A blog about water? Boring, right?! 

Well, get ready to have your mind blown. 

As you know, water is…life. But did you know that much of the water we consume is extremely unhealthy and even TOXIC? That most people (maybe you and your family?!?!) consume water that is linked to MAJOR health concerns?

This post is super important. So read it and share it.

I know it’s not sexy. 

**Don’t worry…I’m brewing up a really sexy post for next week (it’s actually going to be about sex).

BUT considering that we need water to live, understanding that not all water is equal and how different water quality impacts our health is REALLY important. And, I offer a very simple and reasonably priced solution :)

So stick around for a bit.

You get it. We need water to live.

But many of us don’t REALLY think about the purity of our water. Or maybe, we simply believe the marketing tools that the bottled water industry or our own municipalities feed us: "Drink me. Someone is looking into the quality of this." Or, "I’m in a bottle, so I must be sanitary and safe." 

NOPE. A big NOPE.

Let’s break this down:

If you’re drinking municipal water (from a town or city) you are likely being exposed to fluoride and chlorine. No bueno.

Flouride:

I was raised in the era of being given fluoride during school. We would all swoosh it around in our mouths for 60 seconds and spit it out. Anyone else? We were told this was GOOD for us! 

Did you know that the fluoride used for drinking water is NOT pharmaceutical grade? It is actually a toxic industrial waste product!

Fluoride is a very toxic substance. It has been used in pesticides and rodenticides. It has been linked to bone disease, arthritis, gastro disease, thyroid disease and types of cardiovascular disease and cancer.  50 studies have linked fluoride with reduced IQ in children!

If you want to really dig into this…I suggest further reading. But prepare for things to get WEIRD. The whole history behind putting fluoride in our water supply is pretty messed up.

Since 1945, fluoride has been added to tap water in the US. The vast majority of water supplies in the US are fluorinated, so chances are if you’re drinking tap water on a daily basis, you are consuming fluoride. 

With SOOO many negative health impacts, many countries have banned this practice (97% of western Europe has rejected water fluoridation). The FDA now requires that toothpaste carry a poison warning if the toothpaste has fluoride in it. 

Chlorine:

Another chemical being used in municipal water supplies is chlorine. Chlorine is added to water to act as a disinfectant. Basically, it reacts to rotting organic matter that is found in city water. Unfortunately, this reaction creates a by-product called trihalomethanes. Trihalomethanes have been linked to different types of cancer and may be linked to reproductive and developmental issues. You can read about that from the EPA's site here.

What I’m getting at is this: we shouldn’t be consuming water that has fluoride or chlorine in it. Period.

But what about bottled water?

I’m talking about single bottles of water and those big 5 gallon bottles that sit on a stand and give you ice cold water or hot water at the drop of a hat.

Many of us have turned to bottled water as an alternative to city water. Bottled water consumption is the largest beverage category by volume and that number is still rising. 

With pictures of glaciers and streams, we can buy into the idea that this water is better than our tap water.

But is that true?

No.

In fact, bottled water faces less stringent regulation than tap water in major cities and NUMEROUS studies have reflected this.

If you’re buying Purified Water, that is simply tap water that has gone through some filtration system. Spring Water is sourced from springs around the United States, but the process for getting it and the filtration systems are pretty questionable…and unethical. 

Then there’s the plastic bottle health concern. Oy Vey! Plastics have been linked to cancer, immune disorders, obesity, etc. Plastics can leach their chemical components into the water (especially at higher temperatures). Even if you’re keeping your bottled water on ice,  you don’t know if that water was once heated while in transit to the store, etc. Even BPA-free plastic is still...plastic. Don't get caught in that marketing scam, either.

Not to get too deep into the rabbit hole, but if any of this intrigues you, you can certainly research the bottled water industry more or I suggest watching the award winning documentary TAPPED. Mind blowing AND very entertaining.

So, not only is the quality of bottled water questionable, there is a HUGE environmental impact.

Do you know that a bottle of water can take up to 450 years to decompose?

And you can throw the recycling argument out the window. Only 1 in 6 water bottles are sent to recycling. And, let’s face it: recycling is NOT the answer. Let’s not lie to ourselves.

