Water in California

Did you know that the 6^th leading cause of death, at least in the United States, is due to medication-related safety?  Not many people would answer yes to this question.  To help improve awareness of the issue and reduce risk, the Women’s Heart Foundation has sponsored a Medication Safety Week, this year running from April 1^st -7^th.

During this week, various programs throughout the country provide advice regarding how to safely keep and take prescribed or over the counter medications.  Some of the most commonly given pieces of advice include the following safety precautions:

1. Clean out your medicine cabinet.  Make sure that everything that is in it is up to date and not expired. If you end up throwing some away PLEASE don’t flush them! This is the quickest way to contaminate everyone’s drinking water!
2. Know what medications you take.  Keep a list with you in case you need to seek emergency care and a friend or loved one must provide the information to a doctor.
3. Read medicine labels carefully.  You should know how to properly store and take whatever medications have been prescribed to you.
4. Communicate with your doctor and/ or pharmacist if you have any questions.  Be aware of what, if any, foods or other medications interfere with what you are taking. Also, don’t be afraid to be an advocate for your own health if you feel the drug being prescribed is inappropriate.

Medications taken by mouth are often taken with liquids, most commonly milk or water.  It is important, then, to also consider safety when choosing what to drink.  Be sure that you are following your medication’s label instructions in regards to what beverage to take along with it and make sure the source of the beverage is safe.

Many people, especially elderly individuals, are not aware of whether or not their water is completely safe to drink.  Even in areas that are supplied by city water, harmful bacteria or other toxins can inadvertently make their way into drinking water and cause serious health problems.  To help prevent possible contamination, drink water that has been filtered through a reverse osmosis drinking water system.  If you take medication with water several times a day, it is especially critical that you are drinking the purest, cleanest water available as health and water safety go hand in hand.

When we are tired, we often blame it on the environment around us. We don’t think (or maybe want) to look to ourselves as the reason that we are so tired. We blame it on having to work late, attend our children’s sporting events, or a busy day at work. Many times, fatigue can be cured by looking at the choices we make and what we are putting in our body. Dehydration comes with feeling fatigued but most people just assume that they are drinking enough water. Drinking more water may actually be one of the cures of chronic fatigue because it also cures dehydration symptoms.

Learning how to cleanse your body and fuel it is one of the best ways to start living a better life when you may have been living with chronic fatigue. Hydration will instantly improve your physical energy, as well as other aspects of life such as brain fog and confusion, headaches, skin issues, joint pain, muscle pain, poor digestion, and cravings. When we are dehydrated, our body tends to start wearing down. When you aren’t drinking enough water, you may begin to feel sluggish, drowsy, and just plain without energy. Almost all body functions are about fluid balance, and even small changes in fluid balance can affect our performance and daily life. If this fluid is not replaced blood volume can drop. As a result, the heart has to work harder in order to supply the skin and muscles with oxygen and nutrients.

Furthermore, dehydration can also bring about headaches. People who suffer from chronic fatigue often say that they have frequent or constant headaches. This can be due to mental stress or not being properly hydrated. One of the best things that people with chronic fatigue can do is to refresh themselves with safe, pure drinking water. When you drink sufficient water, blood flow is not restricted and the toxins can be flushed out of your tissues and into your blood stream. In order for you to drink more water, it is important to be aware of your tap water. Not all tap water is safe and there may be harmful contaminants ready for consumption. Of course we want you to drink more water, but consider one of our drinking water systems before you fill your glass. Tap water can bring worries and bottled water can bring cost. For the most cost-effective and eco-friendly solution, check out our reverse osmosis  drinking water systems. They will effectively remove harmful contaminants from your tap without the cost of buying bottled water. Feeling better and having more energy may be as simple as drinking safer, purer water.

With a resource as important and vital to the survival of humanity, groundwater should be valued and protected. But as we protect our groundwater, we also should protect our families from the water itself. National Groundwater Awareness Week will take place from March 10-16 and puts the spotlight on this vital natural resource. Without it, communities, the environment, and humanity itself could not survive. Both public drinking water systems and private wells depend on groundwater for their supplies. Around 44% of the U.S. population depends on groundwater alone, also known as the water that fills cracks and other openings in beds of rock and sand, for its drinking water supply (be it from either a public source or private well). In rural areas, the number is about 96%. Yet, we need to also be aware of the threats to groundwater both with climate effects and drinking water contamination which is the goal of this national awareness campaign. Now may be the perfect time to also consider one of our water filters to protect yourself from groundwater contamination whether you have a private well or use your public drinking water system.

