Who would have ever thought that an international water tasting event would take place… in West Virginia? Certainly not anyone here at Water Testing Blog, but then again, we never claimed to know everything… and we never will.

February 27, 2010 – A municipal water from the Ohio was named Best Municipal Water in the World during the 20th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting.

Tap water from Hamilton, OH, beat out 43 global competitors to win first place. Last year Hamilton’s water was named best in the United States.

Waters were tasted in four separate flights over two days. 12 judges spent Saturday afternoon and evening tasting finalists in four categories: municipal, bottled, sparkling and purified drinking water.

About 200 people attended Saturday evening’s competition at Berkeley Springs’ The Country Inn. Audience members voted on which waters had the best packaging.

Best Municipal Water 2010

• Best in the World — Hamilton, Ohio
• 2nd place – Beaver Falls, British Columbia
• 3rd – Greenwood, British Columbia
• 4th – Lansing, MI
• 5th – Daytona Beach, FL (gold medal winner in 2005)

Best Bottled Water 2010

• 1st–Ecoviva, Roscommon, MI
• 2nd – Eldorado Natural Spring Water, Eldorado Springs, CO
• 3rd — Almost Heaven, Manassas,VA bottling Berkeley Springs water
• 4th – Denton Spring Water, North East, MD bottling Berkeley Springs water
• 5th – Real Water, Las Vegas, NV

Best Sparkling — 2010

• 1st– Dobra Voda Sparkling, Kratovo, Macedonia
• 2nd — Canadian Gold, Marchand, Manitoba, Canada
• 3rd – Touch Sparkling Spring Water, Marchand, Manitoba
• 4th – Antipodes, Whakatane, New Zealand
• 5th – Pian della Mussa, Village Baime, Italy

Purified Drinking Water — 2010

• 1st – Kittiwake Pure Water, Winnipeg, Manitoba
• 2nd – Crystal Mountain Water, Huntsville, Alabama
• 3rd — Berkeley Springs Purified Water, Berkeley Springs, WV
• 4th — Claire Baie, Oak Creek, WI
• 5th – Ultra Pure Reverse Osmosis Purified Water, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Best Packaging — 2010

• 1st – Bling H2O, Los Angeles, CA
• 2nd – Deep Origin, Whakatane, New Zealand
• 3rd – Climax Spring Water, Huntsville, Alabama
• 4th – Ecoviva, Roscommon, MI (a 100% biodegradable bottle and winner gold medal as best bottled water in the world.)
• 5th – Callaway Blue Spring Water, Hamilton, Georgia

( source )

For those of us not able to find products from the aforementioned winning companies in our local grocery stores, and/or people who refuse to support the bottled water industry, other ways to get safe, clean drinking water exist.

Suzanne from Temecula, CA wrote in and asked,

Shortly before leaving me, my ex-husband installed a monstrosity of a water filter for the whole house that he claimed would remove 99% of this, that and the other thing. He said we needed it. Too bad I still have to pay it off… But anyways, I now travel a lot and have noticed that the water tasted funny everywhere I go — and i really don’t like it very much at all. I’ve started carrying bottles and 1 gallon jugs of water with me on my trips but I think there has to be a better option. Do they make a travel-sized whole house filter? Thanks for your time and I look forward to reading your response. — Suzanne

We thank you for your question, Suzanne, and sorry you got stuck paying for that ‘monstrosity’ of a whole house filtration system. At least you have safe, clean, and good tasting water at home, though, right?

We completely understand your not wanting to carry jugs of bottled water around in your car, assuming that you drive everywhere. Although one can usually pick up gallons of purified water for small amounts of money from the local grocery store, the inconvenience of lugging them around all the time definitely sounds like a miserable experience.

You could pick up travel-sized sport water bottles with built-in filtration units, but those typically work better for short trips, hiking trips, etc. and that does not sound like what you want. It sounds to us like you want a portable version of the ‘monstrosity’ you have at home.

After doing a little research, we came across a Countertop Portable Water Filter made by Crystal Quest. It has multiple filtering stages (like your monstrosity at home) and claims to remove hundreds of contaminants (like your monstrosity at home most likely does).

Stage 1 — Water passes through a 5 micron filter pad which remove suspended particles such as silt, sediment, cyst (Giardia, Cryptosporidium), sand, rust, dirt, and other un-dissolved matter.

