Comments on: Probe: Pharmaceuticals In Drinking Water

Widespread Trace-Level Contamination Found In U.S. Water Supply, AP Investigation Shows

[erasmus6]

"The problem is more about used prescription drugs than unused ones, the stuff that gets peed out." Posted by andor3

Not necessarily, if people are throwing pills down the toilet, those are going to be a lot stronger, more concentrated than your pee.

[jimfinster]

Bottled water has been demonized for the past few years. How about now?

Looks like a smart choice to me ...

[zootallures2]

No wonder I haven''t been sick in 10 years and like wearing high heels.....LOL!

[rf35]

Once you''ve finished distilling all your water, what are you going to do with the concentrated toxic soup left in the vessel?
Posted by USBrit

I''ll probably flush it down the toilet!

...and that clorinated water can harm fish in an aquarium etc.
Posted by newster1

Yep, I have a source of free RO water, but it''s a hassle lugging 5 gallon bottles back and forth. I was mainly using it for the fish, plus an extra bottle for the counter-top dispenser I bought after discovering the obscene fluoride levels in my local water. I still use tap water for cooking and drinking more often than not, though, just to save more trips for the RO stuff. I figure a distiller will eliminate the trips and produce good water for all.

[missingamerica]

Bush leaves behind an unintended consequence of his anti-government regulation policy-- now, it is painfully obvious he indifferently risked our health and welfare, with no thought of tomorrow.

Posted by alphaa10 at 02:27 PM : Mar 10, 2008

Which brings up the obvious solution: Since we''re dealing with narrow-minded, shortsighted, business-first types, start a rumor that people are smoking the water...

That''ll bring the right-wingers out in force to eliminate the source.

[alphaa10-2009]

Almost as usual, the EPA has been protective of industry, but not of consumers. When it comes to safety of our drinking water, do not expect the EPA to notice a "significant" problem.

Scientists, however, have paid attention. CBS reports, "... recent studies - which have gone virtually unnoticed by the general public - have found alarming effects on human cells and wildlife."

Filtration and water purification, in general, is not rocket science. There is already abundant research on both water supply contaminants and various filtering and removal technologies.

Bush leaves behind an unintended consequence of his anti-government regulation policy-- now, it is painfully obvious he indifferently risked our health and welfare, with no thought of tomorrow.

[pamelita1357]

...The U.S. Geological Survey''s Columbia Environmental Research Center is studying whether estrogen-contaminated water is affecting human males as well.

As early as 1992, the Cincinnati Enquirer [11Sept92] reported that the sperm count in healthy males had dropped by half in the past 50 years, according to a global review of 61 studies involving nearly 15,000 men. Also, the risk of developing testicular cancer is up by 50% over the past 25 years, although neither have been attributed to estrogen contamination at this time.

http://www.physiciansforlife.org/content/view/1350/36/

[nothappyatall]

You can read more about distillation, types, prices etc here, Polar Bear is a long time brand for these and has a 10 year warrantee, West Bend is another, do some research, shop around, start here;

www.polarbearwater.com

And here;

www.clearchoicewater.com/English_Site/English_HomePage.htm

But start someplace and buy where you like.

Polar Bears site has some in the $500 price range, 8 gallon production a day, that''s more than most people would ever need.

[nothappyatall]

This is why you dont buy a CHEAP compact distiller, those $119.95 deals, a good distiller is a counterop sized model, larger would have more distance between the boiling chamber and the collector which is good.
The unit if a good brand, stainless steel should last many years with minimal care- just keep it clean.
The better units will cost some money, in my opinion anything less than around $350 is a much lesser compact type unit that is not as good as the larger better built units- those may run you $500 and up, but like buying a new washing machine, fridge or diswasher- consider you are buying an APPLIANCE, and $500 for an appliance is not unreasonable- you would spend 3 times that for a side by side fridge with water in the door and icemaker.

[nothappyatall]

The distance between the boiling chamber and condensing coil along with the construction material is determinate of a water distiller''s ability to remove impurities.

Water Distiller Baffle Distance - When water boiled it is first converted to wet steam and then to dry steam through water distillation. Contaminates rise with wet steam, but not with dry steam. The longer the distance between the boiling chamber and the condensing coil produces more dry steam resulting in purer distilled water from your water distiller.

Water Distiller Construction - The best construction material is surgical quality stainless steel.

Water Distiller Storage Containment - The best materials for water distiller storage is stainless steal or glass. While glass maintains a high level of water purity, it is not as durable as stainless steal, which is why it is not the most reliable storage container used by the water distiller.

[thgdriver]

Posted by newster1

Your right, your private well must be maintained and inspected periodically for surface water contamination. Thats a given, it''s a good idea to have it tested once a year also. We have a cabin in the mountains, I filter that but don''t cook or drink it. We alway take bottled water up with us.

