Water Spots Blog

Most parents naturally assume as their children walk out the door that they will have plenty of water to drink throughout the day. However, that doesn’t seem to be the situation at all. In fact most schools across the nation have a few drinking water fountains around, but no cups available. This means that if children want a drink during their lunch period they have to get up and go to the nearest fountain, wait in line to sip a drink and then go back and continue eating. How many adults would put up with that scenario? None of us would put up with that at our work, we would expect cups to be available.

Children at school can choose between flavors of milk and sometimes orange juice. If they want water, they must use the drinking fountain and those may or may not work and may or may not be convenient. According to the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, only 15% of kids in middle school consume adequate amounts of water. That indicates that a huge percentage of kids are spending their school days being thirsty and dehydrated. Nutrition advocates believe school children’s access to water is a national problem the federal government is only just beginning to address.

Children spend the largest part of their day in school; they should be drinking at least 4 glasses of water at school. Considering how much playing goes on during recess, these 4 glasses hardly would seem to be enough hydration. Standard recommendations for children are 6-8 glasses of water per day; teen boys need about 11 glasses per day. If school children are only getting 4 glasses of water each day or less, they are actually in a dehydrated state most of the day. Dehydration can affect learning as well as mental and physical performance.

Congress recently passed the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 in December to improve school nutrition in the National School Lunch Program. This same legislation requires that clean water be easily available in school. The question is, will these new rules be enough to address dehydration in students? School districts now have to provide water in student eating areas, but accessibility isn’t discussed. As long as water fountains are around the lunchrooms that may be all the requirements that must be completed. The main challenge appears to be the provision of cups to drink the water provided. Like was mentioned above, it seems that students are expected to get up during their short meal time go to the fountain and get a drink and return to eating.

Many educators and advocates say that too many of America’s largest school districts simply choose to not provide cups. Chicago Public Schools don’t, Miami-Dade County Public Schools don’t, Newark Public Schools don’t, Atlanta Public Schools don’t, and Clark County School District in Nevada also doesn’t provide cups to students. Some schools only provide cups if students ask for them. Educators say that providing cups can get expensive and take too much from the already shrinking school budgets.

A new program called Water Intervention, a 5 week research program that includes installing a water filter in the school, filling 5 gallon jugs, chilling them overnight, placing them in the eating area during mealtime and serving with cups. “We’ve seen students really gravitate towards the water out here and fill their cups right before and after lunch to hydrate” says Burt Cowgill, the project manager. “The water is very popular and we have a lot of participation.” This water intervention program has been done in 5 schools in the Los Angeles school district, provided free during the program. Now that the research has ended, it is up to the school district to continue funding it if it so chooses. According to CNN, the Los Angeles Unified School District says it cannot afford the estimated $1.8 million to $2.3 million it would take each year to provide the cups and water for the entire district.

Aside from the money expense, school districts may be paying attention to the loss in revenue from bottled water and other drink sales. These schools would have to come up with other ways of fundraising to replace the revenues lost from these drink sales.

Hard to imagine that our children’s water consumption – and health – could be significantly improved with the addition of paper cups or water bottles. Providing filtered water systems and cups would encourage students to actually stay hydrated and could make a difference in behavior and focus in the classroom.

Parents can perhaps help the situation out by sending a water bottle to school with their children. The only problem with this practice is some schools won’t allow students to store their water bottles at school. If they can’t leave them there, they forget to take them to school each day and the whole process is a failure. The fact is that water is of great importance to all of us, we all require a certain amount of water in order to survive. The amount of water we drink has a large effect on whether or not we are obese. In fact the lack of available water may be contributing considerably to the obesity of children. We can’t allow the lack of water to have such a huge impact on our children’s lives. Its time school districts and parents got together and made certain that simple water is a part of every child’s school day for more than just a sip or two. Don’t let your school tell you that water is just too expensive for them to supply, they are taking care of your children.

American’s who have traveled to foreign countries can appreciate the confidence we have that water running out of taps in American households is safe to drink. It isn’t necessarily that way in other countries due to contaminants and lack of municipal treatment facilities. In the United States we have put forth a lot of effort – and money – making certain our water is safe to drink. This particular job is the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They have enacted laws that help to guide municipalities in their water treatment practices.

