Laboratory tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG) have detected hexavalent chromium, the carcinogenic “Erin Brockovich chemical,” in tap water from 31 of 35 American cities. The highest levels were in Norman, Okla.; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Riverside, Calif. In all, water samples from 25 cities contained the toxic metal at concentrations above the safe maximum recently proposed by California regulators.
The National Toxicology Program has concluded that hexavalent chromium (also called chromium-6) in drinking water shows “clear evidence of carcinogenic activity” in laboratory animals, increasing the risk of gastrointestinal tumors. In September 2010, a draft toxicological review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) similarly found that hexavalent chromium in tap water is “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.”
In 2009, California officials proposed setting a “public health goal” for hexavalent chromium in drinking water of 0.06 parts per billion (ppb) to reduce cancer risk. This was the first step toward establishing a statewide enforceable limit. Despite mounting evidence of its toxic effects, the EPA has not set a legal limit for hexavalent chromium in tap water nationally and does not require water utilities to test for it. In 25 cities where EWG’s testing detected chromium-6 — in the first publicly available national survey for the contaminant — it was found in concentrations exceeding California’s proposed maximum, in one case at a level more than 200 times higher.
At least 74 million Americans in 42 states drink chromium-polluted tap water, much of it likely in the cancer-causing hexavalent form. Given the scope of exposure and the magnitude of the potential risk, EWG believes the EPA should move expeditiously to establish a legal limit for chromium-6 and require public water suppliers to test for it.
For complete article go to: http://static.ewg.org/reports/2010/chrome6/html/home.html
What is water softening?
Water softening is the removal of calcium and a few other minerals that can cause our working water to
damage household property. When it deposits as scale, calcium carbonate (limestone) is an abrasive
rock like mineral.
Why soften your water?
Calcium that is dissolved in water forms deposits that:
• Abrade and fray the threads in clothing
• Stick to clothing and other household products and appliances (You can feel the difference
between towels that are new and those that have been repeatedly laundered in hard water.
Those laundered in hard water ones are rough, the result of rock encrustations embedded in the
fibers.)
• Spot dishes, faucets, sinks, toilets, cars, in fact all surfaces, with a microscopic film of limestone.
• Deposits buildup inside water pipes, heaters, and bathroom and kitchen fixtures.
• Gas water heaters used 29% less energy to heat water and electric water heaters used 21% less
energy when operated on softened water according to a study done by New Mexico State
University.
How can water be softened?
• Presently there is only one practical way for homeowners to soften their water and that is through
an ion exchange water softener. Briefly here is how it works.
• Ion exchange water softeners are filled with millions of tiny resin beads that attract and hold on
to calcium. As the water passes through this resin “bed” the calcium is removed so it cannot
harm your household goods.
• What happens when the resin beads are full of calcium?
• The resin bed is rinsed with dissolved salt, usually table salt. The dissolved salt scours the
calcium from the beads, which prepares them to remove more calcium. This rinsing process
takes place every few days, usually at night.
Are there other alternatives that remove calcium from the water?
• Not that we are aware of at this time. Some other technologies can remove calcium but a very
high cost in energy or wasted water. Ion exchange water softening is the most cost efficient
method to remove calcium.
I’ve heard of other “salt free” devices that are offered as alternatives.
What are they, and what do they do?
• First of all, you need to talk to the manufacturer of these devices to get the facts.
• Consumer protection laws are clear across the land. Manufacturers must have scientific test data
to back up their claims for their particular product.
• Since no testing standard exists in the US for these devices we have not tested nor certified these
products so we can only pass on what we have heard. (More on testing and certification below)
• We understand that there are products that are marketed as scale control devices.
• Scale is the rock like mineral deposit (limestone) made up of calcium carbonate that forms inside
water heaters, pipes, and fixtures over a period of time.
• Scale control devices can have the ability under certain circumstances to help reduce the amount of
scaling inside these pipes and fixtures.
• To our knowledge these scale control devices do not claim to remove calcium and so they do not
produce soft water.
• Controlling scale inside pipes, water heaters, and fixtures is an important benefit but it is only a
partial benefit.
What is product certification?
