Water Quality: Testing, Filters for, and Purification of Drinking, Ground and Pool Water » Portable Water Bottle

Nestle Water Company Back in the Spotlight — This Time Over Fish

Water Testing Blog — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:17:42 +0000

Once upon a time, as in just a few years ago, the water division of Nestle boasted some of the largest sales numbers of any bottled water company in History — until opponents of bottled water began asking questions about claims made by bottled water companies that bottled water offered health benefits that tap water could not.

It also did not help that other folks started pointing out (and publicizing) the growing problem of what to do with the billions of empty water bottles winding up in landfills.

Needless to say Nestle’s sales plummeted and ever since then the company has struggled to regain marketshare by creating lower-priced, more environmentally conscious bottled water products such as its Pure Life product whose .5L container claims to use approximately 35% less plastic than an earlier .5L water bottle made by Nestle.

Nestle has not stopped there, though, it seems. In fact, they started an interesting experiment whose results they hope will change the public’s opinion of bottled water… and it involves trout.

You read that correctly. We said, “Trout.”

Nestle is testing the health of fish – trout, to be exact – in Cascade Locks, Oregon, in an effort to prove that municipal water can replace spring water in their Arrowhead brand. Key to the year-long test is showing that the Idaho Sockeye, an endangered species, can survive in hatcheries supplied from municipal wells.

Resistance from local environmentalists is so strong – Nestlé put the 1,700-gallon tank under lock and key and added security cameras. So far, three of the fish have died and will be autopsied. ( source )

We don’t know if we really have much to say after that. Nestle wants to know if municipal water from a well can sustain the health of trout and somehow if the water can keep the fish healthy for a year, this proves… What exactly?

Undoubtedly we missed the point of Nestle’s 1,700 gallon trout experiment, but regardless of the results their product will require bottles for packaging that will clutter landfills and deplete the planet’s dwindling resources.

While we applaud Nestle’s creativity in trying to revive bottled water’s image, we think they will fall short of the mark… and most people will not switch from their very economical refillable water bottles, sports bottles w/ built-in water filters, etc.

Sports Bottle with Level 2 Filter

Brita Classic Pitcher w/ Free Nalgene Water Bottle

Culligan SB-3 27 oz. Water Bottle

Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottles

Water Testing Blog — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:03:29 +0000

After all the talk about BPA and other potentially dangerous compounds leaching out of portable water bottles it comes as no surprise that companies like Klean Kanteen have started producing stainless steel portable water bottles.

Advantages of stainless steel water bottles like the K18PPS water bottle include a zero percent chance of the bottle leaching BPA getting into the drinking water, a zero percent chance of flavors from previous beverages surviving a wash cycle and tainting new beverages, and users of the bottles spending a lot less money on bottled water.

Dishwasher safe and 100% recyclable, the Klean Kanteen K18PPS stainless steel water bottle provides a safe and environmentally conscious alternative to plastic water bottles and/or plastic lined aluminum water bottles. An array of accessories also make these stainless steel bottles every bit as convenient as their plastic counterparts.

Question: Do They Make a Portable Multi-Stage Filter for Travel?

Water Testing Blog — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:03:56 +0000

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…

($5,000 + Carrying Jugs Around) vs. ($70 + Filter Weighs Only a Few Pounds)

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.

Bacteria in the Water Cooler

Water Testing Blog — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:03:15 +0000

We can remember a time when pretty much everyone we knew viewed the water coming from the water cooler at work as the safest and most pure water possible. The thought of bacteria living in the water cooler never crossed our minds.

Our thought process changed after reading some interesting statisitics including, but not limited to, how often water cooler fixtures get cleaned, storage times for water cooler bottles before use, storage conditions for water cooler bottles before use, etc.

Some people, including ourselves, have started to shy away from public water coolers and instead use personal water filtration devices such as washable, refillable water bottles with Level 2 Filters. Most tap water contains a low level of sanitizer which keeps it bateria-free and the filters in our personal water bottles remove the residual sanitizer, and other nasty things such as metals, from the tap water right before we consume it — making it as freshly purified as possible.

Grip Sport Bottle with Level 2 Filter

Sports Bottle with Level 2 Filter

Level 2 Filter Replacement Cartridges

Another Blow for Bottled Water

Water Testing Blog — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:03:27 +0000

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.

What Plastic Products (May) Contain Bisphenol A

Water Testing Blog — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:09:11 +0000

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

Katadyne Exstream Personal Water Bottle

Katadyne Exstream XR Personal Water Bottle

Katadyne Micro Microfilter Water Bottle