Recycling is like eating a McDonald’s cheeseburger instead of a dead raccoon. A better alternative…but not something we should feel warm and fuzzy about.

And, it takes 3 liters of water to make a water bottle that only holds one liter. Dumb. And really awful for the environment and our resources.

Economically, buying water this way is SUPER expensive. 300 times more expensive than tap water.

Guys! There is a solution to ALL of this!

My husband and I live on a farm with a private well. So, the EPA doesn’t care about our water. We are solely responsible for its safety. We live in the Midwest where the fields surrounding our home are sprayed with pesticides and herbicides throughout the growing season. Not to mention heavy metals, pollutants, bacteria, etc. that are found naturally in the ground.

When I started researching water safety several years ago, I spent a lot of time looking for the best system that was affordable. 

If you’re a baller, there are some great whole house water filtration systems out there. But they are expensive!

On the other side of the coin, a Brita, for example, just isn’t going to do the job as their filters are…weak, for lack of a better term.

After lots of research, my husband and I chose a Berkey Water Filter and have been happily using ours for 2 or 3 years. I’ve lost count.

Here’s why:

• Berkey Water Filtration Systems remove more than 99.99% of pathogenic bacteria, cysts, parasites and unhealthy chemical contaminants such as chlorine

• They also remove 95% of heavy metals such as copper, lead, aluminum, mercury, etc.

• They do all this while leaving essential minerals in the water!

• You can also purchase their fluoride filters to remove over 95% of the fluoride in your water

How does it work?

The Berkey System uses several methods to produce high quality water. Not to get all scientific on ya, but their filters utilize a gravity system that ensures that the water filters through these microscopic pores that collect all the junk. Then they use adsorption and absorption to remove viruses and such. Next, they use an ion exchange process to filter out the heavy metals. 

If you’re picturing some complicated system with a bunch of vessels and filters…think again. This is where this post gets SEXAAAAY!!

The Berkey Water Filters are actually really sleek and look great in the home.  Proof?!

Here is ours:

There are several size options. We are a family of 4 and all of us guzzle water. We really only ever have water, coconut water or kombucha to drink so our Berkey earns its keep. We chose the Royal Berkey Water Filter and it’s the perfect size for our family. 

Let me field some common questions we get about our Berkey:

1.)    How’s the taste? 

Awesome. 

2.)    How often do you have to fill it? 

We have to fill ours every day, but it’s really no big deal. It’s kind of like getting the mail. Although my husband insists he’s the only one that ever fills it. He is MUCH better at it than I am. But, filling it is really no biggie.

3.)    How long does it take to filter?

This really depends on the quality of the water that is going into it. The pores of the filters are microscopic, so you have to give it time. If ours is completely empty, you could come back in a few minutes after filling it and get a small glass, but that would be about it. You’d have to wait 30 minutes or so to fill a large pot of water. But really, this is no big deal. You’ll get the hang of filling it. We usually fill ours at night.

4.)    How often do you have to change your filter?

Again, this will depend on the quality of the water going into it. We change ours every 4-5 months. Our water is SUPER hard. As in, my blonde hair turns orange if we have gotten behind in adding salt to our water softener. 

5.)    Do you miss ice cold water? Or having hot water? 

Nope. In fact, drinking room temperature water is WAY better for you! Water between 50 and 72 degrees helps us rehydrate better AND we can drink MORE of it. I can’t guzzle a glass of ice cold water because the frigidness gets to me. Almost like a mild ice cream headache. But I can guzzle a glass of water at room temp no problemo. Drinking cold water can also restrict your blood vessels, causing headaches and digestive issues. 

I do love my hot tea though. So, I simply heat up some water on the stove. There is something much more fulfilling and romantic about a cup of tea filled from a tea kettle rather than a spout. I feel like a could write a poem after fixing myself a cup of tea this way. Am I right?! 

The verdict is in. Choosing our water purity is as important as choosing the purity of our food. With water purity being an issue with tap, well or bottled water, a great solution is the Berkey Water Filtration System.

With prices that range from $175-$325 (our was $283), the Berkey is also an economic solution that will save you money in the long run. Do yourself a favor and buy the Berkey today!

Have you researched the water industry? Anything you’d like to add? What system is your family using?