Stage 2 — Water passed through a specially blended bed of high purity media known commercially as KDF-55D ®, and KDF-85D ®. This media uses an oxidation-reduction process to effectively neutralize chlorine and remove metals.

Stage 3 — Water passes through through granulated activated carbon (GAC), a compound known for its ability to adsorb a wide variety of organic contaminants such as chlorine (99.9%), chemicals linked to cancer such as trihalomethanes (THM’s) and benzine, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), PCB’s, MTBE’s and many of other chemical contaminants which if present in water may also cause bad taste and odor.

Stage 4 — Water passes through a final 5 micron filter pad to filter out suspended particles such as silt, sediment, cyst (Giardia, Cryptosporidium), sand, rust, dirt, and other un-dissolved matter.

Unlike the ‘monstrosity’ you have not, yet finished paying for, the Crystal Quest Portable Countertop Water Filter has a pretty good price (around $70) and will supposedly last for up to 5,000 gallons.

Compare that to paying $1 per gallon for purified water from the store…

Worried about a time-consuming installation? From the looks of things, the Crystal Quest Portable Countertop Water Filter attaches to a common sink faucet via an adapter that screws into where the aerator goes. Should take less than a few minutes, though instinct tells us you may want to carry a pair of pliers in your travel bag — in case no one has removed the aerator in your cabana, cabin, or hotel room in a while.

We talk all the time about the importance of having safe, clean drinking water available for consumption but we seldom address another point: Drinking ENOUGH safe, clean water.

Water: indeed you are what you drink and should take care of your body of water. A baby is almost 90% water but this % reduces continuously to almost 60% and even less as we truly age. Our blood is 92% and our brain is 75% water just to name these. So avoid dehydration at any moment of the day and of your life. Good health is determined by the cells’ ability to receive water. When the cells walls are no longer flexible – aging begins. The amount of water you retain has nothing to do with the amount of water you drink. When the body is forced to retain water, as it is getting less than needed, it will do this at all costs. If the fluid intake is insufficient to provide all the water required, the body withholds water from the kidneys and the urine becomes scanty and highly concentrated, imposing a certain strain on the kidneys. If that is insufficient, excessive water will be with-drawn from the intestinal tract, with the result that the feces become hard and dry. On the other hand if you drink more than your body requires, the surplus is promptly and easily eliminated. Trying to prevent the body from retaining water by drinking less is therefore not only futile but even harmful and will provoke among many other troubles and diseases edema formation, cellulites and obesity. Drink daily enough pure water! For details consult our ‘Enjoyvity, your full spectrum of life’. ( source )

Athletes and athletically inclined people drink water all the time while exercising and many of them drink water all the time when not exercising, too. Why? Because they realize how heavily their bodies rely upon water to function properly not just in time of stress, but also in everyday life.

One could wager that people who drink a lot of water for their health also make sure the water they drink gets filtered properly at some point before it touches their lips. Whether drinking water at home that has gone through a whole house water purification system, undersink water filtration system or countertop filtration system… or at work drinking water that comes from a bottled water cooler of some sort, those people want to make sure the water they drink does not contain harmful contaminants like lead, bacteria, copper, pesticides, or other substances known to harm the human body.

News of BPA-laced water bottles, environmental woes caused by people not recycling or empty bottled water bottles, revelations that some bottled water comes from municipal water systems and other tidbits of information have put the bottled water industry on its heels… and now this.

A town in Australia banned bottled water AND London has decided to install chilled water vending machines on a trial basis in several highly trafficked locations.

London may soon follow in the footsteps of Bundanoon, the Australian town that last week banned bottled water and set up drinking fountains for thirsty locals.

The capital’s first water stations will be set up this month in a move that could have serious repercussions for the £1.5bn-a-year bottled water industry, with companies finding it increasingly difficult to justify their carbon footprint as the quality of tap water improves.

Thames Water, Britain’s largest privatised water company, with 13.6 million customers, has had talks with the Greater London Authority and Transport for London to install water machines in the capital. In the first trial, Hydrachills will be installed at Hammersmith bus station and at the Tower Bridge museum. The machines can fill bottles of up to 500ml with chilled water for a 20p charge. All proceeds will be donated to Waste Watch, a charity working to change the way people use natural resources. ( source )

This means a whole lot of thirsty commuters will soon have the option of filling up personal water bottles at home and then refilling with clean, chilled water on their way to the office for a much less money than they would normally spend on bottled water.

