RainSoft of Charlotte County - Properly Dispose of Medicine to Protect the Water Supply

RainSoft of Charlotte County - Prescription Drugs and How They End Up in the Water Supply

In homes that use septic tanks, prescription and over-the-counter drugs flushed down the toilet can leach into the ground and seep into ground water.

In cities and towns where residences are connected to wastewater treatment plants, prescription and over-the-counter drugs poured down the sink or flushed down the toilet can pass through the treatment system and enter rivers and lakes. They may flow downstream to serve as sources for community drinking water supplies. Water treatment plants are generally not equipped to routinely remove medicines.

How Proper Disposal of Medicines Protects You and the Earth:

• Prevents poisoning of children and pets
• Deters misuse by teenagers and adults
• Avoids health problems from accidentally taking the wrong medicine, too much of the same medicine, or a medicine that is too old to work well
• Keeps medicines from entering streams and rivers when poured down the drain or flushed down the toilet

See the EPA Guidelines on How to Dispose of Medicine Properly

No filter will remove every contaminant, in part because the list of risky chemicals keeps growing.  But here are the most common types of filters and the major contaminants they are designed to trap:

1. Carbon filters include countertop pitchers, faucet-mounted models, undersink models (which usually require a permanent connection to an existing pipe), and whole-house or point-of-entry systems (usually installed in the basement or outside). Carbon, a porous material, absorbs impurities as the water passes through.  What they remove: Lead, PCBs, chlorine byproducts (chloramines and trihalomethanes), certain parasites, radon, pesticides and herbicides, the gasoline additive MTBE, the dry-cleaning solvent trichloroethylene, some volatile organic compounds, some levels of bacteria (such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia) and a small number of pharmaceuticals.
2. Reverse-osmosis systems push water through a semipermeable membrane, which acts as an extremely fine filter. They're often used in conjunction with carbon filters. However, these systems waste 4 to 9 gallons (15 to 34 liters) of water for every gallon (3.8 liters) filtered.  What they remove: Chemicals carbon filters may miss, including perchlorate, sulfates, fluoride, industrial chemicals, heavy metals (including lead), chlorine byproducts, chlorides (which make water taste salty), and pharmaceuticals.
3. Ultraviolet light units disinfect water, killing bacteria. Countertop units can be found for under U.S. $100, but most whole-house units cost $700 and upward. What they remove: Bacteria. Experts recommend using them with carbon filters to remove other contaminants.
4. Distillers, probably the least practical home method, boil and condense water. While countertop units are available, distillers use lots of electricity, generate excess heat, and require regular cleaning. Explore filters or other alternatives to remove your contaminants, or, in a pinch, buy distilled water. What they remove: Heavy metals (including lead), particles, total dissolved solids, microbes, fluoride, lead, and mercury.

Water Filter Buying Guide from National Geographic

RainSoft Drinking Water Systems

Bottled water quality without the bottle. You'll enjoy deliciously fresh drinking water all the time with one of our reverse osmosis systems. And with RainSoft drinking water purification systems, there are no heavy bottles to lug or deliveries to schedule. Just turn on the faucet and enjoy. You'll also be doing the environment a favor!

Coffee, tea, ice, soups, juices...you name it! Anything made with water from RainSoft home water filtration systems will taste noticeably better. So will your prepared foods. After all, water is the number one ingredient in your kitchen. You'll taste the difference every time you use water from your RainSoft drinking water system.

Home Water Treatment

With two premium drinking water systems, RainSoft water treatment delivers a higher quality and better tasting drinking water experience. Not only will the water from a RainSoft drinking water system in your glass taste distinctly better, but so will all of the food and beverages you make with it.

Ultrefiner reverse osmosis water systems are RainSoft's premier drinking water system. Using advanced RO technology, the Ultrefiner provides highly polished drinking water that filters out smaller particles that can be missed by less refined drinking water systems.

For out-of-the-way convenience, Hydrefiner drinking water systems deliver a continuous supply of clean, fresh water from right under your sink. Utilizing a compressed carbon-block filter, the Hydrefiner eliminates bad tastes and odors from home drinking water.

Locate a RainSoft Dealer near you.

Read what customers in your area are saying about RainSoft at RainSoft Reviews.