• Product certification is usually referred to as Conformity Assessment. This term is used to describe
steps taken by both manufacturers and independent third parties to determine fulfillment of
standards requirements. It involves testing products in a laboratory according to a standard
procedure and it also involves periodic audit inspections of the manufacturing facility to insure that
the product that was tested conforms to the ones currently being manufactured. The Water
Quality Association is an organization that is certified by the American National Standards Institute
for conformity assessment.
What is the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and what is its role?
• The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has served in its capacity as administrator and
coordinator of the United States private sector voluntary standardization system for more than 90
years.
• The Institute recognizes the competence of bodies to carry out product or personnel certification in
accordance with requirements defined in International Standards. ANSI’s accreditation programs
operate in accordance with international guidelines and have been verified by government and
peer review assessments.
• ANSI’s program for accrediting third‐party product certification have experienced significant growth
in recent years, and the Institute continues its efforts to obtain worldwide acceptance of accredited
certifications performed in the U.S.
• One of the best indicators of the strength of the U.S. system is the government’s extensive reliance
on, and use of, private sector voluntary standards. Pursuant to OMB Circular A119, federal
government agencies are required to use voluntary standards for regulatory and procurement
purposes when appropriate. State and local governments and agencies have formally adopted
thousands of voluntary standards produced by ANSI, and the process appears to be accelerating.
What is the Water Quality Association’s Gold Seal and what does it mean to consumers?
• The WQA Gold Seal is awarded only to products that have passed laboratory tests, literature
review, materials assessment, and have been submitted to periodic audits according to ANSI NSF
Standards (NSF stands for the National Sanitation Foundation, a standards writing body that
conforms to ANSI standards.)
What do the seals mean?
• Each technology is tested according to a different standard. Look at the seal to see which standard
the product was tested for. (See the picture of the seal with the references to the different
standards)
• To avoid confusion here are the basic standards with some clarifying notes:
• Standard 42 Drinking Water Treatment Units Aesthetic Effects. These products are certified only
for taste or odor or staining. No health claims have been certified for products tested according
to this standard.
• Standard 44 Cation exchange water softeners. These products are certified for the removal of
hardness (calcium). Some manufacturers have also had their softeners certified for the removal
of barium and radium.
• Standard 53 Drinking Water Treatment Units Health Effects. These products are certified for the
removal of specific health contaminants. Look for the manufacturer’s listing of the
contaminants that were tested. Certified contaminant removal claims can only be made for the
listed contaminants on the literature.
• Standard 55 Ultraviolet Microbiological Water Treatment
Systems
• Standard 58 Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Systems
• Standard 61 Drinking Water Treatment Components Health
Effects. This standard insures that the product itself does not
impart health contaminants to the drinking water that comes in
contact with it. The other standards all require this kind of testing as part of their certification.
These are 42, 44, 53, 55, 58, and 62. Standard 61 testing does not include any performance
testing.
• Standard 62 Drinking Water Distillation Systems
• Standard 171 Shower Filtration Systems Aesthetic Effects
A full listing of all products that have been certified by WQA can be found on the WQA web site –
www.WQA.org.
“Call us today for your free water analysis”
Aqua Clear Water Systems
1767-A Kevin Lane
Lenoir City, Tn. 37772
(865)-694-1725
www.aquaclearws.com
You probably learned in grade school that, as a “rule of thumb,” we are encouraged to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. When we don’t drink enough water daily, we punish our bodies, and this can lead to long-term health issues, including poorly operating or stiff joints, higher blood pressure, poor cardiac output, blood chemistry imbalances, and loss of skin elasticity (i.e. the cause of wrinkles).
Many people believe that they receive their “daily water requirements” from drinking beverages such as soft drinks, coffee, tea or alcoholic beverages. These beverages are actually diuretics and can lead to dehydration. If you drink these beverages, you should increase the amount of water you consume to compensate from these “non-water” beverages.
The number one reason people don’t drink enough water is bad taste. Water is often high in chlorine content and can have other foul tastes. People say if water tasted better, they would drink more.
The good news is that bad taste can now be eliminated from your tap water through a home water purification process, known as reverse osmosis, that removes just about everything in water that’s not water, removing the bad taste, harmful minerals, chemicals and biological contaminants.
The industry leader is Kinetico Water Systems, a full line of water treatment systems for homes, restaurants, hospitals and idustrial applications. Kinetico’s K5 Drinking Water Station is the most advanced home drinking water system on the market today. It is certified by third-party testing companies to remove more contaminants than any other system on the market for home usage and it easily adapts to you home’s plumbing system.
Discover this wonderful beverage in pursuit of healthy living. To Learn more, call Aqua Clear Water Systems at 865-694-1725 or visit www.aquaclearws.com.
Everything Knoxville (December 2010)
Recently a Sevierville, Tennessee couple bought a home that had an existing Ecowater water softening system in place. This water softening system was only a few years old and not working properly. The local Ecowater dealer, Advanced Water Systems said they would need a new water softening system at a cost of $2600. The couple was worried that if the system was only a few years old and needed replacement this might happen again in a few years. They began to do some research on the most efficient water softening system available and found Kinetico’s twin-tank, non-electric water softener. They purchased the Kinetico system because it provides continuous soft water and the system uses Twin tank non-electric technology.
If you would like to experience the Kinetico difference, call Aqua Clear Water Systems today for your FREE water analysis. (865)-694-1725 or visit our website at www.aquaclearws.com 
It’s getting that time of the year when people experience drier skin. Dry skin can be caused by a variety of conditions but the most common culprit lurks in your shower.
It’s something you put on your body every day, but this daily activity is damaging your skin. People suffering from dry, itchy skin, rashes and eczema are unaware that the number one culprit is the water. City water contains hardness contaminants and chlorine. Hard water combines with soap in the shower to form soap scum. You see it on the shower doors, but the scum is also on you! Showering causes your pores to open, then the hard water reacts with the soap to form soap scum that coats your skin and hair. The excess soap scum and chlorine on your skin can cause your skin to become dry, itchy and irritated.
Linda McConnell, a client from Knoxville, said, “The difference our Kinetico water treatment system has made in our lives is unbelievable. I often find myself thinking ‘if only I had gotten a Kinetico system 20 years ago!’ Both me and my husband, Ben, have always had to use lotions for ongoing skin issues, it simply has been a way of life for us. However, since we purchased our Kinetico system, the difference has been remarkable. Our skin and hair feel much better and we don’t have the rough and sticky feeling that we had become so accustomed to from bathing in lotion. Two other noteworthy differences that we quickly noticed are how good our water tasted and even a real difference in the taste of our coffee. We highly recommend to anyone that they get a free water test, let Aqua Clear give them a quote on a system, and experience for themselves the difference great water can make for their family.”
If you would like to learn more about improving the quality of your skin by improving your water, why not get a FREE Water Analysis and FREE Quote. Aqua Clear Water Systems has whole house systems starting at only .98 cents per day! Give us a call today.
We were featured in the September issue of theEverything Knoxville magazine! Click here to read our article, “Better Water Leads to Better Living“.
New report from President’s Cancer Panel recommends home water filters, like those from Kinetico, to reduce exposure to carcinogens
Knoxville, TN (July 23rd, 2010) — According to a recent report from the President’s Cancer Panel, installing in-home water filtration is a recommended action to reduce exposure to environmental elements that increase risk for cancer. Aqua Clear Water Systems is helping residents understand what steps they can take to help protect their families from carcinogens and endocrine disruptors that may be found in tap water.
The report states: “Individuals and families have many opportunities to reduce or eliminate chemical exposures. For example, filtering home tap or well water can decrease exposure to numerous known or suspected carcinogens and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.” Further, the panel asserts, “unless the home water source is known to be contaminated, it is preferable to use filtered tap water instead of commercially bottled water.”
“We’re used to thinking of water as a healthy beverage choice—which it is most of the time,” says David Brewster, owner at Aqua Clear Water Systems. “The concern is that sometimes water may contain very small amounts of chemicals that can lead to larger health challenges when ingested regularly over a number of years.”
There are drinking water systems available that can effectively remove these contaminants—one key feature to look for is reverse osmosis (R.O.) filtration. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, numerous university studies and the American Water Works Association recommend R.O. as a viable solution for removing endocrine disruptors and carcinogens.
In fact, extensive third-party testing finds Kinetico’s R.O. technology to be among the best on the market. And, the Kinetico K5 Drinking Water Station is certified to remove more contaminants than any other R.O. system. In addition, the K5 can be customized to meet each resident’s individual water filtration needs.
“The most important thing is to know there are options that provide enhanced control over your tap water,” says Brewster. “Those concerned with this issue can contact a water filtration system dealer for assistance in getting their water tested to see what, if any, carcinogens and endocrine disruptors are present.”
About Kinetico
Headquartered in Newbury, Ohio, U.S.A., Kinetico is a leading manufacturer of water treatment systems. An extensive network of Kinetico dealers serving residential customers has helped more than a million people in nearly 100 countries experience the benefits of better water. Since 1970, Kinetico has prided itself on creating unique water treatment systems that serve customers in an expanding variety of applications. The company also has offices and facilities in the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Denmark. Further information is available at www.kinetico.com.
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 | | No Comments
Jonathan Garvey no longer has to worry that his efforts to employ an eco-friendly water softener will leave him getting soaked.
After an assist from SOS, the 28-year-old Madison man will get back the $800 he spent on a “no-salt water softener alternative” that, for Garvey, has been an alternative only to scale-free faucet heads and dishes.
It’s disappointing to try to do something green, he said, “and then you get nothing.”
Garvey moved into his South Side Madison home in August 2007. It didn’t have a water softener and – conscious of how much water traditional softeners use – Garvey thought he’d look for an environmentally sensitive way to treat his hard water.
Searching the Web he found a Greenfield, Ind.-based company called Freije that advertised a system that used “electronic frequencies” – transmitted through a coil on the home’s main water line – to change the way minerals act in hard water. The results, according to the company, are pipes free of scale build-up and water that comes with many of the other benefits of traditionally softened water.
Before you scream “buyer beware,” consider this: Freije offers free shipping, a 90-day money back guarantee and a three-year warranty on its residential system, which it began selling in 2001. It also lists companies including McDonalds and Wal-Mart that it says are successfully using the commercial version of the product.
In short, Garvey thought he was pretty safe, and he installed Freije’s standard home system in January 2008.
Two months later, he told the company there was no change in his water, and they sent him a free replacement on the assumption that the first was damaged. It did no good either, he said.
Most recently, the company sent him a third, more powerful unit, also free of charge, that Garvey said also did not work.
Early this month, he again asked for a refund. The company declined. Garvey contacted SOS on April 9 and on Thursday Freije Director of Marketing Julie Cooley said “I do believe he is entitled to his money back. Cooley explained that Garvey first asked to return the initial system within 90 days of getting it and was “not adequately educated (by Freije) as to what our system does and what it does not do.”
Cooley maintained that the system works, and pointed to the company’s 23-year history and success in treating water in industrial and commercial settings. But she acknowledged, “there’s never been an academic study of our product.”
Garvey said he’s ready to embrace salt.
Artical by: madison.com
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 | | No Comments
LOS ANGELES — Rural residents who drink water from private wells are “much more likely” to have Parkinson’s disease, a finding that bolsters theories that farm pesticides may be partially to blame, according to new research from a University of California at Los Angeles-led team of scientists, an August 5 Environmental Health News (EHN) article said.
Over the past few years, a growing body of evidence has led experts to suspect that agricultural pesticides can attack developing brains, perhaps in the womb or infancy, leading to Parkinson’s disease later in life. Many insecticides widely used on farms are potent neurotoxins, and lab animals exposed to mixes of them develop Parkinson’s symptoms.
Also, several previous studies of farmers and rural residents have reported a link.
The new study of more than 700 people in California’s Central Valley found that those who likely consumed contaminated private well water had a higher rate of Parkinson’s. The risk was around 90 percent higher for those whose drinking water came from private wells near fields sprayed with the widely used insecticides propargite or chlorpyrifos.
People with Parkinson’s “were more likely to have consumed private well water, and had consumed it on average 4.3 years longer” than those who did not have the disease, said the scientists. They were led by UCLA epidemiology professor Beate Ritz, and their study published online last week in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
To read the full EHN article, click here.
Article From: http://www.watertechonline.com