We don’t ever want to find out what it is like to not be able to simply drink our own water. But that is potentially in our future with the constant budget cutting that is going on in Washington. Our government has to find ways to cut expenses to improve our deficit, however endangering our clean drinking water would have far more expensive outcomes than the cuts could save. Unfortunately, those cuts have been made to the Safe Water Revolving Fund when it is in the process of urging upgrades and improvements in the declining water treatment systems that provide American’s with clean drinking water.

Municipal water treatment facilities need to be kept up to date in order to guarantee the removal of contaminants. When these facilities are strapped for money they don’t keep their facility in top working condition. Everything ages and breaks down, whether it is repaired or properly maintained depends on the money provided. If that money is lacking then the repairs will likely be lacking as well. When this all begins to fall apart, safe clean water will simply be a distant memory. Our public health will be at stake, but it can be prevented.

While the municipal systems may be in danger of not being reliable, we can take the matter into our own hands. There are home water treatment systems available on the market today that will also remove contaminants from our water and make the tap water safe to drink again. The reverse osmosis systems and home water filtration systems will become more and more important. We need to keep ourselves and our children healthy and if it comes down to the homeowner providing safe drinking water, these systems will be invaluable. Many Americans have discovered the use of these systems and have found the drinking water to be far superior to any regular tap water. People don’t usually drink water if it tastes or smells bad; these systems make it easy to drink water. While boiling water would remove many pathogens and bacteria, there are certain contaminants that can’t be removed with boiling. The only way to guarantee safe drinking water is through water treatment or filtration. Don’t trust the municipality to take care of you and provide you with safe water to drink; we aren’t certain that we can trust in that now or in the future. Budget cuts have to be made; don’t let them affect your health and well being. Do that for yourself by installing your own water treatment system. For information on the systems available on the market today visit Rayne Water.

Rayne of Phoenix is adding another very distinguished award to their list of accomplishments. The Arizona Water Association is recognizing Rayne Water’s Zero Liquid Discharge Facility for Centralized Water Softening Regeneration Operation with the Arizona Water 2011 Water Reuse Project of the Year award. This award will be presented on May 4th at the 84th Arizona Water Association Annual Conference. These awards are presented every year to recognize those companies that show outstanding engineering excellence and achievement in the water, wastewater, and water reuse categories. All the projects that are submitted are judged based on criteria including innovative application of a new or existing technique, social and economic considerations, and the ability to meet consumer needs.

Traditional water softeners use and discharge a lot of salt throughout the water softening process. This discharge of excess salt has been found to be contaminating water that was being reused for irrigation purposes. While reusing the water was a step in the right direction, this water was actually found to be killing the grass on golf courses in Scottsdale Arizona.

Rayne Water of Phoenix is the first to take these traditional water softeners and change the way they work to make them environmentally friendly. Rayne Water now focuses their water softening products almost entirely on metered systems and soft water exchange tank services. They took it one step further in guaranteeing that at no point will their systems flush salt down the drain and into any septic system. Their solution is to desalinate and recycle the water before discharging it as wastewater. Tank regeneration is confined to a properly designed desalination facility so that the salt discharge is nearly 0% and water usage is reduced by at least 2/3. Because the spent tanks are regenerated at a special facility, Rayne provides the exchange tank service in which a Rayne representative comes to the home and picks up the spent tank leaving a recharged tank in its place. The spent tank is transported back to the facility and is emptied into a regeneration vat, the resin is backwashed, and the tank is recharged. The water used in the backwash and regeneration process is captured, filtered, and reused in the next regeneration cycle. The solids that are filtered out in the backwash water are recycled as well, so no water is wasted, and no salt is dumped.

This process certainly changes the impact on the consumer as well. Consumers no longer need to buy and carry salt bags home to run through the water softener. And they don’t have a guilty conscience over the effects of flushed excess salt on the environment. Consider now if just 100 homes were to use this type of water softener and tank service for one year, over 3 million gallons of water would be saved, over 400,000 pounds of salt would be kept out of the septic systems, waste water treatment costs would be greatly reduced, and reclaimed water would be useful for irrigating without damaging the land. These are some very big advantages for communities and in fact the entire country.