According to groundwater.org, groundwater contamination occurs when man-made products such as gasoline, oil, road salts and chemicals get into the groundwater and cause it to become unsafe and unfit for human use. Some of the major sources of these products, called contaminants, are “storage tanks, septic systems, hazardous waste sites, landfills, and the widespread use of road salts, fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals.” Groundwater can become polluted, or contaminated, simply by being on the surface. It can also become polluted from leaky underground tanks that store gasoline and when pollutants leak, spill, or are carelessly dumped on the ground they can move through the soil. Septic systems are a major concern across the country. For example, “an improperly designed, located, constructed, or maintained septic system can leak bacteria, viruses, household chemicals, and other contaminants into the groundwater causing serious problems.”

Groundwater is so important in the functioning of everyday life, not just drinking water. The United States uses 79.6 billion gallons per day of fresh groundwater for public supply, private supply, irrigation, livestock, manufacturing, mining, thermoelectric power, and other purposes. But our main concern still needs to be the groundwater contamination. Protect your family’s drinking water with one of our eco-friendly reverse osmosis water purifiers which will effectively and efficiently remove harmful contaminants during the reverse osmosis filtering process. With high-flow capability and a continuous supply of great-tasting, safe drinking water, you will feel better about your drinking water and the drinking water that supplies it. As we become increasingly more aware of our groundwater, be sure to use caution with one of our water filters.

Unless you’re a scientist, you probably studied the periodic table in high school science class and then promptly forgot all about it, focusing instead on other things that you thought were more relevant to your daily life.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency, however, one semi-metal element on that periodic table might affect your daily living more than you think.

The mystery element is arsenic which, according to the EPA, “enters drinking water supplies from natural deposits in the earth or from agricultural and industrial practices.”  Because it is odorless and tasteless, many people may mistakenly believe that arsenic is harmless and they might not even know that it is present in the water they drink every day.  Side effects of consuming water contaminated by arsenic can be as commonplace as stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting, or can be as serious as partial paralysis, blindness, or certain types of cancer.  The goal here is not to scare you but to educate you on the hidden dangers that may be lurking in your water, especially if your water comes from a private well or other untested source.

For individuals living in areas supplied by public water sources, there is some reduced worry of adverse side effects from arsenic contamination since municipalities must test their water at regular intervals and report the results to the populations they serve.  This does not eliminate the risk of contamination altogether, however it does allow for more immediate remediation if a problem with the water quality should arise.

Individuals with private water supplies should be even more cautious.  Most homeowners get their water tested infrequently, quite often only when they first buy or move into a home.  It stands to reason, then, that arsenic contamination could easily occur and catch the average homeowner unawares.  To prevent this, you can have your water tested more frequently.  If it ever does get contaminated, however, you must still find a way to treat it so that it will be safe for drinking again.  A simpler solution is to have a drinking water system installed in your home that filters out contaminants before the water comes out of the tap and into your glass.  Just be sure to have it professionally installed and maintained so that it can do its job effectively and efficiently.  With a drinking water filter in place, you will be taking one more step toward maintaining the health and vitality of you and your family.

March is National Nutrition Month and is the perfect time for families all over the country to start making better decisions when it comes to their health and their diets. When we improve our food choices, beverage choices, and eating habits, we will begin to feel better. The key to becoming more healthy and making better choices is to start small – like eating leaner protein, eating more green veggies, or drinking more filtered water.The goal of National Nutrition Month is not to turn everyone into health nuts, but to make small dietary changes which, over time, can play a significant role in improving health. From children to adults, everyone can benefit from drinking more water.