So the question becomes, will London commuters take advantage of this fantastic money-saving opportunity? We think that will depend upon the quality of their water at home and the quality of the water dispensed by the machines.

So, as usual, we suggest people test their drinking water for contaminants on a periodic basis with a test kit such as the SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit which tests for contaminants commonly found in drinking water.

Testing procedures in the kit come from recognized water testing methods, the kit contains no harsh chemicals (liquids, tablets, etc.), it comes with clear, easy-to-follow instructions, and best of all it provides accurate results without the need for expensive testing equipment.

The SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit includes:

• Sulfate Test Strips (2)
• Chloride Test Strips (2)
• Nitrate Test Strips (2)
• Nitrite Test Strips (2)
• Iron Test Strips (2)
• Copper Test Strips (2)
• Free Chlorine Test Strips (2)
• Hydrogen Sulfide Test Strips (2)
• pH Test Strips (2)
• Total Alkalinity Test Strips (2)
• Total Chlorine Test Strips (2)
• Total Hardness Test Strips (2)
• Pesticide Test (1)
• Bacteria Test (1)
• Lead Test (1)

  Table SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit also includes a handy table record and compare your results against USEPA recommended levels for drinking water.

For several years the compound known as Bisphenol A has repeatedly made headlines as a threat to humans. Studies have linked it to a wide range of ailments and medical conditions, none of which the average person would want.

BPA, a toxic component used in plastic manufacture that hardens the material, has long been connected to a wide variety of adverse effects, including increased risks of brain, reproductive, cardiac, and immune system diseases and disorders; problems with liver function testing; interruptions in chemotherapy treatment; and links with serious health problems. Studies have overwhelmingly found BPA to have negative effects at doses lower than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) current standards; retention in the body longer than was previously believed; leeching into liquids being held in containers regardless of the containers’ temperature; and longer lasting damage, which can be passed to future generations. Over 200 peer-reviewed studies have linked BPA to health problems. ( source )

So… Naturally people want to know what sorts of containers they ought to avoid so they can minimize their exposure.

Look for the number 7 on plastic products.

A commonly used plastic hardener and polycarbonate plastic byproduct, BPA has been found in everything from baby bottles, sippy cup, water bottles, aluminum can linings, eyeglasses, and cars, to DVD and CD cases and some dental sealants. BPA can also be found in appliances and windshields; on recyclable bottles, BPA as a component can be verified if the item contains recycling number 7. ( source )

What does BPA have to do with water testing? Not much… except that it really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to put freshly filtered, pure drinking water into a container that has the potential to leach toxic chemicals into it.

As usual we suggest people test the quality of their water routinely… and now we suggest they be careful not to use portable water containers made with BPA.

Other BPA Articles of Possible Interest

• BPA Exposure From Sales Receipts
• Prenatal BPA Exposure Linked to Behavioral Issues

OK, so we THOUGHT we could kick back, relax, and enjoy some bacon this morning, given that we don’t have to go to work again until Monday morning, but that all fell through when some unthinking moron stopped on the sidewalk out front, chugged the last bit of their overpriced bottled water, and stuffed the empty bottle in the neighbor’s mailbox.

One could THANK the person for not chucking their refuse onto the lawn or just dropping it where they stood, but still… Take your empty bottle with you, ya’ loser! Sheesh.

So, this brings us to the part where we ask people to stop buying water that comes in disposable bottles. Why? Because no one one wants the empties in their mailbox, bottled water costs way too much, and because less expensive and more planet friendly options exist.

Carrying a reusable water bottle that can filter water from pretty much any source makes SO much more sense than throwing away good money on bottled water that probably came from a municipal water system anyways. You get the convenience of not needing a store, the benefit of saving money, and the satisfaction that come from not contributing more plastic to our already overflowing landfills.

OK, so now that we have successfully vented about the bottle discarding cretin, we need to remind you that testing your water periodically with an at-home drinking water test kit helps to keep you and your loved ones safe from accidental harm caused by drinking water contaminants. ( More Reasons to Test Your Drinking Water )

It’s your your water, your health… and your life!