Aging Water Systems Allow Wastewater into Public Drinking Water

Face the facts: Drinking water contamination a concern

By Elizabeth Harvey | Face the Facts, Health

When we turn on the tap most of us assume that what comes out is safe to drink. It’s an advantage of living in a first world country where our cities’ water is carefully monitored and our rural areas are regularly checked for contaminants. However, according to George Washington University’s Face the Facts initiative, drinking water contamination is a reality. Each year, 850 billion gallons of wastewater enter the U.S. public drinking water supply because of aging or inadequate water systems. That’s equivalent to 13.6 trillion eight-ounce glasses.

The EPA says U.S water systems need $500 billion in maintenance and new capital investment by 2020. So what does that mean for us?

According to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service there are four general groups of contaminants that can end up in our water: microbial pathogens (bacteria, parasites and viruses), organics (pesticides, solvents, degreasers, and trihalomthanes), inorganics (heavy metals and other compounds), and radioactive elements. Generally speaking, many of these contaminants are found in our average drinking water, but they are in such a minute dose that the water is considered safe to drink by  the EPA.

The Centers for Disease Control have identified a number of diseases that are possible through contaminated water in public water systems. The number one health issue associated with drinking contaminated water is campylobacteriosis. It is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that may be found in public water sources. It causes diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever within two to five days of exposure and typically these symptoms may last up to a week. This disease can also be life threatening in people with compromised immune systems (such as the very young or the very old).

Other health concerns from drinking contaminated water include E. coli, hepatitis A, and salmonella all of which can be life threatening if untreated or undiagnosed. 

It’s not just our drinking water that is at risk. Those same contaminants in our drinking water can wreak havoc on our crops. The U.S. National Library of Medicine has researched the effects of using contaminated water on crops and these studies showed high levels of microbial contamination in vegetables irrigated with wastewater.

While the United States enjoys some of the safest water in the world, the effects of these billions of gallons of wastewater entering our public water supply can impact the quality of fruits and vegetables across the entire country. Even for those whose water is safe.

Testing the quality of your water has never been easier though. Most major hardware stores (like Lowe’s or Home Depot) offer water testing clinics or provide kits that allow consumers to test the quality of their home water for themselves. These may be necessary investments in the future if the treatment of our wastewater does not become a more pressing concern.

Home Water Filters and Problem Solving

No matter what your water quality problem or concern, you can rely on RainSoft to have the right solution to help you solve it. Bad tastes and odors caused by chlorine, low pH, sediment, iron, sulfur, manganese, you name the problem. Your RainSoft dealer can provide the solution. 

RainSoft of Charlotte County

2651 Park Windsor Drive
Suite 202
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Phone: 239-278-1555

Or Locate a RainSoft Dealer near you.

Find out what people in your area are saying about RainSoft at RainSoft Reviews

Prescription Drugs in Drinking Water? Find Out More Here.

Prescription Drugs in Drinking Water
Reporter: Shannon Kantner | WILX.COM

Germs on a water fountain are no surprise, but what about drugs in the water?

"Most meds when they are taken are not completely absorbed by the body, they pass through unchanged," said Ron Melaragni, Adminstrative Director for Sparrow Pharmacy Plus. "They get into the water supply and cause pollution, even if it's minor."

In addition, there's the commonly held belief that people are supposed to flush leftover prescriptions down the toilet. Over the years that practice has taken its toll on wildlife, including fish with three eyes and two sets of reproductive organs, according to some studies.

"There is a lot of evidence that speaks to the residuals being in the receiving waters of the United States and the local community here," said Chad Gamble, Director of Public Service for the City of Lansing. "Now they're at very, very low levels, but we want to be on the front end of that. We want to be able to protect the environment."

Gamble said most waste water treatment facilities, including Lansing's, can't remove every leftover drug particle. That makes initiatives like the third annual Medication Disposal Event at the Capitol on Tuesday especially important.

"It's a source control issue, which is inviting people to take a little bit more time out of their day to dispose of their drugs when they're done using them in a safe and efficient manner," Gamble said.
This year more than 579 pounds of unwanted or expired medication was collected, which amounts to about $1 million worth.

At this point, experts say the flushing method hasn't made drinking water dangerous for humans yet. "But if this process continues, who knows what could happen," Melaragni said. "So, it's important to do it the right way, so it doesn't get in the water supply."

If you missed the Capitol's disposal event, there is a national one happening Sept. 29. There's also a new kit on the market that will soon be on pharmacy shelves for use in the home. It's just a little black plastic bag filled with a substance when mixed with warm water, neutralizes prescriptions - up to 45 pills or 6 ounces of liquid medicine can fit in it. Once it's mixed, you seal it, and throw it in the trash.

