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YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAFE AND HEALTHY WATER
by Robert A. Schwartz
Times Guest Columnist

     It is time to take control of the water coming into your home.  We
can
no longer assume that our water is safe and free of harmful contaminants.
The water we use to drink, for coffee, beverages, cooking, washing and
bathing is potentially loaded with hundreds of different water borne
contaminants, bacteria, and other pollutants.  The EPA has said that
nearly 1
in 5 Americans are drinking contaminated water.  The National
Environmental
Group stated that in a recent two year period there were more than 250,000
violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act.  What is more alarming, is the
fact that the EPA and the related state governments only took action on
less
than 4,000 of these
250,000 violations.  Clearly we cannot rely on the government to insure us
that our tap water is safe and healthy.  Every consumer must take
responsibility for their own tap water to be assured that the water their
family is using is free from harmful contaminants, bacteria, parasites and
pollutants.

     There was a time when we could take a drink of tap water, wash a
piece
of fruit, or take a shower and not give a second thought to the quality or
safety of the water.  Unfortunately this is no longer the case, the EPA
has
even cautioned well water users on possible ground water contamination
besides the leaching of lead from brass well pumps into their water
supply.
The consumer must be made aware of the many potential dangers in their
drinking water.  The Federal Center for Disease Control and
Preventions has said that each year nearly 1,000,000 people become sick
from
drinking contaminated water.  Excessive lead levels in the water have been
linked to learning disabilities, birth defects and other complications in
babies and young children.  Still, the EPA has allowed water suppliers up
to
20 years to comply with their new lead level standards.  Although chlorine
has many beneficial effects in water treatment, the consumption of
chlorinated water has been linked to the increased risk of breast,
bladder, rectal and prostate cancer.  What is worse is that a study by the
Graduate School of Health - University of Pittsburgh showed that showering
with contaminated water is potentially 2 to 10 times more toxic than
drinking
water.  We cannot sit idly by and allow our families and ourselves to risk
cancer, birth defects, gastrointestinal illness, or any of the other
related
potential diseases and infections that have been linked to the
contaminants
in our water supply.

      The revision and strict enforcement of the Safe Drinking Water Act
may
be the ideal long term solution, nonetheless we cannot wait for the
government to make our tap water safe again.  There are many immediate
options available that claim to provide healthy and safe water, however
some
of these options have many related faults and shortcomings.   
     Retail Bottled Water:  Bottled water is a solution that is initially
appealing to many people.  They do not have to think about what kind of
equipment to purchase, they simply go to the store buy the water and take
it
home.  Unfortunately there are many
potential problems with bottled water.  Bottled water sources are usually
unknown to the end user,
therefore the quality and purity of the source and product water are
questionable.  The bottles used for most bottled water are permeable to
bacteria and studies show that within as little as 20 days the water can
become tainted and contaminated.  That 20 days includes the time it took
to
bottle the water, store it, transport it to the store, display it on the
shelf, and for you to take it home and finally use it.  Further, bottled
water is bulky, heavy, inconvenient and costly.  In considering the cost
and
the fact that the bottle only offers a limited supply, many people still
use
their tap water for most of their water needs.  Bottled water is not
usually
used to fill ice trays, make coffee, wash fruits, vegetables or meat, or
to
shower with, consequently consumers are exposing themselves to the harmful
contaminants they are trying to avoid. 
     Bottled Water Delivery: Another popular option is home or office
delivery of bottled water. Unfortunately this water has many of the same
shortcomings as store bought bottled water and more.  For example, the
coolers are bulky and cumbersome, and require the same amount of
electricity
as a standard refrigerator.  Further, the bottles are bulky and valuable
space must be sacrificed for cooler operation and bottle storage.  There
is
also the inconvenience of waiting for the delivery person to arrive with
the
bottles.  However, the most distressing problem is that the high pressure
steam washing that the companies use to clean the used bottles weakens the
plastic and causes it to be leached into your
water.
       Reverse Osmosis Filtration: Reverse Osmosis or R.O. is one of the
many
water filtration
methods available today.  R.O. filtration systems will remove or reduce
most
of the water borne contaminants in today's water, but it also has many
faults.  A standard R.O. unit wastes an average of 3 to 5 gallons of water
for every gallon of water it produces.  R.O. units are also very limited
in
that they only can produce a very limited amount of usable water per 24
hour
period and they are a time consuming high maintenance item.  Therefore
consumers are forced to carefully select when to use their R.O. water,
which
is a modern day form of Russian Roulette.  The most prominent problem with
R.O. systems is that they remove all of the essential trace minerals and
elements that are necessary for good health and normal body functions.
       Carbon Based Filtration Systems:  Carbon based filters offer an
effective solution in addressing chlorine, bad odors, discoloring, bad
taste
and some of the lead in tap water.   Unfortunately these carbon based
filters
also have many shortcomings and faults.  The carbon is so highly adsorbent
of
chlorine that many of the other harmful and dangerous contaminants and
impurities pass through the filter unaffected.  In addition, the carbon
filters become saturated with chlorine and provide an optimal breeding
ground
for bacteria, therefore these filters or cartridges need to be replaced
quite
often.  Besides being inconvenient and expensive, most people forget or
neglect to change the filters or
cartridges.  When the cartridges are not changed the chlorine, lead,
bacteria
and other contaminants reach saturation and pass through the filter into
your
water creating a very dangerous situation.  In general the carbon filters
are
very effective on chlorine tastes, discoloring and odors, but lack the
capacity to address many of the harmful water borne contaminants, bacteria
and pollutants.
       Multi Stage Media Filtration Systems: Multi Stage Media Filtration
Systems will address all of the consumer's demands as well as the needs
presented by today's water supplies.  These multi stage products expand on
the concept of carbon based filtration systems, they employ unique media
compounds that specifically address different groups and types of water
borne
contaminants.  A good analogy would be comparing carbon as a whole house
cleaner to the multi stage media as individual cleaners specifically
designed
to address different contaminants. While the whole house cleaner may do an
adequate overall cleaning job the individual cleaners will excel in their
respective areas.  By utilizing multiple media compounds more than 200 of
today's water borne contaminants and pollutants
can be addressed.  In addition, these multi stage filtration systems,
eliminate the need for replacement filters or cartridges, are maintenance
free and offer an on demand supply of filtered water. Through the addition
of
an Ultra Violet bactericidal unit a majority of the viruses and bacteria
that
threaten many water supplies can also be addressed.

     In looking for a water treatment system for you and your family, you
should be sure to address the following points.  The system should be
maintenance free, requiring no filter or cartridge replacement.  The
system
should have a long life and multiple stage media filtration to best
address a
full array of contaminants.  Remember that an inexpensive system that
requires costly and inconvenient filter replacements is not saving you any
money.  For example a system costing $99.00 and requiring $50.00
replacement
filters every six months, will cost you $549.00 over five years, as
compared
to a system for $150.00 that will last five years without filter
replacement.
Affordable systems, such
as these, do exist enabling you to provide healthy, safe and affordable
water
for you and your family.
     Robert Schwartz is the Executive Vice President of Astro
Associates,Inc.
a local environmental
products company.   Astro Associates, Inc. is involved with the research
design, and distribution
of state-of-the-art consumer and commercial water treatment systems.  To
discuss today's water
problems and your related questions, you can reach Robert Schwartz at
on-line
at Ras23 @aol.com
or (215) 885-3330 or Fax (215) 885-1367.