Head to your kitchen sink, turn on the tap and fill a glass with water. Now drink it. Did you have any reservations before taking that first sip? If you worry about water, you might find yourself wondering if you need a whole-house filtration system, or will a Brita filter suffice? Or will you end up going through so many Brita filters that a whole-house system is justified? Which is the greener choice? If you're concerned about the quality of your tap water, but are also concerned about the eco-impact of filtration systems, we have some answers for you.

For years, advocacy groups have been raising concerns about bottled water: Not only do bottles end up littering the landscape, and not only are those plastic bottles derived from fossil fuels, but they also may leach chemicals into water and the quality of the water is not stringently monitored.

But many Americans have a healthy distrust of advocacy groups. If you're one of them, then consider this. The Government Accountability Office, the well-respected and nonpartisan research organization that serves Congress, has concluded a yearlong investigation, and come up with basically the same conclusions.

Here's a summary:

Water quality

Surveys have shown that perceived health benefits are behind the staggering increase in the consumption of bottled water -- from 13.4 gallons per person in 1997 to 29.3 gallons per person in 2007.

While on paper, the Food and Drug Administration limits on contaminants in bottled water mirror the Environmental Protection Agency's strict limits on contaminants in tap water supplied by community water systems, that doesn't mean bottled water is as closely watched or as safe as tap water. Here's why:

• Phthalates
  Unlike the EPA, which has set limits on phthalates in water, the FDA has stalled for more than 15 years in publishing a limit on the phthalate DEHP in bottled water. DEHP is an ingredient in plastic, and (the GAO report does not detail the chemical's potential health effects as we do here) laboratory studies have linked some phthalates to problems with male fertility -- including decreased sperm counts and penis and testes sizes -- with obesity, and with other health problems related to hormonal imbalances. Several phthalates have been banned in children's products for this same reason: They inhibit the normal function of testosterone, the male hormone.

• Testing
  While the EPA requires drinking water suppliers to use certified labs to test their water, the FDA does not have this authority. Further, test results don't have to be reported to the FDA -- even if the test results show violations of drinking water quality standards. Even those states that have rules that exceed FDA requirements typically don't match EPA requirements.

• Labeling
  While the EPA requires public drinking water systems to annually publish the results of water quality testing, along with information about the drinking water source and known threats, the FDA does not require this of bottled water companies. The GAO reports: "In 2000, the FDA concluded that it was feasible for the bottled water industry to provide the same types of information to consumers that public water systems must provide. However, the agency was not required to conduct a rule-making requiring that manufacturers provide such information to consumers, and has yet to do so."

• "High risk" regulation
  The GAO has repeatedly warned that the FDA is not up to the task -- lacking staff, funding, and regulatory authority (while seeing staffing drop 19%, the facilities it was charged with inspecting increased 28% between about 2001 and 2007) -- to adequately police the nation's food supply. In January 2007, the GAO noted that the nation's food safety is a "high risk" area, in great part because it is policed by 15 separate agencies. Drinking water is only one more example.

Environmental impact

• Waste
  While recycling of carbonated beverages, like soda and beer, is encouraged in many states with deposit laws, these bottle bills are much less common for bottled water. As a result, about 75% of plastic water bottles are thrown in the trash, rather than recycled.

• Energy
  "Regarding the impact on U.S. energy demands, a recent peer-reviewed article noted that while the production and consumption of bottled water comprises a small share of total U.S. energy demand, it is much more energy-intensive than the production of public drinking water."

There are reasons to keep bottled water around: It's handy in case of an emergency, for instance. In most everyday cases, however, it's better for you and the environment to use a reusable water bottle and tap water (filtered if you think it improves the taste).

Many of the issues with bottled water that the GAO identified can be solved with changes in regulation: Water quality could be assured if it matches EPA standards; labeling could provide full disclosure of source and testing contaminants detected; the nation's food safety regulatory structure could be totally overhauled; and recycling rates could be improved with new bottled deposit laws.

However, bottled water will remain an item that lacks commonsense as long as U.S. tap water remains among the safest and most rigorously tested in the world.

The Daily Green previously summarized the problems with the bottled water industry like this:

The seven sins of bottled water

1. Plastic bottles are made from petroleum.

2. The bottles often go into the trash, rather than the recycle bin (in part because many states don't offer five-cent deposits to encourage recycling, as they do on soda and beer cans and bottles).

3. The water is pumped far from where it is sold, creating needless pollution as trucks and barges transport it across the country or around the world.

4. Some local communities have objected to the sale of their water, arguing that the water underground or flowing from natural springs is publicly owned and should not be exploited for profit.

5. Bottled water is rarely as closely monitored as tap water.

6. Tap water in the United States, when provided by a municipal system, is the most highly monitored and safe supply in the world.

7. Some of the water sold in little plastic bottles is tap water, but it costs an awful lot more per gallon.

 Via: http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_news/98/six-indictments-against-bottled-water.html

As a dedicated Treehugger you knew it, but…in case you needed more proof:

"A direct comparison of drinking water from the tap with unrefrigerated bottled water shows an environmental impact of tap water which is less than one percent of that of bottled water. Even when refrigerated and carbonated, the environmental impact of tap water is approximately only one fourth of that of bottled water. Thus, from an environmental point of view, tap water is preferable to bottled water as a beverage."

