General Water Resources
WQA offers information on the basics of water treatment, common contaminants, benefits of good water quality and much more.
Chromium-6, a metal famous by Erin Brockovich, was found in water at levels at or above 0.02 parts per billion in 90 percent of 60,000 water samples the EPA had tested.
Toxic Waters InteractiveAn interactive website based on the “Toxic Waters” article by the New York Times that helps you find Clean Water Act violations in your local area.
Drinking Water
Medicated Bath Products to Blame for Worsening Water Pollution For the first time, a study unveiled at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society points out that a major source of active pharmaceutical ingredients in water comes from bathing, showering, and laundering. According to Dr. Ilene Ruhoy, “lotions, creams, gels and skin patches are to blame for a significant amount of the APIs in ground water.”
Convoy of Hope and Culligan Team Up to Bring Drinkable Water to Haiti Culligan is donating 3 water purification systems that can produce up to 15,000 gallons of drinking water per day to the Convoy of Hope to help survivors of the devastating Haiti earthquakes. Culligan has already sent 250,000 bottles of drinking water that were on the ground within days of the earthquake. “These water purification systems will help save lives,” said Hal Donaldson, founder and president, Convoy of Hope.
That Tap Water is Legal, but May Be Unhealthy The NY Times continues to investigate 35 year old drinking water standards and laws that regulate 91 contaminants when the EPA estimates there are nearly 60,000 chemicals in use in the United States. The article points out, “scientists have scrutinized thousands of those chemicals in recent decades, and identified hundreds associated with a risk of cancer and other diseases at small concentrations in drinking water, according to an analysis of government records by The New York Times.”
Millions in US drink dirty water, records show According to the opening paragraph of the article, “More than 20 percent of the nation’s water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last five years, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data.”
Cocaine, Spices, Hormones Found in Drinking Water Unexpected “ingredients” are finding there way into water all over the world, however this study reviews the ongoing water chemistry in the Pugent Sound. They’ve noted that the types of spices vary depending on the time of year and have even tracked a spike in vanilla and chocolate in the water on weekends.
Comfort Food: Chocolate, water reduce pain response to heat Interesting study that demonstrates that rats respond more slowly to pain when eating a chocolate chip or sugar water. The novel part of the study is that the same delayed response to pain occurred when the rats had regular water infused into their mouths. Therefore suggesting that the calories in “comfort food” are not what provide the comfort as there are no calories in water.
Toxic Waters An in-depth study national study performed by the New York Times where they claim that 1 in 10 Americans drinks contaminated water. The study suggests that people on well water are particularly susceptible however municipal supplies have had over 500,000 EPA violations since 2004.
Chicago water: In public reports, city silent over sex hormones and painkillers found in treated drinking water Just another instance of pharmaceuticals showing up in public drinking water supplies. The most cost-effective way to treat this is still treating the drinking water at the Point of Use. This can be done in homes with a Culligan RO or in businesses with a Bottle-FreeĀ® Cooler.
Magnetic, Saltless, Salt-Free, and other Water Treatment Alternatives
Water-related pseudoscience, fantasy, and quackery Updated regularly – A website developed by a retired faculty member of the Dept of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University Burnaby / Vancouver, Canada to expose all the “myths” of water softening and treatment.
Any guidance on the EasyWater product for treating hard water? – an online forum discussing the claims and benefits of the EasyWater magnetic water conditioner advertised nationally including on Sean Hannity’s radio show.
Yes or No to EasyWater water softener by Frieje – online forum discussing the lack of science and proof behind EasyWater and even the “Scalewatcher” by AquaGenesis.
Bottled Water
Plastic bottles pile up as mountains of waste The effects of bottled water on the environment.
*Contaminants may not be in your water.