Each year, National Nutrition Month has a different theme that falls within the goal of improving eating habits. This year’s theme is “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day” and “seeks to acknowledge that nutrition can’t be achieved via a one-size-fits-all approach. People have different lifestyles, cultural and ethnic traditions, and health concerns that should all play roles in individual nutritional needs and goals.” The best and most simple choice you can make to start is to start filtering your drinking water to ensure that the quality is excellent and it tastes great too. Too often, we take our drinking water for granted. Just because you cannot see contaminants does not mean they don’t exist. Although American drinking water is some of the best in the world, we still have to protect our homes and bodies from harmful contamination, just as many communities have to deal with too frequently.

Drinking more water will also improve your health in so many exciting ways. Water is necessary to regulate your body’s temperature, keep joints lubricated, protect your spinal cord and tissues, rid the body of waste through urination and perspiration, keep your heart pumping with more ease, and keep your skin looking fresh and hydrated. Staying hydrated is vital to your health as well. Dehydration is a condition that occurs when the loss of body fluids, mostly water, exceeds the amount that is taken in. It simply means your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should. As the body continues to lose water, which is not being replaced, our daily life can become affected. A lack of water will affect the way we work including our concentration and we may start to experience dizziness, fatigue and a general weakness of the body. Joints will begin to ache and become quite painful and you could suffer bouts of headaches, muscle cramps and constipation. Externally, your skin will lose its healthy glow and hair and nails will become brittle and dull.

Soft drinks and sugary drinks should be avoided when trying to make healthier decisions about food and drinks. are bad for the teeth and can cause tooth decay due to the large amounts of sugars they contain and alcoholic or caffeinated beverages are not ideal as they act as diuretics, making the body urinate more than it normally would and therefore forcing the kidneys to work harder. It isn’t always easy to make healthier decisions. When we try to make too many changes, too often we fail. Starting with increasing your water intake through a water filter is a great way to instantly feel better and look better. Drinking more water shouldn’t mean more worrying about contamination. Our drinking water systems effectively remove contaminants and will purify your water so you get the quality you deserve.

There are few people in this world that most of us will truly take orders from. Maybe a police officer or a boss, but hopefully our doctors. We trust that they have our best interest at hand and have done the research for best practice advice. In the case of February and American Heart Month, medical experts certainly have done some research on this amazing organ that is the force which pumps our blood through our body and keeps us alive. A healthy heart functions better when we take care of it, just as the rest of our body does. Eating right, staying hydrated, and exercising are a few of the simplest ways to care for our precious hearts.

The American Heart Association states that water is critical for a healthy heart. We want to celebrate this February’s American Heart Month by providing safe drinking water to more households and businesses than ever. Safe drinking water is important when you make the decision to drink more water. Hydrate your heart with one of our drinking water systems which use reverse osmosis. Our water purifier effectively reduces harmful contamination which is common among tap water. Certified by the NSF and the California Department of Health Services, our products are affordable, eco-friendly, and use the most advanced water technology to support heart health.

So it’s that simple? Drink more water and have a healthier heart? Pretty much, yes. It certainly doesn’t guarantee it, but the odds fall a little more in your favor for the reasons listed above. You still need to take care of yourself of course. Drinking more water will not cancel out unhealthy decisions with food, smoking, and being inactive. Keeping the body hydrated helps the heart more easily pump blood through the blood vessels to the muscles. And, it helps the muscles remove waste so that they can work efficiently.  “If you’re well hydrated, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard,” said John Batson, M.D, a sports medicine physician with Lowcountry Spine & Sport in Hilton Head Island, S.C., and an American Heart Association volunteer. The American Heart Association explains that “the amount of water a person needs depends on climatic conditions, clothing worn and exercise intensity and duration.” Come check out our water purifier and other drinking water systems and drink more water. Hydrate your heart and improve health instantly.

Sometimes, as adults, we lead very busy (and stressful) lives and need to make choices that are fast and convenient. These may result in the lesser of healthy choices, but are easier nonetheless. But before you grab a juice box, soft drink, or other sugary beverage for your child due to its convenience, think about the impact it is having on their dental health. Water is and always will be the best beverage choice we and our children can make because of the health benefits and the added calories and sugars it doesn’t have.