Rayne of Phoenix is proud to be partnered with Arizona Water Association in the common goal to preserve the quality and availability of our drinking water. To become more educated about the Zero Liquid Discharge process, visit http://www.raynewater.com/exchange_tank_services.php to watch two brief educational videos. Join Rayne of Phoenix as they begin making a better tomorrow for all of us.

Most people remember uranium from their high school chemistry class as being an element, but most homeowners aren’t aware of the ways it gets into drilled wells and into drinking water. The element uranium is a metallic gray and found naturally in rocks and soil. It is the result of volcanic activity, making it radioactive, which scientifically means that its atoms spontaneously break into new atoms, releasing energy in the process. It also has chemical toxicity which makes consuming it dangerous for the body. But even more dangerous is that it doesn’t have any taste, smell, or color, so many consumers have no idea it is present.

According to an article on suite101.com, uranium is present in larger quantities in certain types of rock. Some of these rocks include granite, shale, and sandstone. So wherever groundwater flows through these rock formations, the mineral can then dissolve into the water. Drilled wells that need underground water sources flowing through the bedrock are more likely to have higher, and sometimes unsafe, levels of uranium.

So what are the safe levels set forth for uranium in drinking water? Health Canada defines it as .02mg/L, and the World Health Organization has been working to determine the safe levels. In 2011, a provisional document has the amount at .03mg/L. And because uranium naturally occurring, those people with drilled wells are advised to get their well water tested. Uranium can also occur as a result of mining, industry, and agricultural fertilizers.

The health affects when consumed in large amounts are really quite alarming. According to the Nova Scotia Department of the Environment, the effects of uranium are caused only from consuming the drinking water, not through skin or air. Ingesting excessive amounts of uranium can lead to kidney damage. But the dangers don’t stop there. According to the online article, when the uranium breaks down, radon gas is produced. In homes, radon has a tendency to collect and increases the risk of lung cancer when inhaled. As previously mentioned, well water consumers are encouraged to test water. If the water test shows the presence of uranium or radon, water filtration systems can be the solution to a potentially harmful situation.

California’s economy can be felt in a multitude of manners. It doesn’t target a specific group of people or jobs, and for the most part, most people have been affected in one way or another. A recent news article even reminded us that the lack of funding in the state of California has put water cleanup projects (even those in dire need) on hold for the time being.

KFRE 59 of the WB describes the findings of a recent water investigation that show unincorporated valley communities have well water that can make a person sick. East Orosi is a low income community which has between 75 and 100 homes in the neighborhood. The water in the neighborhood is contaminated by nitrates, so much so that one resident can’t cook with the water and is forced to buy bottled water when it needs to be consumed. Pacific Institute has been studying the state’s water and found that in one county, fertilizer, pesticides, and sewage have contaminated the water in the wells.

In Visalia, the Community Water Center states that “By far nitrate is the most common contaminant in the area and it’s also the number one reason for well closure in the state.” They explain that nitrates don’t have a taste or odor so actually it would be safer to drink the browner tap water there. One resident of East Orosi buys ten gallons of bottled water a week. But there’s no replacement water for showering. “Sometimes when you bathe after awhile you feel like your body itches.” His is from just one of ten communities with unsafe drinking water due to nitrates. However, as previously mentioned, the financial situation in California means that the necessary water cleanup projects won’t happen for a long time.

And ten gallons of bottled water each week is hardly wallet-friendly or eco-friendly. Most residents who find themselves in this situation are best off looking into a water treatment system like a water cooler for the home, or a water filtration system like reverse osmosis which will be affordable and safe.

Small Business Trends recently published an online article that we felt was worthy of being revisited by our readers, particularly those of you who own your own business or are in a decision-making capacity where you work. This article is titled “5 Strategies for Saving Water at Your Business”.

As a business owner or manager, you have many responsibilities and concerns in a day, but how much water is flushed down your drain is probably not something you waste much thought on. Environmental scientists, however, expect worldwide fresh water shortages to be one of the most pressing environmental concerns within the next 50 years. More immediately, many communities are hitting residents and local businesses with higher water and utility rates. What does that mean to you? Hopefully, it means that you do start being concerned about the amount of water that is used in your company.

