Water in California

Drinking plenty of water each day can be an almost instantly healthier you. With the New Year into full swing, many of us want to make 2012 a year of healthy lifestyles. Start with drinking plenty of drinking water without harmful contaminants. It is crucial for healthy minds, healthy skin, and healthy bodies. A recent blog from the NY Times discusses a relationship between drinking water and reducing the risk of diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, “Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and many more are unaware they are at high risk.” In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy.

The article explains many important aspects of the claim, where “recently have scientists begun to consider diabetes prevention one of them. The amount of water you drink can play a role in how your body regulates blood sugar, researchers have found.”  The reason for this consideration is because of a hormone in the body called vasopressin which helps regulate water retention. When the body is dehydrated, the levels of vasopressin rise and the kidneys hold on to water. “At the same time, the hormone pushes the liver to produce blood sugar, which over time may strain the ability to produce or respond to insulin.” One of the largest studies to look at the consequences was published last year in Diabetes Care, a publication of the American Diabetes Association.  The research concluded that of those studied, the people who consumed the most water had a 30% lower risk than those who drank the least. While more research may be needed, this is certainly just one more reason why it is important to drink plenty of water and keep your body healthy and hydrated.

But before you drink plenty of water, be sure your water is safe to consume. Tap water in many areas of our country contains harmful chemicals and contaminants that only water filters and reverse osmosis systems can eliminate. Look for a reverse osmosis system or water cooler that will reduce waste water and is eco-friendly. Start drinking your water today with your new water filter and see a brand new healthier you! To read more from this blog, click here.

While concern over chloramine use in drinking water is arising, most municipalities are choosing to move forward with this switch from chlorine due to increased enforcement from the Environmental Protection Agency. A news article from www.tulsaworld.com discusses the concerns and feelings heard by the Tulsa utility panel from its citizens in regards to using chloramines for water purification purposes. These concerns can be heard from citizens all over the country, but in the meantime, chloramine produces substantially lower concentrations of the disinfection byproducts that the EPA regulates in drinking water. “As many cities [...] are going toward chloramination, there are as many abandoning it,” said Robert Bowcock, an environmental investigator who works with activist Erin Brockovich. Their main concern expressed to the Tulsa utility board was that “the health risks associated with chloramine disinfection byproducts are much more toxic than with chlorine byproducts. He noted that the EPA is very slow in its research of disinfectant by-products.” Yet, the EPA states that, “the EPA continues to research drinking water disinfectants and expects to periodically evaluate and possibly update the questions and answers about chloramines when new information becomes available.”
“Using chloramine to reduce a cancer-causing agent in the drinking water could be harmful even though the EPA approves of the practice, the city’s Utility board was told Wednesday.” Even state websites show some reason for the concern.  According to the EPA, “the typical purpose of chloramines is to provide longer-lasting water treatment as the water moves through pipes to consumers.”
When concern doesn’t change policy, your own choices can still keep you safe. If you feel unsure about the use of chloramines in treating your home’s drinking water, Rayne of Fullerton offers many solutions to give you the peace of mind you deserve when it comes to what your family is drinking in their water. Rayne of Fullerton offers water coolers  which can offer hot or cold safe drinking water at the click of a button. With a Rayne water cooler, you can save anywhere between 25-50% on the cost of bottled water and help the environment by reducing the amount of plastic waste as a result of water bottles. Another choice would be a drinking water system like the RaynePure Plus ® Water Purifier which ensures that the water we drink is safe and natural at all times.
There is no concern with a drinking water system when it effectively reduces harmful contaminants in our drinking water which cause concern. No matter what the contaminant, knowing your drinking water is safe will be worth it. Don’t be concerned about your drinking water. To read more from this article, click here.

Make this year’s resolution one that will benefit not only yourself, but your family members and the environment. You will have a bigger impact on the quality of your well-being than you may have ever imagined and will be acting responsibly in the discussion on the conservation of water here in California. But, choosing products for your home which will give you just what you need isn’t always easy. Finding the right product like a home water softener or a drinking water system takes some knowledge on the part of the customer in finding the best products with the most impressive results.

All around the country, hard water is a serious problem — in fact it is the most common water quality problem in the U.S. Many consumers require home water softener systems to help alleviate the scale build up and damage hard water can inflict. What many consumers don’t realize is that a typical water softener discharges 600-2,000 pounds of salt each year (source: Central Arizona Salinity Study). In every home in America, consumers discharge everyday soaps, toxic detergents and harsh scale-reducing chemicals down the drain. A Rayne water softener system can make a huge difference. Find a water softener where you will use up to 80% less soaps, detergents and chemicals. That’s more savings right there! Then, sign up for Exchange Tank Service. This totally takes out the salt discharge concern with softening your water. In the best cases, the salt discharge rate actually nears 0% and water usage is reduced by at least two-thirds. Also, the tanks require no electricity in the home and no drain because a technician simply exchanges the tank when needed. Be sure to look for these water softeners that are eco-friendly that dramatically minimize water and salt discharge.

