the improved supply conditions to several factors. Between a wet winter and responsible residents following the regulations and limitations, the water supply outlook for 2012 is looking much better than it did last year. “Regional water use has remained well below pre-drought levels in 2011, enabling water agencies to better manage available supplies.”

To continue this positive trend, residents must ban together and continue to utilize the options like environmentally-friendly and responsible drinking water systems to waste less water, use less water, and provide safe drinking water to the family. The forecast is great as of late and Californians can continue this trend with a drinking water system in 2012 too!

Escondido residents, did you know that you soon might have to stretch your budget a little farther? Just last week, the San Diego SignOn reported that the Escondido City Council is considering a 12% water rate increase in December.

This increase is planned to cover capital improvement projects including replacing aging pipes and building a new Lake Wohlford Dam, operating costs such as increased water and chemical costs, and covering the city’s bond-debt ratio. This follows a 7% increase just last January.

While all of expenditures might be necessary, you might find yourself trying to use a little less water. As you look through your home, where do you see the biggest water waste? Where can you do a little water conservation project of your own? Some of the more obvious water users, of course, include lawn and garden irrigation, long showers, old toilets, and frequent loads of laundry. What you might not know, however, is that some typical household fixtures and plumbing are naturally water wasters.

Take, for example, a typical reverse osmosis drinking water system. Did you know that this water filter can waste more than 92% of its feed water under normal household conditions? This is primarily due to the pressure that is required to force the water through the RO’s membrane filter. Fortunately, there is new technology – the LINX® 140 Home Drinking Water System – that uses literally a fraction of the water than an RO does, all while delivering healthy, great tasting drinking water. This system, over the period of a year can easily save 4,000 if you consumed only one gallon of drinking water a day.

Conserving water – it’s not just for the environment, it’s for your pocket book too! To learn more about this water treatment option, click here. To learn more about the water rate hike, click here.

A recent CNN article on the access to drinking water throughout a typical school day may just explain why many students are not drinking the recommended amounts of water on a daily basis. According to Dr. Melinda Jampolis, CNNHealth’s Diet and Fitness Expert, “since children spend a large percent of their waking hours at school, they should be consuming at least one-half their total water intake at school.” She also states, “The standard recommendations are for children to get 6-8 glasses of water per day. Teenage boys need even more, 11 glasses per day.” Water is essential in the performance of students, and she follows that up with “mild dehydration can affect learning, as well as mental and physical performance.”

Think back to when you were a student, your busy days filled with learning, sports, extracurricular activities, and friends. In some of the larger L.A. schools, there are only a few water fountains provided for several hundred students – around 1,700 per water fountain, in fact. We probably wouldn’t have stopped for a quick drink had there been a wait or a line, and neither do kids today. We would’ve forgotten our school “water bottles” had we needed to bring them, and we would’ve gone through several paper cups throughout the day drinking water.

“According to new federal law,” states the article, “school districts will have to provide water in student eating areas, but the law doesn’t discuss accessibility.” We won’t know what satisfies this legislation no matter what the changes are. So in being creative, some districts explored the option of providing paper or plastic disposable cups, and according to current budgets, it would also be near impossible to afford. If water bottles were provided to each student, other options would still be needed because kids would certainly forget theirs at times. Then comes bottled water – not exactly following the guidelines of teaching environmental responsibility when it is crucial for schools to exemplify this. Water coolers and water filters and water jugs could be more of a cost efficient and effective way for many schools. Just like the “water intervention” provided by the UCLA/RAND project, water is filtered into five-gallon jugs, cooled overnight, and provided to students in five of the L.A. schools. The bottom line is that students should be kept safe and healthy in our schools and providing drinking water is one way of doing this.

To solve this, we need to think like a student – and a parent – not a school board member. Regardless of the cost of water and cups, we need our students to be healthy and able to learn. Perhaps reusable water bottles that students can store and clean at school are the answer. A reliable, local water treatment company can provide water filters for classrooms and water coolers for common areas as to increase access to drinking water. Systems can be rented for an affordable monthly cost and follow eco-friendly efficiencies. To read more of this article, click here.

