By Katie Dahlstrom, Nestlé Corporate Communications Manager and Helen Medina, Nestlé Senior Public Affairs Manager, Government and Multilateral Relations

Clean water is one of the few things in life that never fails to live up to expectations.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of having it. In fact, it’s probably impossible. Clean water changes almost everything. This is also why access to and management of clean water, sanitation, and hygiene are included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically, SDG 6, which Nestlé is contributing directly through our partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). But how are we doing this?

Tapping the benefits

Having clean water and sanitation means being able to avoid exposure to countless diseases.

Every year, millions of people die from diseases caused by inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene. Other than pneumonia, diarrhea is the main cause of death in children under age 5.

Poor sanitation and unsafe water cause nearly 20% of workplace deaths. It costs around $260 billion in lost productivity every year.

Can Nanotechnology Be Used to Improve Access to Clean Water?

But the benefits of having a source of clean water in a community are much wider. When women and girls no longer have to walk miles to fetch water each day, they have more time to learn. Literacy rates rise. And when schools build proper toilet facilities, girls spend more time in school and less time at home. 

The United Nations estimates that every Swiss franc invested in water and sanitation leads to four francs in economic returns – which is why investing in this area is such an effective way of creating stronger, more resilient communities.

Connecting communities

In Côte d’Ivoire, 63% of the population lacks access to proper sanitation. People must often walk miles to collect water, which may not even be safe to drink, as well as use open air, unhygienic shared toilets. 

The IFRC is working across Côte d’Ivoire to extend access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene.

As the IFRC’s longest-standing corporate partner, Nestlé has helped to deliver clean water and sanitation to almost 110,000 people in Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa-growing communities for the past 10 years. 

A total of 181 water pumps and 93 blocks of school toilets have been built or renovated as well as more than 7,000 family latrines. 

Education has been an essential part of the effort too. More than 200 community water and sanitation committees and 93 school hygiene clubs have been established since 2007. 

Their members promote hygiene in their local area. They teach people how to store water safely and build safe sanitation facilities, and children how to wash their hands well. Sometimes it is the simplest measures that have the biggest effect. 

“Our grandchildren will not suffer…”

Adjoua is a 55-year-old widow from the village of Ndri Koffikro in the south of Côte d’Ivoire. She recalls that ever since she was young, her community’s biggest wish has been to have access to safe drinking water. Traditionally, residents relied on ponds and a river nestled in a forest two kilometers away for their water.

Before the IFRC committed to building a water point in the village, it made sure a viable management system could be set up with community members. A management committee, which consists of six women and two men from the village, oversees the operation and maintenance of the water point and handles the accounts related to the income generated from selling water.

It ensures that the investment made in the water point will live on for generations. 

“Now, I and my community members will have more time and energy to take care of our family as well as our farming activities,” says Adjoua. “Our grandchildren will not suffer all the pains we went through.”

Safe water and better hygiene reduce the burden of ill health on families and allow women more time to earn their own income. An end to open defecation means people are safer – particularly at night – and the land is cleaner and the crops healthier. 

Meaningful progress

How to Achieve Clean Water and Sanitation - Impakter

Education programs teach school children good hygiene habits. Some 768 million people still do not have access to an improved source of drinking water; 40% of them in sub-Saharan Africa. There is still a long way to go, but progress is being made.

With the program up and running successfully in Côte d’Ivoire, the next phase of the project has already begun in Ghana, where wells are now being constructed. Over 76,000 people in cocoa producing communities that Nestlé works with will have better access to clean water and sanitation by April 2018. 

By bringing basic hygiene knowledge alongside clean water, the IFRC program ensures that the health benefits of its work endure.…

In an emergency, water contaminated with germs can often be made safe to drink by boiling, adding disinfectants, or filtering.

IMPORTANT: Water contaminated with fuel, toxic chemicals, or radioactive material will not be made safe by boiling or disinfection. Use bottled water or a different source of water if you know or suspect that your water might be contaminated with fuel or toxic chemicals.

In emergency situations, use bottled water if possible; bottled water is the safest choice for drinking and all other uses. If bottled water is not available, the following methods can help make your water safe to drink.  

*Note: These methods are listed in order of what is most effective at making your water safe.

1. Boiling

Make Water Safe During An Emergency thumbnail

Printable Fact Sheet: Making Water Safe pdf icon[625 KB] (English)

Printable Fact Sheet: Making Water Safe pdf icon[627 KB] (Español)

If you don’t have safe bottled water, you should boil your water to make it safe to drink. Boiling is the surest method to kill disease-causing organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

You can improve the flat taste of boiled water by pouring it from one container to another and then allowing it to stand for a few hours; OR by adding a pinch of salt for each quart or liter of boiled water.

If the water is cloudy:

  1. Filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter OR allow it to settle.
  2. Draw off the clear water.
  3. Bring the clear water to a rolling boil for 1 minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for three minutes).
  4. Let the boiled water cool.
  5. Store the boiled water in clean sanitized containers with tight covers.

If the water is clear:

  1. Bring the clear water to a rolling boil for 1 minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for three minutes).
  2. Let the boiled water cool.
  3. Store the boiled water in clean sanitized containers with tight covers.

2. Disinfectants

If you don’t have safe bottled water and if boiling is not possible, you often can make small quantities of filtered and settled water safer to drink by using a chemical disinfectant such as unscented household chlorine bleach.

