Water & Air – Filter Systems News

Last year, we wrote about how a small church used bottled water for Baptism, and then shortly after that we wrote about a South Korean professor who was charged with fraud for selling machines he claimed could turn tap water into holy water.

Just last week, an Orthodox priest, Zaharia Peres, claimed to do the same. Only this time, the priest had no ulterior motive for turning tap water into holy water. And he didn’t need a machine.

Instead, Peres consecrated all of Timisoara’s tap water at once. He stood over the reservoirs that supplied the city so that everyone in the city might have access to the holy water. Many opted to go directly to the church to get their fill of holy water, fearing that the water might lose some of its power by travelling through rusty pipes.

A new technology to extract water from potatoes is currently being perfected by PepsiCo, which also owns the crisps manufacturer, Walkers. Potatoes are 75 percent water, and when the slices are cooked, this water is normally released into chimneys inside the factories. PepsiCo will instead capture the water, treat it and reuse it for washing, peeling and slicing. Once the process is perfected, they may be able to remove their factories from the water mains altogether. Later, they also hope to be able to replace drinking water supplies with this water, and even provide drinking water to those in areas suffering from drought.

The optimist in me is hopeful for those suffering due to the lack of water. The pessimist on my right shoulder is singing a different tune, however. Right now, Pepsi brings in millions from bottled water sales – which they recently admitted is municipally sourced and filtered. What’s to stop them from using this water for the same purpose? Advances in technology are in many cases utilized for one purpose – profit. I hope PepsiCo isn’t just greenwashing this time…

As a former restaurant employee, I’m well aware of the necessity of boosting check averages in order to increase tips. Usually (though not always), the higher your sales, the more money you are likely to make as a server. Anyone who has worked in the restaurant industry before knows that offering guests bottled water is one of several techniques that can help you boost sales.

But the bottled water industry, as of late, has received so much backlash, and in today’s economic recession, fewer people are buying bottled water at restaurants, despite the clever efforts of servers to pressure them into it:

“Sir, do you prefer still, sparkling … or just tap”  (said with a slight air of condescension and maybe even a small frown)?

These days, most people are not afraid to say “Charlotte’s (or whatever city you live in’s) finest”, with a confident grin. It was always frustrating to me when I was a server; however, now that I see the absurdity of bottled water (and now that I am thankfully no longer employeed in the food and beverage industry), I have joined the ranks of fellow tap water drinkers. After all, it’s “free”.

I used to receive this question, quite often, however: “Is your water filtered?” Sadly, in the last restaurant I worked in, it was not. You could taste the trace amounts of metal that often give unfiltered water that “tappy” taste. (Looking back, I understand now, why people would ask for water with extra lemon…). Perhaps the reason for serving unfiltered water was simply cost – not paying for foodservice water filters is less expensive, after all… or is it?

What if selling filtered water, by the glass, instead of serving unfiltered water for free, could actually help restaurants boost their sales? Bottled water is ridiculously priced, but if restaurants invested in filtration systems, perhaps they could sell glasses of filtered water for less than a dollar a piece, (refills included?) and still make a small profit off of water sales. At the very least, they could recover the cost of the filtration system, make their customers happier by serving filtered water, and boost their overall reputation if nothing else. If people have the choice between tap for free and filtered for the price of what ultimately amounts to pocket change, I’m willing to bet they’d choose the latter. What do you think?

You could even serve it in a stemmed glass, as this tends to make non-bottled water seem more appealing…

America is the land of the free, right? Well some might argue differently, in light of recent Homeland Security developments (i.e. airport “security” checks.) The United States officially became free with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It’s the reason we celebrate the fourth of July every year with fireworks and funnel cakes. It’s the reason why a man walks through an airport “security” check in a speedo with an insulting message written to a certain politician scribbled on his back in bold, black marker, and doesn’t get labeled a terrorist … well, at least… for now.

As we’ve seen in recent controversial media reports over the last few weeks, these “freedoms” we have are precious to us, and if we comply with new procedures in the name of security, safety and comfort, there’s a chance we could lose them. Allow me to call your attention to a recent article published by the BBC: “Bottled Water has Become Liquid Gold.” This piece describes how bottled water rose to a global billion-dollar industry within the last 40 years, because of smart marketing. Through advertising that speaks directly to the human desire for luxury and convenience, this product has become all too appealing. One particular section of this article really got my attention – a quote by Richard Wilk, professor of anthropology at Indiana University:

“I think bottled water is the most revealing substance for showing us how the global capitalist market works today … In a sense, we’re buying choice, we’re buying freedom. That’s the only thing that can explain why you would pay money for a bottle of something that you can otherwise get for free.”