Looking for a water purifier, water filter, or drinking water system? These, too, can be eco-friendly, responsible products following your resolution’s requirements. First, find a drinking water system that uses significantly less water than a typical Home Depot Reverse Osmosis System. Not all drinking water systems are created equal, so make sure yours is friendly to the water in our state! Start your New Year’s Resolution today and provide your household with safe drinking water. The benefits to both your health and the environment will be visible and you can feel good about sticking with a resolution as so many of us fail to do.

In the grand scheme of things, most studies will show that there are few elements and chemicals that actually belong in our drinking water. Some elements have been studied more than others, but tungsten seems to be getting more buzz lately. According to one news release in 2011, a new national study began looking into tungsten as an element found in drinking water in conjunction with its effects, reactions, and transports. Another informational site states that tungsten has already been found in “at least 6 of the 1,662 National Priority List Sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency.” That sparked interest for the new study.

What is tungsten? The uses of tungsten are alarming when you read the list and consider that it is a possible contaminant in drinking water; “in an effort to limit toxins in the environment, tungsten is replacing lead in fishing weights and in ammunition for hunting and recreational shooting. The military is substituting tungsten in its high kinetic energy penetrators and small arms ammunition, as well as other ammunitions.” It already doesn’t sound like something most citizens want to consume through drinking water. In the news release, they state that “tungsten is a naturally occurring metallic element that in its alloy or solid form is primarily used for incandescent light bulb filaments and X-ray tubes.” Yummy…

The news release also explains that “animal model studies have shown tungsten can be toxic and even carcinogenic,” Datta said. “Because of this, we need to understand tungsten’s biogeochemistry in the environment, about which very little is known.” The study aimed to gather information called biogeochemistry of tungsten reaction and transport in the environment. It also researched how tungsten concentrations change along groundwater flow paths and modify the groundwater makeup. When tungsten is exposed to oxygen, it undergoes a process called oxidation. In the presence of sulfur rich solutions, it forms thiotungstate complexes, which are also toxic.

This may be alarming enough at this point to consider drinking water systems as a responsible home remedy to reduce this and many other harmful contaminants in your drinking water. With water being such an important factor in the health of your family and all residents who receive water from the tap and expect it to be safe for consumption, water treatment is an affordable and effective alternative to rid your drinking water of harmful contaminants. To learn more from this news release, click here.

Last month, Scientific American published an article that gave us pause. Once again, the herbicide Atrazine has hit the news, even though the EPA tells us it’s safe enough in low levels. This so-called “safe” chemical, however, caused women in the study to have irregular menstrual cycles and low estrogen levels, even when consumed in concentrations much lower than the acceptable safe limit. Of course, hormonal irregularities don’t just stop there though. Altered hormone levels lead to all sorts of other complications including delayed puberty, fertility issues, pregnancy loss, low birth weight, osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

That all sounds like a nightmare, especially considering it is an invisible little contaminant in drinking water. According to the article, atrazine is the most widely used herbicide in the United States, and that approximately 75 percent of all U.S. cornfields are treated with the herbicide each year. Other uses include crops, lawns, and golf courses. Just since 2003, more than 150 new studies have been implemented, raising concerns about the possible health effects of atrazine. The European Union has even banned the chemical’s use due to safety concerns. Still, the herbicide’s manufacturer rejects the findings of these studies, and the EPA says it’s okay in small quantities.

Not convinced? Neither are we. That’s why we recommend a drinking water system that will filter impurities out of your tap water. According to the Water Quality Association, an activated carbon filter – such as the filters in a residential reverse osmosis drinking water system – will take care of the problem.

Drinking water from our tap isn’t always safe and it seems more and more that there is more public awareness regarding the topic of what to do to protect yourself and your family from harmful contaminants in our drinking water. Consumers are constantly being introduced to products which will provide safe drinking water such as water filters, water coolers, and bottled water, but often times we may not know why the tap water isn’t totally safe.

The water cycle is quite simple and at times affecting what we drink. The earth has a limited amount of water. The water that keeps going around and around throughout the life cycle is called the water cycle. The water cycle is made up of 4 main parts: evaporation (and transpiration), condensation, precipitation, and collection. According to the Groundwater Foundation, “the water cycle begins when water from the earth’s soil, plants, and water bodies turns into water vapor through the process of evaporation. This invisible vapor, most of which comes from the world’s oceans, travels up into the atmosphere and condenses, forming clouds. This is called condensation. The vapors in the clouds condense more and more until they form water droplets. More and more water vapor combines with the water droplet until it is too heavy to stay in the sky any longer. The water falls to the earth far below as precipitation. Examples of precipitation include rain, hail, sleet, and snow. When the water reaches the earth’s surface, some of it will flow along the surface of the earth as runoff while the rest of it soaks into the soil–called recharge. Down, down, down the water goes through the soil until it becomes groundwater.”

