Is Your Water Safe To Drink?

As British Columbians’, we are fortunate to enjoy relatively clean, mountain spring water. However, with industrial pollution, rising pharmaceutical prescriptions, plastic products, contamination of arsenic and even rocket fuel in our soil – our water is at risk for contamination. As a doctor, I strongly believe that pure water is an essential element to staying healthy, next to a clean diet and an active lifestyle.

In April 2009, Health Canada initiated a research study into the quality of our drinking water. Sixty water treatment facilities will be reviewed across the country and more than 100 different water quality parameters will be analyzed over the next two years (2009 & 2010).

Some of the parameters to be measured include a variety of disinfection by-products (54 in total), some new and emerging contaminants (e.g., selected pharmaceuticals, personal care products, Biphenol A, etc.), various inorganic substances, and general water quality. These results will not be released until 2011. You can read more regarding this research at www.hc-sc.gc.ca

Bottled Water & What We Know:

Up to 40% of bottled water is actually bottled tap water that may or may not be treated and filtered. Bottled water can contain chlorine and fluoride – chemicals proven to have deleterious effects in the body. The plastic used for bottled water is commonly polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – this material potentially leaches bisphenol A, antimony and other toxins into your water and then into your body – causing hormone havoc! All of this, in addition to the insult we place on our environment with landfills and oceans filling up on non-biodegradable plastic. If you must drink water out of a plastic bottle, turn it over and make sure it’s a #2, #4 or #5 – these are known not to leach harmful substances.

Other Concerns:

• Apparently, a reverse osmosis (RO) system, although not a bad idea, isn’t suited for Vancouver water. RO is costly, makes water acidic, de-structures water, is a breeding ground for bacteria and oh yes, it’s very inefficient – requiring up to 5 litres of water to produce 1 clean litre.
• Brita and Pur – although inexpensive and good at removing chlorine – breed bacteria and leach aluminum.
• Don’t forget the water you shower with! Our skin is our largest organ and often times, the relaxed, ready-to-go-to-sleep feeling we have after a bath or shower may be directly related to the sedating effects of chlorine. So I would recommend seriously considering a shower filter that often comes with many filtration packages.

Tap Water in BC – Ohh My!

Scratch what I said earlier about drinking relatively clean, mountain spring water. Known water contaminants in the greater Vancouver area may contain the following hazards:

1. Chlorine – a biological poison
2. Trihalomethanes – (THM’s) and Haloacetic acids (HAA’s)
3. Cryptosporidium and Giardia – Parasitic cysts that cause intestinal and immune systems disorders.
4. Lead (especially in homes built prior to 1991) Not found in the water supply itself, but introduced into water from pipe fittings and plumbing fixtures containing lead
5. Even more contaminants exist if you live near agricultural land, pulp mills and other industries

I highly recommend the 2 following local options for Vancouverites:

For Filtrations Systems visit: www.yourwatermatters.com

For Alkaline Water visit: www.ionways.com

Remember – You are what you breathe, drink, eat and think!

Welcome

Hello and welcome to the blog of Dr. Emina Jasarevic, ND.