(Now, before I get attacked by the IBWA for referencing an “untrue” statement, we know that even tap water isn’t free. Technically we pay for it when we receive our water bill every month. What Wilk likely means here is, “That’s the only thing that can explain why you would pay ridiculous amounts of extra money for an environmentally-unfriendly, plastic bottle of something that you already pay for every month anyway.”)

That disclaimer aside – and I promise I’m going somewhere with this – Wilk’s quote suggests that people are essentially buying their right to choice and freedom every time they pay money for a bottle of water. In fact, “the right to choose” has been cited in several places as one of the reasons why bottled water should not be banned in colleges and universities. In today’s world, where freedoms and rights seem to be slipping slowly from our grasp with each new security measure, people are even more compelled to stand up and fight to keep them. But the willingness to pay for them isn’t doing much good. If bottled water is a symbol of the success of a capitalist market, buying it is only going to feed that market. And, in my opinion – feel free to debate with me on this – that market, and the greed associated with it, is the very thing that drives the policies that are slowly beginning to restrict our personal freedoms.

Sometimes, fighting for freedom means sacrificing security and comfort. Bottled water is one of the many symbols of security and comfort for those in the developed world, as it sets us apart from the less secure nations that don’t have access to clean water. It’s just a matter of where your priorities lie – with personal freedoms, or with comfort and security. In the name of the freedom upon which this Independent nation was founded, choose to drink filtered tap water, instead of bottled. It’s better for the planet, less expensive, less wasteful, it’s still purified, and you still retain your right to choose (along with preserving your dignity by resisting the temptation to get duped by clever advertising.) Seems like the more sensible decision to me – what do you guys think?

Fiji Water: Taking good water away from people who need it most.

Two days ago, Fiji Water‘s only production plant announced that it was shutting its doors, following a significant bottled water tax raise by the country’s military ruler. (There was talk of sourcing the water somewhere other than in Fiji, but then it wouldn’t really be “Fiji Water,” anymore, would it?) The announcement saddened many here in the U.S., as Fiji water is probably the most popular brand of premium bottled water on the market. I’m sure advocates of bottled water were saddened. Workers of the plant wept openly at their job loss. But those of us who maintain that bottled water is an unnecessary and expensive commodity that’s helping to destroy our planet were perhaps more saddened by today’s news: The Fiji plant will reopen tomorrow.  They have decided that the tax (15 cents per liter – up from only one-third of a cent per liter) is payable. The Fijian government’s total annual tax-take is expected to raise from F$500,000 to F$22.6 million.

But why don’t we consumer-obsessed Americans take our eyes off of ourselves for just one second to think about why the Fiji Water company is willing to dish out such a ridiculous amount of money to remain in production?

It’s now well-known that the success of bottled water in our nation is largely due to clever marketing tactics, most of which, sadly, we are gullible enough to fall for. Fiji is the most popular premium bottled water brand because it is well-advertised. Now, I know most of you Fiji lovers would say that it tastes different. But that idea just takes me back to a time when I was over at a friend’s house, drinking cold water which he had poured from the tap into a wine glass; I looked up at this friend, after a few sips, and said, “mmm… this water is really good! Is it Fiji?!?” And that, folks, was the day I stopped buying bottled Fiji water. I realized, at that point, that I had been tricked into believing that this Fiji-sourced artesian water was really better than what I could get at home for the price I already pay when I receive my monthly water bill.

The exotic factor is Fiji Water’s highest selling point. After all, who wouldn’t want to drink water that is bottled from an underground artesian aquifer in Fiji and never touches 21st century polluted United States industrial air until a consumer unscrews the cap? Fiji water is willing to remain in production, regardless of the tax, because they have done the math. They know that consumers will pay for it, and they know that they will still make a significant profit. Staying open, for them, is better than shutting down. It was a smart business decision.