Pharmacisits also recommend using kitty litter or coffee grounds in a container with the prescriptions and dispose of them that way.

The Ingham County Sheriff's Office recently added a bin in their lobby where anyone can drop off old pills free of charge during normal business hours.

Questions About What's in Your Water - RainSoft Has Answers

RainSoft Water Facts

Maximum Contaminant Level Goals vs. Maximum Contaminant Levels

The environment has changed a lot in the last fifty years. Manufacturing and agricultural activities, along with our growing population, add an enormous amount of potentially hazardous materials to our environment. 

As a result, the U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA) and others have detected more than 700 different organic compounds in treated drinking-water supplies. 

To read more about water facts and contaminants go to RainSoft Water Facts.

To Request a Free In-Home Water Test visit RainSoft of Charlotte County Water Test.

RainSoft of Charlotte County

2651 Park Windsor Drive
Suite 202
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Phone: 239-278-1555

www.rainsoftofcharlottecounty.com

Or locate a RainSoft Dealer near you.
To read what people are saying about RainSoft, check out RainSoft Reviews.

Water Cafe Serves Tap Water

Molecule, Water-Only Cafe, Sells Filtered NYC Tap Water In East Village Store

By Serena Solomon, DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

EAST VILLAGE — A new café recently opened up on East 10th Street — but don't expect to find customers sipping on lattes.

Molecule, aka the Water Café, is filtering New York City tap water down to its purest form and serving it for $2.50 to thirsty local patrons using a custom-made device worth more than $20,000.

"It's about treating water a little more consciously, mindfully and respectfully," said co-owner Adam Ruhf, 32, who has a background in music and activism.

But the store is not only planning to peddle its gallons for in-home use, as passersby can stop in for a quick gulp — complete with an option to add vitamin supplements to their H2O cocktails.

The store has been in the works for 18 months, with Ruhf taking the concept of self-service water shops in Los Angeles and building on the theme.

"This is like a water store 2.0," he said of the opening, which was first reported on EV Grieve.

Ruhf knows first hand the healing properties of purified water, claiming that drinking it regularly helped eased the pain caused brought on by two serious car accidents that left him without a spleen and a leg held together with metal pins.

"It's more of an intuitive thing about cleanliness," he explained of how water helped him recover. "Not wanting toxins [from unfiltered water] to further inhibit my recovery."

His store, located between First Avenue and Avenue A, first takes city water heavy with chlorine, fluoride and compound metals and sends it through its towering 8-foot filter behind the counter.

Read more...

Drinking Water from RainSoft

Discover the benefits of RainSoft drinking water systems, and taste the difference in your drinking water today.

A difference you'll notice with every glass.

• Delivers clean, delicious water at the push of a button

• Takes out impurities that faucet-mounted filters can't

• Saves money compared to bottled water

• No more lifting or storing heavy 5 gallon bottles

• Better for the environment

"When my son's friends play at our house, they ask for water instead of soft drinks. Our RainSoft water is that good!"

The RainSoft Difference

RainSoft drinking water systems are a simple, cost-effective solution to providing cleaner, better tasting water right from the tap. And don't forget environmentally friendly! With home water filtration systems from RainSoft, you can get bottled-water quality water, without the bottle.

RainSoft of Charlotte County

651 Park Windsor Drive
Suite 202
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Phone: 239-278-1555

www.rainsoftofcharlottecounty.com

Tap Water Quality Affected by Wildfire Rain Runoff

'Chocolate Milk Shake-Like' Debris Mixture Overwhelms Treatment Plants, School Of Mines Study Says

Alan Gathright, New Media Producer | TheDenverChannel.com

GOLDEN, Colo. -- Rain runoff following a wildfire can compromise drinking water quality and overwhelm water treatment plants with a "chocolate milk shake-like mix" of debris, according to a new study by the Colorado School of Mines.

This can affect tap water that might have a smoky taste and could fail to meet federal drinking water standards, says engineering graduate students whose study suggests ways cities government can protect drinking water after a wildfire.

This is a real-time risk for communities like Colorado Springs, where the Waldo Canyon Fire has scorches 15,324 acres of hillside terrain, and the National Weather Service had issued a flash flood watch for the wildfire's "burn scar" Wednesday afternoon.