Every company uses water differently and in different quantities. The most important thing you can do is figure out where your water is going, and then tackle the issue! The five strategies identified in the article are:

1. Go low-flow in your toilets and faucets. A low-flow faucet aerator emits about 0.7 gallons less per minute than a standard faucet and a low-flow toilet uses less than half of the water to flush as compared to an older toilet.
2. Get a water audit. A commercial water audit examines how much water a business uses and provides strategies for conservation and cost savings. These audits can also identify water leaks that can be repaired. In some communities, the utility company provides these audits for free.
3. Reduce landscape watering. Consider planting native landscapes or using mulch or stone instead of grass. You may also find rain-harvesting sufficient.
4. Engage and inform employees. Every employee plays a role in how much water your business uses. Remind employees to be conscientious of water use and ask for their ideas on how to conserve water.
5. Purchase water-efficient equipment. Most types of equipment in use today are available in water-efficient models, or have less-water-intensive alternatives. While these alternative products may have somewhat higher upfront costs, they can often pay for themselves quickly through water and water-heating savings.

The most important tool in your attempts at water conservation? Knowledge. Do you know where your water is going? Do you know how many gallons you use each day? Do you know where the waste is? For example, many people would never consider that their drinking water systems could be wasting water. If you have a reverse osmosis system, it has the potential to waste 90% of the water it comes across. Or, if you have a water cooler, do you know how many gallons are used to create the bottles and clean them for reuse? So, do your homework and keep an eye on your water consumption.

Hard water can about be the end of a homeowner’s sanity in many cases. It causes buildup on pipes and appliances, can prematurely end the life of water appliances, require extra soap or laundry detergents just to work efficiently, and leaves an annoying film on dishes and pans. But two independent studies, according to one article show that consumers can cut back on dish and laundry detergent use by 50 percent or more and lower washing machine temperatures from hot to cold just by using softened water. “The benefits of softened water in people’s daily lives are significant,” said Peter Censky, executive director of the Water Quality Association. “These studies show how consumers can save money and energy by softening their water.”

Saving money is always something consumers should look into. The detergent savings studies were done by the Scientific Services S/D of NY, and were funded by the Water Quality Research Foundation. The research concluded that in washing machines, detergent can be cut back by 50 percent and energy can be saved by washing clothes in 60 degree F cold water instead of 100 degree F hot water, and the results will still be excellent. In dishwashers, locations with very hard water can also cut detergent use by 50 percent with softened water and will also get the same results.

Censky also explains in the article that consumers could save more than just money with the softened water – they could also be environmentally-friendly. They reduce the reliance on pollutant fuels because of the energy savings which can help to cut back on harmful detergent waste running into the streams and water sources. While not quantified just yet in any of the mentioned studies, any reduction in detergents filling water sources is certainly a positive attribute to using softened water.

Another significant pro for softened water in this article is “with varying levels of hardness and several different name brand detergents in washing machines and dishwashers, it was found that significant savings was noted for all levels of hardness, even hardness as low as 5 grains per gallon.” This means ALL consumers can save money and energy with these findings. softened water with the least amount of detergent and lowest temperature actually provide a higher degree of whiteness compared to increased hardness and both high temperature and large amounts of detergent. This was found to be true for all stains and all the detergents tested. To read more about how water softeners can save you money and energy, click here.

The livelihood of the Imperial Valley in Southern California – and a large portion of our enjoyment of fresh fruits and vegetables in the winter – depends on the crops that grow there and the water they use to grow these vegetables. The Imperial Valley, according to one article from National Public Radio, produces about 80% of the nation’s winter vegetables. These crops grow from the same water source as the residents’ drinking water – the only water source – Lake Mead and the Imperial Dam filled by the once-mighty Colorado River. When the river was flowing years ago, an agricultural giant emerged as the water from the river was sent to the Imperial Valley’s dry, desert lands. The amount of water needed for these crops, combined with population trends on the rise and recent years of drought, has put a very serious warning from climate researchers on the area. They say that Lake Mead (which feeds the Imperial Valley and most of the southwest), “has a 50 percent chance of drying up in as few as ten years.”