Water is good for our health for a number of reasons. Water is essential to human health, and while it seems to be convenient, too many children are consuming sugary drinks as a substitute. According to experts, “Soft drink consumption is one of several leading causes of tooth decay. Carbonation, sugar and acids in soft drinks weaken tooth enamel and encourage the growth of bacteria that contribute to tooth decay.” Sugar in soda combines with bacteria in your mouth to form acid. Likewise, this acid, plus the extra acid from soft drinks, attacks the teeth. Each acid attack lasts about 20 minutes, and acid attacks start over again with every sip. Even sugar-free drinks can harm teeth. Although fruit drinks aren’t carbonated like soda, they too have acid and sugar that can cause decay.

Since water makes up more than two thirds of our body weight, it’s important to stay hydrated with contaminant-free water to maintain health and to prevent health consequences from chemicals or other pollutants. Bottled water is a poor choice because of its environmental impact, so tap water is still the best way to keep your child drinking healthy and paying attention to their dental health as well. The U.S. EPA has set standards for more than 80 primary contaminants that may occur in drinking water and pose a risk to human health. These standards, called maximum contaminant levels, are the safety limits established for safe drinking water. Not all contaminants are on this list, however. To supply your children with safe drinking water, consider one of our drinking water systems that will filter your water efficiently and effectively via reverse osmosis. It will turn your tap water into safe, pure drinking water so you can preserve your children’s dental health and reduce the amount of plastic waste from water bottles. Contact us today for a water purifier  for your home.

Most of us drink water to stay healthy. We are constantly hearing about how good water is for our skin and health, but what experts seem to be leaving out is just how important the quality of our drinking water is too. Contaminated drinking water is present all around us and could actually be making us sicker. Just because you cannot see a contaminant, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t there. Tap water is disinfected to keep us healthier, but even the disinfection by-products can cause serious health effects. Rather than rely on the tap water to run pure and safe, a drinking water filter can remove chemicals and pollutants before consumption to protect your health.

Tap water is often treated with chemicals called dichlorophenols. These chemicals are used to purify ground water so it can be consumed “safely”. (When it all comes down to it, short-term safety with our drinking water may not actually be the same as our long-term safety.) These chemicals are under suspicion for triggering allergies created by the breakdown of common pesticides, including chlorinated chemicals used to purify drinking water, the article explains. DCPs also turn up in moth balls, air fresheners, deodorizer cakes (like those found in urinals), and certain herbicides sprayed on crops.

There has also been a link identified by researchers to food allergies and water that contains pesticides and other chemicals. According to a report in Time Magazine, 10,348 study participants who were found to have the highest levels of dichlorophenols in the body were 80% more likely to have food sensitivities than those with lower levels. “The authors believe the exposure to the chemicals may be contributing to a hyper-sensitive immune system that recognizes common food proteins as foreign substances.”  Pollutants are very widely available through pesticides, herbicides and insecticides that there may to be a link said the lead researcher, Dr Elina Jerschow, an American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology fellow. Again, it causes allergic reactions and hypersensitivity to our foods and overstimulates various systems in our body which work to control and regulate our components.

Another interesting group of contaminants causing harm are obesogens. The American Medical Association, National Institutes of Health, and White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity have been cracking open the issue of “obesogens” and how they drastically affect our bodies, causing weight gain and contributing the obesity epidemic. Whether it is pollutants, chemicals, dichlorophenols, or obesogens, you deserve safe drinking water without the worry. Our drinking water systems  remove harmful contamination through reverse osmosis and provide high quality drinking water right from the tap. The contaminants mentioned in this article alone could make us crazy trying to prevent health concerns. With the lease or purchase of a reverse osmosis system, all of your concerns are eliminated just like the harmful contaminants. Affordable and eco-friendly, our systems will truly make you a healthier, happier person.

Often, we hear about California’s water issues, or the Southwest’s water issues, but when was the last time you heard anything specific to your town or neighborhood? We often generalize water problems, but it’s not until they hit our own kitchen sink that we actually care enough to make a change, or even learn more about the problem. That’s why we decided to take an upclose look at the water in three of our neighboring cities:  Anaheim, Yorba Linda, and Brea.