In the study, School of Mines graduate researchers worked with the city of Golden on scenarios exploring how a fire in the Golden area would adversely affect the water supply in Clear Creek, the city's source of drinking water.

"This project simulated a range of detrimental wildfire run-off conditions utilizing a surface water treatment pilot plant at the Colorado School of Mines in close collaboration with the City of Golden's drinking water treatment plant," said Professor Jörg Drewes.

The study found that rain runoff mixes leftover wildfire debris and sediment that can thwart purifying mechanisms inside downstream water treatment plants.

"While impacts of wildfires have been studied by scientists from forestry, biology and hydrology, this study is the first that combines these experiences with water treatment engineering and focuses on adverse effects on drinking water quality and appropriate response strategies," Drewes said.

Here's a link to the study: http://tinyurl.com/7lee3pa

Put Flavor in Your Drinking Water Naturally

Cucumber-Orange Water Recipe

By Adela Jung

Not all of us like soda and flavored drinks, but plain old water can get boring after a while. Here, the clean flavors of cucumber and orange steep in water for a refreshing twist.


This recipe was featured as part chow.com Post-Holiday Recovery Menu

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups cold water
• 6 thin slices English cucumber
• 5 thin slices orange

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Serve.
www.chow.com

Practice of Water Fluoridation Under Review

Phoenix set to reassess fluoridation

by Lynh Bui - Jun. 10, 2012 10:55 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proclaimed it one of the 10 greatest public-health achievements of the 20th century.

Every U.S. surgeon general since the 1950s has endorsed the practice. And the American Dental Association calls it the "single most effective public-health measure to prevent tooth decay."

But despite overwhelming support from the government and medical professionals, the debate over fluoridating public water systems, which largely subsided after the Cold War, has resurfaced.

Phoenix has become the latest Valley city to reassess the controversial cavity-fighting policy as several City Council members are proposing to save money or limit government's reach by discontinuing water fluoridation in the nation's sixth-largest city.

The City Council Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee is scheduled to decide Tuesday whether the entire council should vote to suspend the city's use of fluoride in city water. A change would affect the more than 1.4 million Phoenix residents who use the city's fluoridated tap water for drinking, bathing and brushing their teeth.

Anti-fluoride activists have continued to rally against municipal fluoridation of water for decades, worried that overdoses could lead to weight gain and muscle pains from thyroid problems, discoloration of teeth and other yet-to-be-discovered side effects. They also worry that ingesting too much fluoride could damage bones the same way it has been found to eat away at tooth enamel.

Read more: 

Water and Its Significant Role in Your Workout Regime

Stay Safe When Working Out in Summer Heat

Juan Villa | Visalia Time-Delta

Workouts don't need to be put aside simply because the hot weather has arrived. By making a few simple changes, those heading outdoors for their regular workouts can stay safe while doing so.

Three Central Valley natives share some tips for staying safe while working out in the hot weather.

Stay hydrated

When it comes to taking care of the body while exercising in hot weather, local experts agree that staying hydrated is foremost.

And staying hydrated doesn't mean just drinking water or Gatorade during the actual workout. Staying hydrated before working out is just as important.

"If say they only drink in the morning, then by the time their competition or workout comes around they will have lost that hydration significantly," said Janelle Myers, Redwood High School athletic trainer. "Not all of it but a lot of it will have been lost. The most important thing is to stay hydrated before and during practice."

Read more...

Thirsty? Here are 8 Ways to get MORE water!!

By now you probably know that drinking your daily dose of H2O keeps your body running properly, your skin clear and may even help you lose weight.

But there still isn't a set-in-stone answer when it comes to the question of just how much water we need to drink each day. Some people will tell you to drink eight glasses, while others call that "nonsense." Others will tell you to divide your body weight in half and drink that number, in ounces, of water every day. And depending on the weather or your level of physical activity or whether or not you're pregnant, you might need even more than usual.

In 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) established that healthy adult women need around 91 ounces of total water and healthy adult men need about 125 ounces every day. But "total" water counts the water in other beverages, as well as the liquid in hydrating, high-water-volume foods.  Read more...

What’s in the water in Charlotte County Florida? Find out with a FREE in-home water test from RainSoft!

Let one of our trained water treatment professionals assess your water treatment needs with a complimentary, in-home analysis of your water. Simply click here to fill out the Free Water Test Request form and we’ll do the rest!