The general consensus is that tap water is a safe, healthy, and economical choice for most Americans. What's more, experts say it's preferable to bottled water.

Why? "There is no reason to think that bottled water is any cleaner or safer since it doesn't have to meet the same stringent requirements as tap," says Jenny Powers of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

In fact, current FDA regulations don't require bottled water to be tested as frequently as the EPA requires for tap water.

A four-year intensive study of the bottled-water industry by the NRDC revealed that approximately 25 percent or more of bottled water simply comes from the tap; sometimes further treated and sometimes not. The Environmental Working Group discovered 38 pollutants, from caffeine to Tylenol to heavy metals, in the 10 brands of bottled water it tested.

Given those kinds of reports it's hard to justify the hefty price tag that bottled water commands (about 1,900 times the cost of public water according to EWG). There are also several environmental costs associated with producing and shipping bottled water across the globe and then disposing of all the empty bottles.

That said, the quality of your tap water depends on where you live. "There are certainly situations where tap water is not up to standard," says Powers, "but if you do have concerns, there are ways to check on and improve the quality of it."

Start by finding out what's in your tap water. Here's how:  

• Read the annual Consumer Confidence Report from your water supplier to learn where your water comes from and what's in it. It should arrive in your mailbox each year by July 1. Or, check to see if it's available on the EPA's website. To learn how to interpret info and for other useful tips: Download Making Sense of Drinking Water "Right to Know" Reports or read Deciphering Your Water Report.


• Check out EWG's National Tap Water Quality Database to see their analysis of your water and how it compares to other towns and cities in the U.S.


• If you have well water, click here for the EPA's guidelines on keeping your water safe and healthy. 


• The only way to know what's coming out of your tap is to test it. Lead, for example, might not be in your municipal supply, but it can leach from your pipes. You can buy a simple test online or at your local hardware store. Or, visit your state or municipal government website to find out if your city or town provides free lead-testing kits. Click here for links to certified labs in each state.  

Use water filters to get rid of contaminants or improve the taste of your water. There are many brands and models, but here are the basics:   

• Buy filters that are certified by NSF International. Look for the stamp of approval on packaging or click here for a searchable list.  


• Choose a filter that gets rid of the contaminants present in your water. A carbon filter is a relatively inexpensive and common solution for many water contaminants, but check the label to make sure it's filtering what you want it to. Reverse osmosis and whole house systems are more complicated options, but in some cases may be necessary. Click here for a brief description of your different options or here for Consumer Reports' ratings on specific brands.


• Don't forget to change your filters regularly.  

Via:http://green.yahoo.com/blog/the_conscious_consumer/49/is-your-tap-water-safe.html

What trees to plant and where to plant them to reduce runoff.

You should plant trees as often as you can. You can go carbon neutral by planting twenty trees a year. If that's not a good enough reason, you can plant them to increase the energy-efficiency of your home or use them to reduce runoff.

Runoff pollution is a major contributor to the decrease of water quality and is an often overlooked environmental problem. A single medium-sized tree can filter over 2000 gallons of water a year. The water is then put back into the water cycle via evapotranspiration. Planting a tree can keep our water clean and drinkable.

How to Plant Trees to Reduce Runoff

Evergreen or Deciduous?
Evergreens are better at preventing runoff pollution that deciduous trees. Evergreens never lose their green and, therefore, they never stop transpiring. If you are planting a tree for shear runoff prevention, then an evergreen is definitely for you.

However, one of the best ways to keep runoff pollution from running off of things like cement and buildings is by covering it with a tree canopy. Deciduous trees are better at creating an overhead canopy on cement areas, but always plant trees at least two feet away from cement and five feet from buildings. Vines might be a better option in some cases.

And if you are planting trees to save energy in your home. Deciduous should go on the south and east side and evergreens should go on the north and east side.

Another case for deciduous trees is that it creates more tree litter. Leaves and branches are great at impeding the flow of runoff. Roots (present in evergreens as well) also help to break up the soil and further retard runoff.

Things to Remember About Planting a Tree
Trees are not rain gardens. They are not as hardy. If you use a water catchment system to divert water to a tree, the tree may die.

Check for overhead wires before planting a tree and remember to check with your neighbor if the tree is close to his or her property line. And if you do plant a deciduous tree near cement, you risk inciting a tree root-cement conflict in the future.

More on Trees:
How Green is Your Garden?
How to Go Green: Gardening
4 Ways to Plant Trees for Under Ten Bucks
How to Plant a Young Tree
Low tech Tips: Be Cool and Plant A Tree

Via: Planet Green

If you thought throwing your sandwich wrapper in a stream while camping was most common form of water pollution, think again: from agricultural runoff to waste treatment, pollution affects more and more of the Earth’s water supply every minute. Check out five of the most invasive and damaging types of pollution (but please: still throw that sandwich wrapper in the trashcan).

What’s the Big Deal?

