Monday, December 6, 2010

What's on Tap?

In 1999, the National Resource Defense Council conducted 1,000 separate tests of over 100 brands of bottled water and concluded that “bottled water is not necessarily any purer or safer than city tap water.” Tap water contamination is a concern in parts this nation especially due to our growing population, but under new “right to know provisions,” all tap water suppliers are required to provide an annual report on water quality for their customers. The NRDC also released a study which provides information about water quality in major cities. Although the NRDC supports filtration systems, it recognizes that filters and bottled water are not long term solutions to water quality issues. The latest report entitled “What’s on Tap?” stated that in order to protect drinking water “states and cities upgrade drinking water treatment facilities, invest in water conservation measures, and replace or update pipes and water distribution system components.”

Sources:


Sunday, October 10, 2010

An Essential Component


Water is an essential component to all life. In humans, 2/3 of the weight of our bodies and 75-90% of each of our cells is comprised of water. The unique properties of H20 are necessary for a variety of chemical processes including photosynthesis and metabolism. Dr. Wolfgang Ludwig said “All life processes are directly or indirectly connected with water, therefore it entitles water to have a very high priority in the environmental situation.” While water covers over 70% of the Earth’s surface, less than 3% of this is fresh water.