A recent article we found gives disturbing details about how the bottled water industry has had the option of doing business all these years. It scares us to think that bottled water companies have charged as much as they have for their product all these years and not really done all they could to protect us from fecal, apparently also spelled faecal, coliform.

FDA pushes for more stringent water testing

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is pushing more stringent testing standards for the bottled water industry in the US, saying companies will have to eliminate any causes of faecal contamination in water sources before they can bottle the water for sale.

The FDA’s new rules also require manufacturers to test source water for any forms of coliform (a group of bacteria that are mostly harmless), according to a copy of the rules scheduled to be posted in the Federal Register on Friday.

If coliform is found, manufacturers must also test for faecal contamination. Water that goes into bottles is already tested for coliform and faecal contamination, but the water source itself wasn’t previously required to be tested.

The new rules were proposed two years ago, and bring the FDA’s standards in line with that of the Environmental Protection Agency, which has federal oversight of tap water. The rules will go into effect on 1 December 2009.

The FDA notes that 70-75% of bottled water comes from the ground, or the same places where people receive tap water. The new rule also says bottled water producers must keep records of source water testing. ( source )

Sorry, but the fact that the bottled water industry has raked in BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars each year for so long and no one thought to make sure they observed what most would call ‘common sense’ water testing practices sounds like a criminal act to us.

At least someone has finally decided to ask questions and impose some rules that will help guarantee the public’s safety.

A kit like…

… will tell you if the water contains unsafe levels of bacteria that would make swimming or bathing unsafe.

A kit like…

WaterWorks^TM Bacteria Check

… detects down to 1 coliform unit of bacteria, the EPA limit for safe drinking water.

Now as we ALWAYS say, “No at-home test kit gives the same level of precision and accuracy as a professional, certified water analysis laboratory!” — It’s your water, your health and ultimately your LIFE!

As if the price some people pay for bottled water doesn’t ALREADY put a huge dent in a person’s wallet, now word has leaked out that some restaurants which charge MORE than stores for bottled water have taken it upon themselves to rip patrons off in a new way:

“There have also been reports of fraud in which ordinary tap water has been added to used mineral water bottles and sold as the original article. Consumers may not be able to detect this by taste alone and, if concern is warranted, should examine the closures of bottled waters carefully before purchase and insist on seeing bottles opened in their presence in restaurants and other food and beverage service establishments.” ( source )

We don’t have a way for people to stop the shady cretins guilty of this particular scam, but we can suggest ways for people to save money on bottled water other ways.

Unless bottled water specifically states that it came from a natural spring, it more than likely came from a bottling facility located in the heart of a major metropolitan area that somehow filters and/or purifies its local tap water, bottles it, and sells it to you for an outrageous price.

At this poing many of you may have a thought similar to, “OK, but water from most taps can taste pretty gross and I’d rather pay too much for good tasting bottled tap water than drink bad tasting tap water.” You can do that if you want, or you can get portable sport bottles with built-in filters which remove specific contaminants and common sources of bad tastes in tap water — and can be used and reused over and over again.

The links below will take you to affordable, reliable portable water solutions which if used in place of bottled water, should greatly reduce the number of waste products winding up in landfills:

Some people would call us crazy for ever even IMPLYING such a thing, but apparently the folks who run the water treatment facilities in New York City know a thing or two about producing some really good drinking water because it has earned the title of World’s Best Tap Water. (source)

What does this mean for you if you don’t like the way your municipal water tastes? Simple: You can either move to New York City, find out if you can get New York City water in bottled form (see Tap’dNY), or test your drinking water and then get the proper drinking water filter(s) so that you can enjoy good tasting drinking water…. just like those bums in NY. 

Recent media coverage of the impact bottled water consumption has made on our environment has sparked a lot of outrage in many of its users… who apparently had never really considered or thought about all the containers they have purchased and discarded over the years until now.

But more importantly it has raised a very important question:

What can consumers use in place of bottled water since they clearly don’t fully trust the tap water readily available to them?

Since the idea of lugging a 5-gallon bottle of purified water around everywhere people go offers quite a few logistical problems, we shall have to seek out another answer… How about travel-size portable water bottles with built-in filtration units? Brilliant!

The links below will take you to affordable, reliable portable water solutions which if used in place of bottled water, should greatly reduce the number of waste products winding up in landfills: