Water Facts: What You Need to Know
Drinking bottled water won't do the trick In a study by the Natural Resources Defense Council, 47% of respondents said they drank bottled water because of what they saw as health and safety problems with tap water. Studies suggest you ingest as many of the harmful impurities found in unfiltered water in a 10 minute shower as you do drinking eight glasses of water. According to a recent investigation by the Environmental Working Group, the study raised questions about the purity and even safety of commercially available water. This study found that in the 10 best-selling brands of bottled water (tested for 170 different contaminants), all of them tested positively for different mixtures of 38 contaminants, including bacteria, fertilizer, and industrial chemicals at levels similar to those allowed in tap water.
The Environmental Impact According to a study by the Pacific Institute, the growing consumption of bottled water raises questions about the product's economic and environmental costs. Among the most significant concerns are the resources required to produce the plastic bottles and to deliver filled bottles to consumers, including energy and water.
The better it tastes, the more water you'll drink
- Three out of four Americans are chronically dehydrated.
- In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.
- Even mild dehydration can slow one's metabolism.
- One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
- Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
- Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
- A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy shortterm memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
- Drinking five glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and makes you half as likely to develop bladder cancer.
The Pacific Institute found that:
- Producing the plastic bottles for American consumption required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil, not including the energy for transportation.
- Bottling water produced more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide.
- It took 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water.
- Plastic water bottles generate 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year in landfills.
Because Water Quality is a Choice
You Can Control What's In Your Water
For three generations, Levine & Sons has been servicing residential and commercial plumbing, heating and air conditioning systems. Our 80 years of experience has allowed us to perfect the Red Carpet™ service experience
that our customers, not only deserve, but expect.
Filters versus Softeners
They are not the same thing. Filtration systems remove impurities in water. Softeners exchange particles in the water to remove minerals like calcium and magnesium and replacing them with sodium ions. Anti-scale systems are a hi-tech, eco-friendly alternative to softeners that encapsulate minerals so that they pass freely through your plumbing systems without causing build up.
Educate yourself on your water quality
Read your local water authority's Consumer Confidence Report, paying special attention to the THMs and HAAs, as these are known to increase long term cancer risks.
Have your water tested
Municipal water can be sufficiently tested with a basic chlorine/chloramine test and hardness test. Well water systems should have comprehensive testing done to test for a wide range of potential concerns, not relevant to municipal water. Because municipal water is chemically treated, a whole house carbon filter is a must to remove the harmful impurities in our water. The Pro Series line of filtration equipment reduces many VOC's, pesticides and herbicides, as well as chlorine, benzene, trihalomethane compounds, radon, solvents and hundreds of other man-made chemicals that can be found in tap water*. They also remove bad tastes and odors. This makes the whole house filtration systems the most common solution selected among home owners.
In hard water areas you will want to decide if a traditional softener or anti-scale system best fits your needs.
Your service professional can help you make the best decision to protect your family and home.
* Please refer to the manufacture's Performance Data Sheet for specific claims and certifications.
Pro Series Whole House Water Filter Clean, odor free, delicious water throughout the whole house
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Pro Series Water Conditioner System Soft, conditioned water throughout the whole house
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Pro Series POU Drinking Water System Clean, odor free, delicious water from your kitchen sink faucet.
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Pro Series Anti-scale System Green, salt-free water softener alternative
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Pro Series Ultra Filter Combined with the carbon system to provide the best quality water possible without waste
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Bottled Water Facts
- Roughly 45% of the water sold in single-serve bottles comes from a municipal water source.
- Other bottled water labeled "purified water" or "purified drinking water," most likely comes from a municipal water source as well.
- Water labeled "spring water" comes from an underground water spring, but it may be piped and processed through a bottling plant.
- "Mineral water" comes from an underground source and must contain no less than 250 parts per million total dissolved solids, such as salts, sulfur compounds, and gasses.
- "Artesian water" or "artesian well water" must come from a well that taps a confined aquifer and is usually filtered before bottling.