Drugs in your drinking water

mca47

This is seriously messed up!!

Between this and a recent contamination incident here in Scottsdale, where TCE (Trichloroethylene- a cancer causing chemical) was found in the water supply in certain areas...I'm glad I chose to stop drinking municiple tap water over 7 years ago.

Yeah, there are some anti-bottled water people out there, but fuck 'em! I'll take my water pure and clean thank you!

Kel Varnsen

mca47 wrote:

Yeah, there are some anti-bottled water people out there, but fuck 'em! I'll
take my water pure and clean thank you!

I did a tour of a municipal water plant awhile ago and one interesting there was on interesting fact the guy giving the tour mentioned. In Canada, since bottled water is considered a food product, it isn't subjected to anywhere near the amount of regulation and safety testing that tap water is. So bottled water could possibly have all the toxins or more than what tap water would, there is actually less of a guarantee that it is pure.

mca47

Kel Varnsen wrote:

I did a tour of a municipal water plant awhile ago and one interesting there was on interesting fact the guy giving the tour mentioned. In Canada, since bottled water is considered a food product, it isn't subjected to anywhere near the amount of regulation and safety testing that tap water is. So bottled water could possibly have all the toxins or more than what tap water would, there is actually less of a guarantee that it is pure.

You're absolutely right. In fact a lot of "spring water" has added chlorine. Many come from municiple sources, that are "filtered". "Filtered" is a little to vague for me. Haha!

The water I drink is a certain brand that specifies where it came from and all of the purification processes that went into bottling it.
That said, I'll be sticking with it as a) I don't trust tap water and b) Tap water (at least here) tastes like ass.

Kel Varnsen

mca47 wrote:

You're absolutely right. In fact a lot of "spring water" has added chlorine. Many come from municiple sources, that are "filtered". "Filtered" is a little to vague for me. Haha!

The water I drink is a certain brand that specifies where it came from and all of the purification processes that went into bottling it.
That said, I'll be sticking with it as a) I don't trust tap water and b) Tap water (at least here) tastes like ass.

I understand your point about the taste, but what makes you trust bottled water more than tap water. I mean I know you say they tell you their purification process but how do you know for sure that it is purifying the water as well as they say it is?

mca47

Kel Varnsen wrote:

I understand your point about the taste, but what makes you trust bottled water more than tap water. I mean I know you say they tell you their purification process but how do you know for sure that it is purifying the water as well as they say it is?

Let's just say that obtaining a biochemisty degree allows for the method and means (equipment) to determine stuff like that.

Kel Varnsen

mca47 wrote:

Let's just say that obtaining a biochemisty degree allows for the method and means (equipment) to determine stuff like that.

Wow so you independently test all the bottled water you get on your own to make sure it meets your standards? That's interesting. I think a lot of people say they trust bottled water, but reality you have no idea if they actually are purifying the water or if the guy doing the quality control just doesn't bother and says it is pure.

mca47

Kel Varnsen wrote:

Wow so you independently test all the bottled water you get on your own to make sure it meets your standards? That's interesting. I think a lot of people say they trust bottled water, but reality you have no idea if they actually are purifying the water or if the guy doing the quality control just doesn't bother and says it is pure.

I didn't test all of them, just a handful.
You are right though, the standards set on the sale of water is pretty minimal and I think in a lot of cases tap is just as good and safe as those purchased at the store...but that all depends on where you live and what you are looking for in your water.

That said, one thing many people forget is the water used in soft drinks, beer, and other beverages is typically from a municiple source and their filtration processes generally aren't as scrutinized as bottled water...though they probably should be.

stuckinline

finally a safe way to dispose of unused prescriptions:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004137723_medicines22m.html

RolandTD20Kdrummer

my2hands wrote:

this is good news... i no longer have to pay for a buzz :cool:

Rest assured if your brain doesn't catch one, your DNA will...

RolandTD20Kdrummer

mca47 wrote:

This is seriously messed up!!

Between this and a recent contamination incident here in Scottsdale, where TCE (Trichloroethylene- a cancer causing chemical) was found in the water supply in certain areas...I'm glad I chose to stop drinking municiple tap water over 7 years ago.

Yeah, there are some anti-bottled water people out there, but fuck 'em! I'll take my water pure and clean thank you!

install a 3 stage RO under your sink and save some money...

mca47

RolandTD20Kdrummer wrote:

install a 3 stage RO under your sink and save some money...

Yeah, one of these days I'm going to get one...
One of these days. Hehehe!

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

from many of the things i've read tap water is much safer than bottled. mainly because tap water must be checked daily by certified testers, compaired to weekly by whoever they hire with bottled.

baraka

RolandTD20Kdrummer wrote:

install a 3 stage RO under your sink and save some money...