In the water cycle, water is always on the move. Groundwater is depended upon for daily consumption by fifty percent of the United States. With millions and millions of people relying on the safety of their drinking water, it is important for the public to know that groundwater is susceptible to contamination and pollutants. There are concerns that contamination may increase as toxins dumped on the ground in the past make their way into groundwater supplies. Drinking contaminated groundwater can have serious health effects. Diseases such as hepatitis and dysentery may be caused by contamination from septic tank waste. Poisoning may be caused by toxins that have leached into well water supplies. Other long term effects such as certain types of cancer may also result from exposure to polluted water.

To combat these potential problems and to protect your drinking water, consumers should be aware of the advancing technologies of water filters, reverse osmosis systems, and water cooler options which can provide any household with a continuous supply of safe drinking water. The EWG has identified 316 chemicals in U.S. tap water — 202 of which aren’t regulated. EPA’s failure to protect drinking water sources from pollution and to develop enforceable standards for scores of common tap water contaminants leaves the public at risk. But with a water filter, you will alleviate your bodily systems from filtering any harmful contaminants and leave them behind in the treatment system. The RaynePure^® Plus reverse osmosis drinking water system effectively reduces contaminants and is certified by NSF and the California Department of Health Services. Visit your local water treatment professional today to see how you can protect your drinking water.

Too many consumers are being scammed from the services they expect and deserve. From being sold lemons or cars with hidden issues, to contractors being paid for work they never end up doing, too many worries can come with trying to find the right and best products for your family. Water filters shouldn’t be something we have to worry about getting scammed over, but many times in the news, we see consumers being told that their water is dangerous and they need products among this false information, or even pay for products that are never installed.

Consumers have resources they can use to ensure their choice for professionals and businesses will not end in these stressful circumstances. For example, the BBB rates businesses on 16 factors, on a scale of A+ to F. When looking for a water filter, customers should look for a water treatment company who has an A+ rating with this business bureau. Similarly, consumers can research the company with the Water Quality Association, the Pacific Water Quality Association, read site reviews, ask for referrals from current customers, or consider the length of time a company has been in business. No one should be scammed from what they expect to get and pay for. Water filters are essential in providing consumers with safe drinking water and shouldn’t have to be an issue. Know your resources and utilize them before purchasing water treatment for your family.

Homeowners are not the only consumers dealing with the annoying effects of hard water. A US geological study shows that there is hard water found in more than 85% of the country. That means renters are just as likely to have hard water as their fellow counterparts in homes. The effects are the same, and not all landlords will put water treatment systems into place to ensure that water is conditioned for their dwellers.

Hard water is created after rain water or natural water sources pass over rocks, soil, or sand and picks up minerals. Hard water is extra high in mineral content like mineral salts – calcium and magnesium ions are the most common. Water hardness is usually measured in grains per gallon, with a degree of hardness ranging from 1 to 10. It isn’t seen, and it usually isn’t harmful. So why should renters consider a water softener? Hard water can cause severe mineral buildup clogging pipes and reducing water flow, increased energy with appliances that must work harder to work at all, film and scale can build up on kitchen and bathroom surfaces, an invisible soapy film left on skin can cause it to feel dry or scaly, excess shampoo causes hair to be dull and dry, deposits of scale shortens the life of water heaters or other appliances which the hard water passes through, higher utility bills can increase due to the scale, dishware has an embarrassing white film, reduced suds in the washer mean clothes look dingy and dirty, clothes can have a reduced lifetime, and hard water can also affect the taste of coffee and tea.

Many renters, however, deal with limited space for a water softener in the apartment, or may not want to purchase a system for a temporary solution. The good news is that there are options out there for those consumers who find themselves in this exact predicament. Some water softeners are small enough and will not take up a lot of space, but do make a lot of difference. Likewise, there are water treatment companies out there who have payment options like leasing or renting a water softener rather than purchasing the whole system. Renters deserve to have soft, conditioned water as much as the next person. They should not have to deal with the embarrassing impact from hard water, but shouldn’t have to worry about paying a fortune and finding a permanent solution for their temporary home. Shop around for a water softener that works best for you and your family in size, price, environmental savings, and energy efficiency. You’ll be glad you did.