All across America thousands of exhausted men and women have their blood tested for thyroid function each year. Thyroid problems cause a wide spectrum of different problems in the human body both from an over active thyroid and an underactive thyroid. Every time a thyroid disorder arises, the question of “Why?” and “What causes this?” arises.

Hypothyroidism (underactive) is a condition in which your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of certain important hormones resulting in depression, fatigue, memory loss, weight gain, and sensitivity to cold. These symptoms are familiar to many people across the country. In a recent study, hypothyroidism has been tied to dissolved lithium in drinking water.

Lithium is found in varying concentrations in the ground across the world. The element is most commonly used in making batteries as well as being used in medicine, such as for the treatment of bipolar disorder. So, not only does Lithium seep into our groundwater from nature, but also from manufacturing and other people’s medications. It was noted that while the amounts of lithium being ingested via the drinking water are only a tenth of what a patient would take for bipolar disorder, the study participants had been absorbing this lithium all their lives, even from before birth. What this implies for their health, we don’t really know. That is why a new study is being planned that will compare the health of two groups of mothers and children: respectively, the ones with the highest and lowest levels of lithium in their blood.

All of this information is important because recent studies are showing that hypothyroidism can be triggered by the ingestion of too much lithium in groundwater. Lithium is an alkali metal that is found in nearly all igneous rocks (rocks formed from lava and magma) and in mineral springs. Lithium is the lightest metal with a density about half that of water. If lithium didn’t react with water it would float on top of it, however it does react somewhat vigorously.

Most cities have municipal water treatment facilities that help to treat the water making it safe to drink, however these treatment processes don’t always remove contaminants simply because some are not known, or have not been identified as dangerous. When it comes to safe water, perhaps the safest water is water that we have treated ourselves. There are many water treatment systems available to homeowners today so there is no longer any reason to be drinking contaminated water. While tap water is “safe” to drink, it may not be as clean as we would want it to be. These water filtering systems can be one more line of defense in removing contaminants leaving us with safe, clean, great tasting water to drink. The road to better health begins at your tap; make sure you are drinking the cleanest safest water you can.

To read more on this topic, click here.

A new online article reminds us all of the health benefits of consuming water. Everyone who drinks water can tell you they just “feel better,” but what many people don’t know if how or why they feel and look better just from drinking plenty of water each day. Water is crucial for any living thing, and carries nutrients to every single cell in the body. These cells need water to work properly, and each body is made up of a certain percentage of water. The human body consists of certain percentages based on the gender, condition, and age of the person. According to the information in the article; babies 78%, adult men 60%, and adult females 55%. As the percentages show, water decreases in the body as age increases. The largest decrease tends to happen during the first ten years of life. The condition of the person, such as obesity, also plays a role in the water in the body. So as we age, it is important to provide our bodies with sufficient amounts of water.

But too much water can be harmful, as well as getting too little of water. In the article, these health concerns are explained clearly. “Drinking too much water can burden your circulatory system, trigger anxiety upon your heart and / or kidneys, trigger inter-cranial pressure, cause hyponatremia, a condition having too small sodium in the blood. “ Likewise, too much water can also cause health issues from mild headaches, to impaired breathing and in extreme cases, even death. On the other hand, not drinking enough water can cause dehydration to the vital organs in the body and the condition on the skin.” By far, however, most people suffer from not drinking nearly enough.

Water is also important to the skin because skin is the largest organ in the body. When skin does not receive the proper amount of water, it can turn into “tight, dry flaky skin, less resilient, prone to wrinkling, develop acne and more. Water replenishes skin tissue, moisturizes, increases skin elasticity, flushes out toxins, improves blood circulation, increases energy and helps to present a much more youthful, radiant, complexion.” Therefore, the “Mayo Clinic suggests the “8 x 8″ rule of drinking eight glasses of water, 8 ounces each and every, everyday.”

But some tap water has harmful contaminants and toxins, which increase when a consumer tries to increase their water intake. That substance which one may think is making them healthier may actually be harming them. Water treatment systems like water coolers, water filtration systems, reverse osmosis, and water conditioners can give consumers the option of increasing the amount of water without increasing the contaminants. It is important to find a trustworthy and knowledgeable water company which will provide you with consistently great tasting water, options for being eco-friendly, affordability, and long-lasting products. With something so important and crucial to our sustainability, consumers should find products which will give them safe, clean drinking water, no matter how much they need to drink. No one should get sick from their drinking water, and everyone deserves to be as healthy as they can be. Look great and feel great, all thanks to safe drinking water.

In this day and age we are used to the convenience of running water that is readily available every time we turn on the tap or flush the toilet. Perhaps we are so used to it that we are now taking it for granted and taking advantage of it. It’s easy to do; we often take things for granted and take advantage of opportunities. We become complacent and assume we will always have our basic needs taken care of, when the fact is one of our most basic needs could be running in short supply in the very near future.

Saving water is something that is usually only thought of on the home front as a means of cutting utility costs, not necessarily as a means of actually saving water. We all know the simple ways we can cut our own water use from turning the tap off while we brush our teeth to taking shorter showers. The unknown area of water savings is on the business front.

Many businesses use a ton of water and don’t have any water savings practices in place, let alone have employees informed on water savings. Businesses use water in all kinds of different ways. Many people don’t necessarily know where that water goes. Knowing how much water is used and where most of it is used is the key to cutting back on excess usage. A Commercial Water Audit examines how much water a business uses and can provide detailed information on where opportunities lie for using less water and saving money. Audits can also identify costly water leaks that need to be repaired. Some water utilities offer audits free of charge to commercial customers as well as providing rebates for water saving initiatives.

Once a water audit has been completed and analyzed, it is time for companies to begin the process of repairing the water leaks that were found as well as replacing water using equipment with water-efficient models. For example the kitchen and restroom can be fitted with low-flow restrictors. A low-flow faucet aerator uses less than 1.5 gallons of water per minute compared with 2.2 gallons for standard faucets. Older toilets use nearly 5 gallons with each flush, newer more efficient toilets use only 2 gallons. That alone is a savings of 3 gallons with every single flush. Drinking water systems fit right in with this situation. These systems can either be water savers or extreme water wasters. Businesses need to know their system and what it does in order to know if it is worth the water being used or wasted.

The other item that most businesses can change is the landscape outside the building. Most people love the look of lush green lawns but they require a great deal of water to maintain. Instead, businesses can replace these water guzzling lawns with native landscapes or less water intensive alternatives. If the lush green lawn must stay, businesses can install rain-harvesting systems to collect water on site for landscape irrigation.

There are options available for businesses to slow down the water consumption, it’s a matter of being informed about the options and choosing the best ones for each business’ needs. Once the changes are made and water is being conserved, informing the employees of the changes and the reasons for the changes will also help to maintain the changes.

Environmental scientists actually expect worldwide shortages of fresh water to be one of the most pressing environmental concerns in the next 50 years. The world’s population will be nearing 10 billion people that will all be using water, taking for granted its availability. Cities and towns will continue to raise their water rates, energy bills will continue to rise. Expenses will continue to mount for everyone, individual and businesses alike. We need to begin to take this seriously and do our part to be informed about our options to help save water. Begin by examining the water using appliances in your business, replace the water abusers with water savers and do your part to conserve this precious resource.

Every household in America has clothes and dishes that need washed most every day and on everyone’s grocery list laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent seem to take priority. Imagine if you could get by on less detergent – even half of what you use now. That would be a significant savings every year!

Laundry usually requires a certain amount of laundry detergent, some stain fighting products, some softener products, and often Clorox or other whitening product. To simply do a load of laundry requires quite a few products in our arsenal. Often we pre-treat the laundry, then put it in the washing machine, add extra detergent, crank up the water temperature, and hope for the best. Unfortunately all too often our best efforts aren’t quite enough and after all of that we still have stains and have used a ton of soap and hot water to accomplish something that still remains out of reach. This endless budget run around is unnecessary. We end up spending way more on the simplest task when what we really needed to do in the beginning was simply change the type of water we are using and we could have the end result we have been striving for.

Two recent studies conducted by the independent testing firm Scientific Services S/D of New York funded by the Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF), reveal that using softened water might simply be the answer. “The benefits of softened water in people’s daily lives are significant,” says Peter Censky, executive director of the Water Quality Association. “These studies show how consumers can save money and energy by softening their water.”

These studies showed that in washing machines, detergent can be reduced by 50% and energy saved by washing in 60 degree cold water instead of using 100 degree hot water, achieving the same or better stain removal and whiter clothes compared to results in hard water. Not only can you get by on half the detergent and save energy by using cold water, you can also be more environmentally friendly because there is less detergent being flushed out of your household.

Softened water used to be thought of as a luxury item that you could do without and it wouldn’t really affect your life. You could put up with that sticky feeling after the shower and a few stains on the dishes. Turns out, the softener and maintenance of it might be the cheaper way to go and you could have the luxurious shower too.

What it all boils down to is this, a water softener in your household will save you money that you currently are spending on laundry detergents, stain fighting and whitening products as well as money you are spending on your electric bill. You will use less hot water because you can wash with cold water instead and achieve the same or better results. It doesn’t mean that you won’t have to still buy these products just that you will be using significantly less of them so they will last longer. Take some time out of your busy schedule and research water softeners. A little piece of luxury you thought you couldn’t afford just might be more than affordable; it just might save you far more than it costs.

The National Public Radio’s online station recently published an article regarding the fight for water in and around the Imperial Valley in Southern California. According to the article, the Imperial Valley produces about 80% of the nation’s winter vegetables, which is a huge part of the local economies for businesses and individuals – and a huge part of our daily diet. But today, there are a few different trends having major effects on the area’s local water sources and are threatening to drastically reduce the amount of water available, leading to potential threats on these economies. Population booms, years of drought, and water waste are combining together to create this threat, something citizens in the area are becoming much more aware of in these latter months.

The water comes from the Colorado River, the lifeline of the crops and farmlands, which flows into the Imperial Dam, the main way the Imperial Valley sustains itself. This water source is the only source for agricultural and drinking water. Losing this phenomenon would be tragic to this area, and someday, there may not be enough water to go around. The Imperial Valley was once dry, arid land, but when the river was flowing with might, the crops were rich and plentiful. It’s not too great of a stretch of the imagination to see it dry and arid again.

The Imperial Valley grows crops such as sweet corn, onions, lettuce, carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli. The area produces real crops, real services that have a positive impact on the rest of the country during the winter months, and farmers in the area hope to see this trend continue, but also agree that something has to be done about the water waste occurring when tending to their crops. Some farmers have sold rights to a portion of the water that they were allotted to help nearby cities and bolster their own financial bottom line, but anyone will tell you that the water needs to stay there. Residents of the area also agree that something has to be done and are willing to do their part to reduce the threat of running out of water in their areas.

Many residents want to make these changes in their homes and local businesses first, but need to ensure that they are able to find an affordable alternative. One option is a drinking water system that will conserve water, but also provide their family or employees with clean, great tasting drinking water. In the past, the only option has been reverse osmosis systems, but these waste up to 90% of the water they draw to generate a glass of drinking water, which is unacceptable within a problem such as this. All parties need to reduce water waste, and seeking out a state of the art drinking water system can help residents be environmentally-friendly and economically-responsible. Residents can ultimately find a system which will save thousands of gallons of water in the long run compared to traditional reverse osmosis systems, as explained in one educational video.