That is the way to go. We got our entire kit for under $150 and the large filters last at least a year. Our water tasted terrible, but after it goes through two combination particulate/activated charcoal filters it tastes soooooo good.

We have actually had huge savings over the cost of bottled water, and it helps keep a lot of plastic out of circulation. Recycling is great when you HAVE to use plastic, but we must recognize that sorting, remelting, and molding/extruding these materials into new products uses a LOT of energy. It also took a lot of my energy lugging all that bottled water home from the store.

g under p

Nevermind wrote:

At least one pharmaceutical or byproduct was detected in testing within the watersheds of 28 major metropolitan areas, according to an Associated Press survey of 62 major water providers and data obtained from independent researchers.

Test protocols varied widely. Some researchers tested for more drugs than others. Thirty-five areas said they tested. Four said tests were negative and three said they were awaiting results. Twenty-seven locations said they had not tested watershed supplies

Here's the list of the 28 areas with pharmaceuticals detected, with the number found and some examples.

Arlington, Texas: 5 (unspecified drugs)

Atlanta: 10 (including caffeine, sulfamethoxazole, diltiazem, acetaminophen, trimethoprim, cotinine and paraxanthine)

Cincinnati: 4 (gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, sulfamethaxazole and ethinyl estradiol)

Columbus, Ohio: 15 (including azithromycin, erythromycin, roxithromycin, tylosin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and caffeine)

Concord, Calif.: (unspecified drugs)

Denver: (unspecified antibiotics)

Detroit: (unspecified total; including carbamazepine, caffeine, cotinine)

Fairfax, Va.: 8 (erythromycin, lincomycin, trimethoprim, tylosin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole)

Indianapolis: 2 (caffeine and cotinine)

Las Vegas: 9 (including sulfamethoxazole, atenolol, trimethoprim, meprobamate, phenytoin, carbamazepine and gemfibrozil)

Long Beach, Calif.: 9 (unspecified drugs)

Los Angeles: 9 (unspecified drugs)

Louisville, Ky.: 2 (ibuprofen and naproxen)

Milwaukee: 1 (cotinine)

Minneapolis: 3 (acetaminophen, caffeine and cotinine)

New York City: 16 (including atenolol, trimethoprim, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, estrogen, acetaminophen and diazepam)

Northern New Jersey: 13 (including acetaminophen, carbamazepine, codeine, dehydronifedipine, erythromycin, lincomycin and sulfadimethoxine)

Oklahoma City: 12 (including acetaminophen, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, iopromide, sulfamethoxazole and iopromide)

Omaha, Neb.: 2 (caffeine and sulfamethoxazole)

Philadelphia: 63 (including amoxicillin, aspirin, atorvastatin, bacitracin, diclofenac, phenytoin and fluoxetine)

Prince George's-Montgomery counties, Md.: 3 (caffeine, carbamazepine and cotinine)

Riverside County, Calif.: 9 (unspecified drugs)

San Diego: 12 (clofibrate, clofibric acid, ibuprofen and nine unspecified)

San Francisco: 1 (estrone)

Santa Clara, Calif.: (unspecified drugs)

Southern California: 9 (including atenolol, phenytoin, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, meprobamate, naproxen and trimethoprim)

Virginia Beach, Va.: 4 (fluoxetine, estradiol, acetaminophen and ibuprofen)

Washington, D.C.: 5 (monensin, ibuprofen, caffeine, carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080309/ap_on_re_us/pharmawater_watersheds

That's the county Where I have my house so I gather I don't need a cup of tea or coffee in the morning.

Peace

RolandTD20Kdrummer

baraka wrote:

That is the way to go. We got our entire kit for under $150 and the large filters last at least a year. Our water tasted terrible, but after it goes through two combination particulate/activated charcoal filters it tastes soooooo good.

We have actually had huge savings over the cost of bottled water, and it helps keep a lot of plastic out of circulation. Recycling is great when you HAVE to use plastic, but we must recognize that sorting, remelting, and molding/extruding these materials into new products uses a LOT of energy. It also took a lot of my energy lugging all that bottled water home from the store.

I love mine as well. It makes the best water I've ever tasted...bottled or otherwise. I still haven't replaced the RO filter itself and it's been about 5 years now. The pre and post filters a few times. I use it for everything from boiling pasta, tea/coffee/soup, ice cubes, steaming vegetables etc..

I'm not a big fan of storing water in (or anything) in plastic. I keep big glass jug in the fridge and keep it topped up.

I can't imagine how much I would have spent on bottled in 5+ years for all that....

Oh god...