Anaheim’s Water Quality Report can be seen at http://www.anaheim.net/utilities/waterservices/LatestWQR.pdf. According to their brochure, they conduct more than 44,000 analyses each year to ensure that the water is safe and aesthetically acceptable. Anaheim’s water supply is a blend of groundwater from the city’s own wells, and water imported from Northern California and the Colorado River by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Your particular water source depends on where you live or work within the boundaries of the community. Each of these sources is vulnerable to certain contaminants.  Colorado River supplies are most vulnerable to recreation contamination, urban/storm water runoff, increasing urbanization, and wastewater. State Water Project supplies are considered to be most vulnerable to urban/storm water runoff, wildlife, agriculture, recreation and wastewater. The ground water is vulnerable to contamination from sources such as gas stations, dry cleaners, and industrial activities. The Anaheim area is subject to very hard water, with a range of 11-17 grains per gallon.

Yorba Linda’s Water Quality Report can be seen at http://www.ylwd.com/your-water-service/water-quality/water-quality-reports. Yorba Linda’s water supply is a blend of groundwater from our own wells and water imported from Northern California and the Colorado River by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. As described above, these was sources are vulnerable to many different contaminants, so the groundwater is treated with chlorine and the imported water with chloramine. Yorba Linda also has very hard water, falling primarily within the range of 17.8 and 19.0 grains per gallon.

Brea’s Water Quality Report can be seen at http://www.cityofbrea.net/images/default/citydocs/PW/Brea2012WQR.pdf. According to this report, “The State allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though representative, are more than one year old.”  Brea’s water sources are largely disinfected with the use of chlorine. Chlorine is added to the drinking water at the source of supply (groundwater well or surface water treatment plant). Enough chlorine is added so that it does not completely dissipate through the distribution system pipes. This “residual” chlorine helps to prevent the growth of bacteria in the pipes that carry drinking water from the source into your home. While chlorine is extremely effective at disinfecting water, there are generally unintended chemical byproducts produced. The Brea Water Quality Report discusses these contaminants but was not found to exceed state or federal allowable limits.

Pacific Coast Water Systems of Fullerton encourages you to read your municipality’s water quality report. However, as you do, keep in mind that they do not test for every contaminant every single day. In the case Brea, some of their reported tests were over one year old. We actually applaud our city water suppliers – they do a fantastic job of providing safe water. However, if you’d like to rid your home of water spots and other signs of hard water, we invite you to call and learn more about our water softeners. Or, if you’d like to filter out all those drinking water contaminants that appear in “acceptable” amounts or that are yet unregulated, call to learn about our reverse osmosis drinking water systems.

Between the cookies and cocktails, there’s a good chance that most people will pack on the pounds this holiday season. In fact, according to one health expert, North Americans will gain 2-3 pounds on average this holiday season alone. Drinking water is essential for weight loss, so this holiday season, drinking water may help you feel a little less guilty about that extra helping. Drinking water systems will filter this water so you have less worries about contamination and more worry about other health issues.

Water makes up about 50% of your body. We know it is important, but that is an understatement. Water is absolutely essential for the body to function. According to an article from atlanticblackstar.com, “every enzymatic and chemical reaction in the body occurs with the help of water. Water transports hormones, nutrients, oxygen and antibodies. It regulates body temperature, helps maintain muscle tone, and protects tissues, organs and joints from shock and damage.” Getting healthy and staying healthy starts with drinking plenty of water – safe water, that is. Unlike quenching your thirst with a soft drink, alcohol, coffee, or milk, water is fat free, calorie free, and cholesterol free. When you are hungry, water can also act as a natural appetite suppressant. This is a good habit all year long, so consider a glass of water before you reach for that plate of milk and cookies. According to the article, “clinical studies even show that a low consumption of water allows fat to be deposited in the body rather than burned for energy.

The reasons for drinking plenty of water are clear, but the water we drink is just as important. When you start increasing water into your lifestyle, we believe it is vital to ensure that you are keeping it safe and pure. Our drinking water filters work hand in hand with your newfound diet or lifestyle. Our reverse osmosis drinking water systems filter harmful contaminants out of the drinking water so you have the best quality water you could imagine. Don’t let increasing your drinking water mean increasing your contamination intake. Reverse osmosis  is the most cost-effective and eco-friendly method for providing a constant flow of safe drinking water and staying healthy. This holiday season, give yourself the best gift you can – a healthy lifestyle that starts with drinking plenty of safe water!