| We've all read the stories about how municipal | | | | can easily install a simple charcoal-type filter |
| water systems in the United States are | | | | system on your kitchen faucet. These |
| contaminated with toxins such as lead, mercury, | | | | inexpensive filters can remove up to 99.9% of |
| copper and even bacteria. In some parts of the | | | | heavy metals and other toxins that may (or |
| country, stories of raw sewage leaks into fresh | | | | mostly may not) be present in your city's drinking |
| water supplies have made the news. And, people | | | | water. And you can now buy a portable water |
| have reacted by drinking expensive bottled water | | | | filtration system that's as convenient as your old |
| as a supposedly healthier alternative to ordinary, | | | | plastic sports bottle, but the bottle is not made of |
| inexpensive tap water. | | | | toxic materials. |
| City Water Supplies Are Safe | | | | Cheap Filter Removes Most Contaminants |
| Of course, the truth about the safety of the | | | | The filters that can be attached to your kitchen |
| nation's municipal water supplies has finally come | | | | faucet are cheap (generally under $50) can be |
| forth - drinking water from household taps | | | | found at most hardware stores, reduce chlorine |
| virtually anywhere in the country is safe, pure and | | | | and heavy metals, and generally make your tap |
| incredibly inexpensive. And, we're learning that | | | | water taste better. For example, the Brita |
| bottled water isn't as healthy for us as we first | | | | system costs about $20 - 40 for a starter set, |
| thought. | | | | and $20 for each replacement filter. It will filter |
| Get Off The Bottle | | | | about 100 gallons of drinking water and lasts for |
| First there's the plastic container, or bottle itself. | | | | about 4 months. |
| That convenient, plastic water bottle we've | | | | Portable Filtration is the "Wave" of The Future |
| gotten used to carrying around is made from | | | | For about the same price, you can now get a 16 |
| plastic material that contains cancer-producing | | | | ounce portable water filtration system from Back |
| toxins called phthalates. These toxins actually leach | | | | to the Tap, which actually filters as you drink. It |
| into the water in the plastic bottle and accumulate | | | | uses a number 4 LDPE plastic bottle, which is the |
| in our bloodstreams. Studies show that the | | | | kind of plastic that doesn't normally leach |
| concentrations of phthalates in our systems are | | | | phthalates. The filters are replaceable, and you can |
| increasing with each generation, mainly as a result | | | | refill anywhere with plain tap water. It can be |
| of drinking water bottled in toxic plastic containers. | | | | refilled about 300 times, and that's 300 disposable |
| Plastic is Hardly Boidegradable | | | | plastic bottles you're not throwing into already full |
| These plastic bottles aren't biodegradable. Plastic | | | | landfills. |
| throw-aways now represent at least 25% of the | | | | Going green does take some conscious thought |
| contents of our landfills. And plastics won't break | | | | and careful planning, but it's getting easier every |
| down for around 10,000 years - some plastics | | | | day to go green. In this case, you will be |
| can take even longer to degrade. So our | | | | rewarded with better health and less plastic in |
| healthy-water myth has turned into a big health | | | | landfills - and more money in your wallet. |
| hazard. What can people do? | | | | Remember - bottled water costs MUCH more |
| A Nice and Effective Alternative | | | | than gasoline, per gallon. So, save your health and |
| Fortunately, there are many easy and inexpensive | | | | the environment and tons of cash - by drinking |
| alternatives to our drinking water challenges.You | | | | water from your own household tap! |