[nothappyatall]

"Most bottled water is just expensive tap water...thats why I usually dont bother with it. I thought about getting an RO/DI machine to use for my aquarium, but maybe Ill go in for a distiller."
RF35

Notice they recommend you use only distilled water in your iron, your car battery, and that clorinated water can harm fish in an aquarium etc.
Bottled water is not ALL tap water, some comes from underground springs, some does come from tap but is FILTERED which removes most of the crud.
You can filter your own water, but when a gallon of distilled water is 69 cents and you dont drink 5 gallons a day, you can buy distilled for drinking about the same price as the filtered tap, or distill your own.
Distilled water has NO taste at all, some don''t like that, I do, and being the cleanest water it will clean your body''s wastes out better than water that is already contaminated. Add a little lemon or something if you want a hint of taste, or carbonate it for making your own soda using various flavored juices or syrups- free of the preservatives and caffein they put in pop.
Otherwise if you keep a gallon of it in the fridge REAL cold, nothing better than distilled water about 34 degrees with just a hint of ice crystals in it :)

[thgdriver]

Posted by USBrit

You said it. I used to laugh at some buddies of mine that liked to drink Rolling Rock Beer. They say it''s brewed with pure mountain spring water. I always liked to ask them how they knew a large Moose or bear did not just take a cra-p upstream. LOL.

[nothappyatall]

As was said, its a fact, water is the same water from millions of years ago, its not destroyed as water doesnt burn, rust away or deteriorate into something else. Its the only substance that can be found in all 3 states in one place simultaneously- liquid, vapor and ice.

Water filtering through about 10 feet of fine sand as it does when it rains and soaks into the ground to eventually wind up in aquafers, is very clean, well water gets contaminated by leaky well heads where contaminated surface water gets into the well head, poorly maintained pipes etc.
Brooks, streams etc get contamined by animal and bird droppings, dead carcases, pollution, fish (rivers are the fishes'' toilet) then theres industrial dumping, farm runoff and city storm sewers that collect water off dirty pavement that has oil, antifreeze etc on it.

Many cities ''treat'' the waste sewer water and dump it into rivers, NY city used the Hudson and East rivers as sewers- all the waste went out untreated.

A water distiller is better the Rev osmosis, and theres no membraine to replace. Charcoal filters dont remove all the chemicals and stuff either, good too but distilled is best. Charcoal filters get clogged fast if you have hard water or alot of clorine and sediments. Best to tap for everything and distilled for drinking and pets

[usbrit-2009]

Posted by thgdriver

I remember I read once that the river Thames is drunk three times between spring and ocean. Makes ya think huh?

[bobnjersey]

[This is a pretty interesting article. Too bad it didn''''t tell us the proper way to dispose of unused prescriptions drugs.]
[Posted by vermonter52 at 10:57 AM : Mar 10, 2008]

the new rule is that anything left over ... or didn''t work in the first place (that''s likely why they''re left over) should be returned to the company that made them ... for a full refund.

[thgdriver]

The water on the earth is the same water thats been here for millions of years. It never gets added too nor does it evaporate into space.

So that glass of water you drank quite possibly was pissed out by a dinosaur millions of years ago or a cow at Browns farm last year. Thats the fact.

I have a private well, 160 feet deep, the water pumped into my home is charcoal filtered before it goes into my holding tank. The water comes out of the holding tank and is charcoal filtered again before entering the plumbing to the house. So even the water to my toilets and showers has been filtered three times. Once by mother earth and twice by me. I change out the filters every 60 days.

My neighbors don''t do anything at all and they still have their hair nor do they glow in the dark. It''s just an added precaution I like to take.

My point is, you can do the same thing with municipal supplied water. The two whole house filter systems I use came in a kit that are easily installed. They cost about $25.00 each and the charcoal filters are $5.00 each.

[usbrit-2009]

Once you''ve finished distilling all your water, what are you going to do with the concentrated toxic soup left in the vessel?

[rf35]

I wonder if this has contributed to the huge increases in autism and ADD/ADHD in kids today. At least it''s not all bad if it causes infertility in humans.

Most bottled water is just expensive tap water...that''s why I usually don''t bother with it. I thought about getting an RO/DI machine to use for my aquarium, but maybe I''ll go in for a distiller. Apparently makes just as good water and enough to use for drinking, too. I wonder how many of these drugs have topical effects.

[andor3]

"Too bad it didnot tell us the proper way to dispose of unused prescriptions drugs."

The problem is more about used prescription drugs than unused ones, the stuff that gets peed out.

I wonder about the common drugs--nicotine, caffeine, THC