This recent claim has sparked a lot of interest in the area among local governments, cities, residents, farmers, and business owners in how to preserve the water so that their crops and livelihood will continue to flourish for many years to come. Without these crops, food prices would affect the rest of the country, local economies like fertilizer or tractor companies, as well as the Imperial farmers themselves. In an already unsteady economy, the Imperial Valley needs this water to keep farms going but to also preserve low prices for these winter vegetables for the rest of the country.

Water usage and water waste is to be addressed and some areas are regulating the water allowed for the residents and farmers. The farmers aren’t keeping all of their water there, as they are pressured to sell some to bigger area cities by officials. They know, however, that the water is necessary for growing their crops. Lake Mead, a reservoir that holds the Colorado River water for the Imperial Valley, needs to have a fundamental change.

So researchers predict that if the trends continue, there will not be sufficient water in the source to provide both drinking water and agricultural water, both needing the other to survive. Many residents are encouraged to save water as well. One way in doing this is to look into drinking water systems that will use less water than traditional reverse osmosis. In today’s economy and climate, residents need to find a drinking water system that is both affordable and eco-friendly. Changes on every level are necessary before the water source in that area is no longer available.

Arsenic isn’t new to drinking water. It is a naturally-occurring mineral toxin that pops up in various water sources throughout the United States, just like one Texas community was faced with in an online news article. The residents there were drinking, bathing in, and cooking with drinking water that was plagued by the toxin without even knowing it. They were not notified of the arsenic, although it was required to be regulated quarterly according to state mandates. The main reason for the concern? Arsenic, when consumed in large amounts for a long period of time, can cause cancer and circulatory problems that are similar to the effects of diabetes. According to the article, “Arsenic enters drinking water supplies from natural deposits in the earth or from agricultural and industrial practices.” This small community is surrounded by acres of rural farmland like those found all across this country in virtually every state.

As stated in the article, “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lowered the allowed arsenic levels in 2001 from 50 micrograms per liter to 10 micrograms per liter after scientific findings showed drinking water at the higher level posed a greater health risk.” Texas isn’t the only area where arsenic causes these health concerns. Communities all over the United States are finding levels beyond regulations which are bringing arsenic back to the forefront of the discussion. But in this small community, they will most likely have to continue serving residents drinking water that is over the allowed levels until funding is available to reduce the levels of arsenic.

So what should you do if you find that your community is being provided drinking water with “unsafe” levels of arsenic beyond federal regulations? Or perhaps you don’t want to wait until the powers that be tell you there is a problem? Don’t wait for your water supply company to secure funding, especially with the state of the economy today. Look into a water treatment company which provides you with a number of water treatment options like water coolers, water conditioners, reverse osmosis or a drinking water system that uses electricity for ion exchange rather than chemicals. Find a water treatment company that has eco-friendly and affordable products which will provide your family with immediately safe drinking water, rather than waiting for funds which may take longer than ever to reach your water supply company.

Of course we all know that lead is not good for us, but that our bodies can tolerate a certain amount without observable negative effects. If you are pregnant, however, that amount is much, much smaller. A recent headline on Science Daily’s website announced, “Lead exposure may affect blood pressure during pregnancy”.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration have set thresholds for supposedly safe levels of lead at 40 um/dL, but in a study lead by Goldman of George Washington University’s School of Public Health, pregnant women who were exposed to lead had a significant increase in blood pressure at as low of a level as 2 um/dL! Of course blood pressure is typically somewhat higher during pregnancy, labor, and delivery as the heart pumps higher, but sustained high blood pressure during pregnancy (pregnancy-induced hypertension) can lead to preeclampsia and eclampsia, which can be fatal or predispose women to a heart attack in their future.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends that action be taken by women to reduce exposures to lead. According to one medical professional, lead exposure must be considered not only during the pregnancy, but also before conception. “Because lead is stored in bones for many years, even childhood exposure could impact lead levels in pregnancy.” The hope is, this study will help determine a truly safe lead exposure level.

One common place of lead exposure is in drinking water. Even though municipalities test for and remove lead, much of the lead that people ingest comes into their water after water treatment, and more often than not, from the pipes, valves, and solder within our very homes. The solution? A point-of-use drinking water system that has been certified to remove lead. The most thorough of these systems are reverse osmosis or a drinking water system with LINX® Technology. These systems of usually offered as under-the-counter or in a convenient bottleless water cooler.

To read more on this subject, click here.