Here’s an interesting thought… if you are not filtering your drinking water, your body is acting as a water filter. For most of us, we turn on the tap, knowing that our municipality has “treated” our water and that it is presumably safe. Typically, a glass of water looks good – no big chunks or funny colors. Years ago, I decided to try one of those little faucet-mounted filters to see if I could tell a difference. Within just a few weeks, it slowed to barely a trickle and finally stopped altogether. When I took it apart, you wouldn’t believe the stuff caught in the filter! Black chunks of something hard, little white squishy things, red powdery stuff, and just generally nasty crud. And, that’s all stuff you can see. What about the chlorine, nitrates, prescription drugs, and microorganisms that you can’t see?! Would you eat a spoonful of that? Probably not, so why is it better to wash it down in a glass of water?

So, back to my original question. If you aren’t filtering your water, your body must because obviously cells can’t take in and use chunks of black stuff, squishy white stuff, and red powder. So, is your body (filter) getting clogged yet?

We recommend that you give your kidneys a break. Invest in a reverse osmosis drinking water filter system and filter your water before you put it in your mouth. A reverse osmosis system uses a process in which water is forced through a semi-permeable membrane. This membrane allows clean water to pass through but traps the impurities.

Reverse osmosis drinking water systems can filter out much of the lead, copper, arsenic, cadmium, chorine, microorganisms, nitrates, and other contaminants typically found in our water. These systems are typically installed out of sight under your kitchen or bathroom sink but can also be linked to your ice maker for great-tasting ice. With such a system, you will never have to buy bottled water again, saving both your wallet and the environment.

A home drinking water system saves you money, saves the environment, and saves your body. You decide for yourself, but it sounds like a bargain to me!

Do you ever feel like you just don’t have enough time in your day to get to the gym for a couple hours each day? Do you ever feel like gourmet organic health foods are a little costly for your budget? It seems like even celebrities are spending a fortune these days just to be able to have the healthier lifestyles they want. But according to an online article from the Huffington Post, a healthier lifestyle for you and your family starts with one change – more drinking water in your day. The article describes several reasons why water is so good for your health, and it is easier than you think to add it in your daily routine. So forget the trainers, the health foods, and start with real life – real drinking water. We can work out as much as we can, eat as healthy as we can, but without hydration, our body still won’t be as healthy as it could be with water.

According to the article, there are seven main reasons water is good for your body. Drinking water keeps your memory sharp, your mood more stable, and even helps you stay motivated with healthy living. When you stay well-hydrated, you tend to think problems through easier and researchers hypothesize that not having enough water in your body could reduce oxygen flow to the brain or temporarily shrink neurons – basically not drinking enough water can actually distract you. Another healthy benefit of water is that it keeps your throat and lips moist and will prevent your mouth from feeling dry. Dry mouth can cause unwanted situations like bad breath or an unpleasant taste, and can even promote cavities. Third, dehydration lowers your blood volume and this in turn makes your heart have to work harder. It must pump the blood and try to get enough oxygen to your cells, which is why sometimes we feel winded exercising lightly or even walking up stairs.

Another is that your body releases heat by expanding blood vessels close to the skin’s surface, resulting in more blood flow and more heat dissipated into the air. When you are dehydrated, it takes a higher “environmental temperature” to trigger blood vessels to open wider, so you stay hotter. Furthermore, when you drink plenty of water, the water inside and outside of the cells of contracting muscles provide enough nutrients and removes waste efficiently so you perform better overall. Water is also crucial in lubricating your joints.

Another reason to stay hydrated is so your skin stays more elastic and younger looking because your skin cells will be healthier. “Your kidneys need water to filter waste from the blood and excrete it in urine. Keeping hydrated may also help prevent urinary tract infections and kidney stones.” If you are severely dehydrated, your kidneys may stop working, causing toxins to build up in your body. Finally, it is important to remember that based on your size, gender, and activity level, everyone needs different amounts of water, and it usually isn’t “eight glasses a day.” The Institute of Medicine says adult men need about 13 cups (3 liters) per day of fluid; adult women need about 9 cups (2.2 liters) of fluid. “The easiest thing that anybody could do on a daily basis is monitor their urine color,” says Douglas Casa, Ph.D., A.T.C., who studies hydration at the University of Connecticut. “Lighter urine color — like lemonade — means you’re generally well-hydrated. If it’s darker, like apple juice, you are most likely dehydrated.”

So when you feel like it is impossible to get healthier, don’t give up – try water! Now increasing the amount of drinking water you consume from the tap can also mean increased contaminants. Tap water all over the country, although some of the best in the world, can still contain contaminants which are not good for you or your family. Some can cause serious illnesses or other health effects. Water filtration systems can be an affordable solution and still provide your household with a continuous flow of safe drinking water and keep your body feeling great. Reverse osmosis and water coolers provide clean, healthy drinking water without those unwanted contaminants or disinfection chemicals. If your goal is a healthier lifestyle, consider a drinking water system and safe drinking water!