But I can’t help but feel sorry for the people in Fiji, as well as those in other developing nations. We have access to clean water straight from the tap, along with filters that purify it even further by reducing the presence of chemical disinfectants; yet we choose to drink bottled water, simply because it comes from an underground aquifer in an exotic country, and we are gullible enough to believe that it really tastes that much better and is worth the price of $3-4 per liter (plus the extra $0.15 the company will probably now add to the cost to cover the tax). Moreover, we haven’t given a single thought to the fact that those in Fiji, not to mention those in Haiti, Indonesia, Africa and other developing nations, have to hike miles a day just to get access to dirty water that will probably either kill them or make them unbearably sick. Nor have we given thought to how much water and oil are wasted in the production, transport and disposal of this convenient luxury – a luxury that many others don’t have.

Now you may be thinking that bottled water has often been the saving grace for those in underdeveloped countries. But, giving them bottled water is like putting a band-aid on cancer. There are better, more permanent solutions, like helping these countries build a stable clean water infrastructure and teaching them how to manage it long-term.

The message is simple: think twice before you buy that next bottle of water, as it may only further contribute to the suffering of those less fortunate.

What if, instead of purchasing wine by the bottle, you were able to bring your own jug or container with you to the supermarket and fill it up with wine yourself?

Pretty soon, you just might be able to, according to recent news. Last month, 500 and 1,000-liter self-serve wine tanks landed in French supermarkets. It may only be a year before these wine vending machines hit American grocery stores. The concept, similar to Ecowell‘s environmentally-friendly soda and juice vending machines, is intended to raise environmental awareness, while helping consumers save money. By getting rid of traditional wine packaging, the wine can be shipped at much lower prices.

Supposedly the wine still tastes pretty good, though I’ll be interested to see the response of wine connoisseurs. Wine in an old rinsed-out milk jug from home just doesn’t sound quite as appealing to me as wine aged in a corked bottle, but if you’re the type that enjoys Franzia out of a box, then go for it.  Of course, we at Filters Fast will be in support of any green movement.

I’m also wondering what this might do to the bottled water industry. If people are willing to sacrifice wine by the bottle for “wine on tap,” then surely they’d forego bottled water in favor of tap water, right? Pretty soon, we may be seeing self-serve water tanks in grocery stores too. Perhaps within the year, we’ll be able to add wine to our list of “Essential Goods Cheaper than Bottled Water” – watch out IBWA!

Federal spending has gone up more than 20 percent since Obama took office, according to a recent report. Many would say the spending was necessary to recover our recessed economy, but a quick glance at some of the costs implemented to keep the government running reveals that this is questionable.

Millions of dollars have gone toward funding for Nancy Pelosi’s office, printing “important” documents like the new Obamacare health care plan, student loan repayments (a benefit of working for the government), pension costs for retired congressional members, office supplies, electricity, food and tap water.

But it would be silly to think that affluent members of Congress would dare drink plain old tap water, wouldn’t it? Reports indicate that House members alone spent nearly $200,000 on bottled water during the first quarter of 2010.

I guess someone forgot to tell our political leaders about water filtration. Maybe our economy wouldn’t be in such shambles if they weren’t wasting money on pointless commodities like bottled water. Not to mention, there are so many people in undeveloped nations who don’t have access to clean water.

Nov. 2 is tomorrow, folks. Do your research and make sure to vote green in the 2010 elections.

There are certain things in life that we need to survive. Bottled water is not one of them. It’s costly to both the environment and to your wallet. Besides, why would you want to waste your money on that, when there are so many other more important needs that are way cheaper? For example:

Alcohol

Several recent news reports have revealed that booze is cheaper than bottled water in New Zealand, which is bad news for this binge drinking population… (or is it?) Regardless, it could be really bad news for bottled water companies. I know we say it all the time, but when it just makes more sense to spend the money on beer or wine, why would anyone pay for a plastic bottle of something they can get for free from a tap? Think about it…

Gasoline

As expensive as a gallon of gasoline is these days, believe it or not, it can be cheaper than a bottle of water, depending on what kind of water you drink. If you’re the kind who prefers Fiji over Evian (which we think is still pretty naive), you’re looking at spending more than $3 for a liter bottle. A gallon of gas is only $2-something in some parts of the U.S. You do the math…

Iced Tea

Water tastes even better with tea flavor in it, right? (I’m sure @toddx can back me up here.) Why would you want to buy bottled water when you can drink iced tea instead? A box of 100 Lipton tea bags is about the same price as 2-3 bottles of water from a vending machine, and you can choose to drink it sweetened, unsweetened, caffeinated, or decaffeinated, flavored with peach or lemon, or just plain – the possibilities are endless! Not only that; the production process for bottled water depletes so many of our earth’s resources – including water! And, as @toddx so kindly pointed out to us on Blog Action Day, “Without water, there can be no iced tea.” You don’t want that, do you?