There is no resource more precious than water. There is also no resource that is misused, abused, misallocated, and misunderstood the way water is. Safe drinking water, healthy and intact natural ecosystems, and a stable food supply are a few of the things at stake as our water supply is put under greater and greater stress. The picture might look grim, but opportunities to be more efficient abound. Many people have had water-saving etiquette pumped into them at one point or another, so hopefully we can make a good case for conserving the stuff with practical, everyday water-saving strategies as well as some more high-tech approaches.

Top Ten Tips

Here are ten highly effective ways to go greener.

1. No drips

A dripping faucet can waste 20 gallons of water a day. A leaking toilet can use 90,000 gallons of water in a month. Get out the wrench and change the washers on your sinks and showers, or get new washerless faucets. Keeping your existing equipment well maintained is probably the easiest and cheapest way to start saving water.

2. Install new fixtures

New, low-volume or dual flush toilets, low-flow showerheads , water-efficient dishwashers and clothes washing machines can all save a great deal of water and money. Aerators on your faucets can significantly reduce water volume; water-saving showerheads can cut the volume of water used down to 1.2 gallons per minute or less, and some even have a “pause button” to let you stop the water while soaping up or shampooing. Our interns recently pointed out that “spending about $30 on low-flow showerheads and faucets is estimated to save 45 gallons of that 260 gallons of water [used in a typical household per day], almost 18% of your usage. Splurging on a low-flow toilet could save another 50-80 gallons of water a day. Together, those changes nearly cut in half the household's daily use, saving a considerable amount of water – and passing that savings on to your water bill, as well as your water heating bill.”

3. Cultivate good water habits

All the water that goes down the drain, clean or dirty, ends up mixing with raw sewage, getting contaminated, and meeting the same fate. Try to stay aware of this precious resource disappearing and turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving and always wash laundry and dishes with full loads. When washing dishes by hand, fill up the sink and turn off the water. Take shorter showers or, as the old joke goes, shower with a friend: Treehugger TV shows you how. To put things in perspective, take a quick look at your next water bill when it arrives. It probably won’t be costing you too much, but the average household consumes multiple thousands of gallons each month. See if you can make this number go down. If you’re the graphing type, go nuts.

4. Stay off the bottle

By many measures, bottled water is a scam. In most first-world countries, the tap water is provided by a government utility and is tested regularly. (You can look up your water in the National Tap Water Quality Database) Taste tests have shown that in many municipalities, tap water actually tastes better. Bottled water is not as well regulated and studies have shown that it is not even particularly pure. A four-year study of bottled water in the U.S. conducted by NRDC found that one-fifth of the 103 water products tested contained synthetic organic chemicals such as the neurotoxin xylene and the possible carcinogen and neurotoxin styrene. (Grist) Much bottled water doesn’t come from a “Artesian springs” and is just tap water anyhow. (Coca-Cola adds salt to its Dasani water to make it taste better, just like fast food.) Not only is it more expensive per gallon than gasoline, bottled water incurs a huge carbon footprint from its transportation, and the discarded bottles are a blight. It’s no wonder that some people even think it’s a sin. If you want to carry your water with you, get a bottle and fill it. (Look here for some advise on durable, non-toxic container options.) If your water at home tastes funny, try an activated charcoal or ceramic filter. Here is a comparison of home-use water filters from Grist.

5. Go beyond the lawn

Naturalize it using locally appropriate plants that are hardy and don’t need a lot of water. If you have to water, do it during the coolest part of the day or at night to minimize evaporation. Here is a useful calculator to figure out landscape water use. Xeriscaping is a method of landscaping that utilizes only native and low water plants. It is an especially appropriate approach for states like California and Arizona where people often plant lawns like they live in Florida despite living in the desert.

6. Harvest your rainwater

Put a rain barrel on your downspouts and use this water for irrigation. Rain cisterns come in all shapes and sizes ranging from larger underground systems to smaller, freestanding ones. Some even glow!

7. Harvest your greywater

Water that has been used at least once but is still clean enough for other jobs is called greywater. Water from sinks, showers, dishwashers, and clothes washers are the most common household examples. (Toilet water is often called “blackwater” and needs a different level of treatment before it can be reused.) Greywater can be recycled with practical plumbing systems like the Aqus, or with simple practices such as emptying the fish tank in the garden instead of the sink. The bottom line? One way or another, avoid putting water down the drain when you can use it for something else.

8. At the car wash

Car washes are often more efficient than home washing and treat their water rather than letting it straight into the sewer system. But check to make sure that they clean and recycle the water. Better yet, try the waterless car wash. If you live in Manchester, the Levenshulme Baptist Church is recycling water from its Baptistery pool for charity car washes http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/08/baptismal_water.php .

9. Keep your eyes open

Report broken pipes, open hydrants, and excessive waste. Don’t be shy about pointing out leaks to your friends and family members, either. They might have tuned out the dripping sound a long time ago.

10. Don’t spike the punch

Water sources have to be protected. In many closed loop systems like those in cities around the Great Lakes, waste water is returned to the Lake that fresh water comes out of. Don’t pour chemicals down drains, or flush drugs down toilets; it could come back in diluted form in your water.

Via Treehugger.org