Ramen Noodles

If you or your kids have ever attended college, you know what I mean when I say Ramen Noodles is an essential good. It’s practically how all of us survived through those regrettable years, right? (That, and alcohol, which, as you know now, is also cheaper than bottled water.) Depending on where you shop, you can get as many as 5 or 10 packs of Ramen Noodles for only $1. That’s over a week’s worth of food! Compare that to the price of a bottle of water… I think you see where I’m going with this.

Filtered Water

You may think we sound like a broken record, but we can’t emphasize it enough. Not only does drinking filtered water save our planet from the detrimental effects of plastic bottled water waste… it saves you money! And, these days, I can’t think of one person who’s not looking to save a buck or two. Okay, so maybe the previous four goods are not really that “essential” when it comes down to it, but, in our humble opinion, filtered tap water is. With regular tap water you run the risk of ingesting cancer-causing contaminants, and with bottled water… well, I don’t need to repeat myself do I? Drinking filtered water will help ensure the health of you and your loved ones.

Please do yourself and the rest of the world a favor by visiting Filters Fast online to purchase your water filter today. We have a huge selection of refrigerator water filters, faucet water filters, undersink filters, pitcher filters and countertop filters to suit your needs.

If you’re a student with a passion for sustainability and a desire to see your great idea for environmental change put into action, you just might have the opportunity through the Brita FilterForGood Eco-Challenge.

Brita wants to hear your idea for a green initiative to bring about environmental awareness and change on your campus. The company is giving away $1000 to 50 recipients this year for their contest which will end on November 19. Students and faculty members from kindergarten to college are eligible to apply. Simply state, in 150 words or less, how you would make your campus more sustainable, and if your idea is chosen, you’ll receive a $1,000 grant to help fund it into action.

Brita’s FilterForGood campaign began as an initiative to reduce the harmful waste created by plastic bottled water by encouraging people to drink filtered water out of a reusable bottle instead. Since then, Brita has been involved in many efforts to raise awareness and promote change within a host of other environmental issues. In previous years, the Eco-Challenge contest has proven itself a great way to motivate students on campus to be proactive in bringing about environmental change.

To apply for the contest, visit the Brita FilterForGood Eco-Challenge website and complete the form on the right side of the page.

The small town of Bally, Pennsylvania boasts a growing population of about 1,100. And we may attribute part of their growth over the last seven years to bottled water.

As much as I hate to say it, bottled water has done this town some good. It’s the only water residents of Bally have been safely able to drink since 2003, due to groundwater contamination. According to the EPA, the Bally water system was contaminated with the industrial solvent 1, 4-dioxane, which has been labeled “a probable human carcinogen“. Officials disconnected the contaminated well from the water system, hooked up a new well about one mile away, and flushed the system to ensure the removal of any lingering contaminants. Seven years later, Bally residents are now able to safely drink water from the tap.

Did I mention, they’ve been drinking bottled water for seven years?

That’s a long time for a population of 1,000 people to have to wait for a safe drinking water supply. I can’t imagine how much plastic waste this small town has contributed to our landfills since 2003.

Residents of Bally were on a well-water system, but residents of larger cities with municipal water treatment plants are no stranger to the types of chemicals that have plagued this small town for nearly a decade. Municipal water treatment involves the use of chemicals (most of which are also carcinogenic) as disinfectants, and it’s quite common for agricultural and industrial pollutants to be present in the water supply. Though reducing 1,4-dioxane to “acceptable levels” requires advanced oxidation processes, many of the water filters we carry are able to significantly reduce other chemicals and volatile organic compounds. Whether your water supply comes from a well or a municipal system, a home water filter might be worth considering. I’m sure the population of Bally, PA will agree.