Disinfectants can kill most harmful or disease-causing viruses and bacteria, but are not as effective in controlling more resistant organisms, such as the parasites Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Chlorine dioxide tablets can be effective against Cryptosporidium if the manufacturer’s instructions are followed correctly.

If the water is contaminated with a chemical or radioactive material, adding a disinfectant will not make it drinkable.
To disinfect water with unscented household liquid chlorine bleach:

To disinfect water with unscented household liquid chlorine bleach:

If the water is cloudy:

  1. Filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter OR allow it to settle.
  2. Draw off the clear water.
  3. Follow the instructions for disinfecting drinking water that are written on the label of the bleach.
  4. If the necessary instructions are not given, check the “Active Ingredient” part of the label to find the sodium hypochlorite percentage; and use the information in the following table as a guide. Typically, unscented household liquid chlorine bleach in the United States will be between 5 and 9% sodium hypochlorite, though concentrations can be different in other countries. Using the table below, add the appropriate amount of bleach using a medicine dropper, teaspoon, or metric measure (milliliters).
  5. Stir the mixture well.
  6. Let it stand for at least 30 minutes before you use it for drinking.
  7. Store the disinfected water in clean, sanitized containers with tight covers.

If the water is clear:

  1. Follow the instructions for disinfecting drinking water that are written on the label of the bleach.
  2. If the necessary instructions are not given, check the “Active Ingredient” part of the label to find the sodium hypochlorite percentage; and use the information in the following table as a guide. Typically, unscented household liquid chlorine bleach in the United States will be between 5 and 9% sodium hypochlorite, though concentrations can be different in other countries. Using the table below, add the appropriate amount of bleach using a medicine dropper, teaspoon, or metric measure (milliliters).
  3. Stir the mixture well.
  4. Let it stand for at least 30 minutes before you use it for drinking.
  5. Store the disinfected water in clean, sanitized containers with tight covers.
Making water safe to use with bleach having a 5%-9% concentration of sodium hypochlorite (most common in the US). If the water is cloudy, murky, colored, or very cold, add double the amount of bleach listed below.
1 quart/liter water 1 gallon water 5 gallons water
If you have a dropper:
Add 2 drops of bleach		 If you have a dropper:
Add 8 drops of bleach		 If you have a dropper:
Add 40 drops of bleach
If you have something that measures milliliters (mL):
Add 0.1 mL of bleach		 If you have something that measures milliliters (mL):
Add ½ mL of bleach		 If you have something that measures milliliters (mL):
Add 2½ mL of bleach
If you have a measuring spoon:
Amount too small to measure		 If you have a measuring spoon:
Add a little less than 1/8 teaspoon		 If you have a measuring spoon:
Add ½ teaspoon of bleach

 

Making water safe to use with bleach having a 1% concentration of sodium hypochlorite (this concentration is not common in the US, but is used in other countries). If the water is cloudy, murky, colored, or very cold, add double the amount of bleach listed below.
1 quart/liter water 1 gallon water 5 gallons water
If you have a dropper:
Add 10 drops of bleach		 If you have a dropper:
Add 40 drops of bleach		 If you have a dropper:
Add 200 drops of bleach
If you have something that measures milliliters (ml):
Add ½ mL of bleach		 If you have something that measures milliliters (ml):
Add 2½ mL of bleach		 If you have something that measures milliliters (ml):
Add 12½ mL of bleach
If you have a measuring spoon:
Add ⅛ teaspoon of bleach		 If you have a measuring spoon:
Add ½ teaspoon of bleach		 If you have a measuring spoon:
Add 2½ teaspoons of bleach

Tablets can be used to disinfect water and are popular among campers and hikers, as well as in other countries. They are available in different sizes and made to treat specific amounts of water. To disinfect water with tablets:

  • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the label or in the package.
    • Chlorine dioxide tablets can be effective against Cryptosporidium if the manufacturer’s instructions are followed correctly.
    • Iodine and iodine-containing tablets (tetraglycine hydroperiodide) or chlorine tablets are not effective against Cryptosporidium. Water that has been disinfected with iodine is NOT recommended for pregnant women, people with thyroid problems, those with known hypersensitivity to iodine, or for continuous use for more than a few weeks at a time.

3. Filters

Many portable water filters can remove disease-causing parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia from drinking water.
If you are choosing a portable water filter:

  • Try to pick one that has a filter pore size small enough to remove parasites (such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium). Most portable water filters do not remove bacteria or viruses.
  • Carefully
…

Thirsting for a natural way to grow your hair? Simple—drink more water.

Keeping hydrated with H2O improves skin appearance, boosts brain function, aids in digestion and weight loss and yes, helps your hair grow. The age-old question “how much water should I drink in a day?” is often and automatically answered with 8 glasses or 2 liters a day. Scientists and physicians, however, say it really all depends on your body type, activity, and health.  While 8 glasses can be a good benchmark, one report found that the majority of people are drinking an average of 2.5 cups a day with no real negative consequences.

Water and hair growth

Essentially, drinking enough water allows every system in the body to function properly and since we are made up of about 60% water, it’s best to gulp generously. From skin to scalp, water offers us an easy and au naturel way to up our beauty game, especially when it comes to growing hair, keeping the scalp healthy and maintaining a luscious, touchable texture.

In fact, water accounts for almost 25% of the weight of a single strand of hair. Are you hydrating enough? Turns out, the secret to luscious, long locks is one (or two) glasses away.

Water and your hair

Water and hair growth

Drinking enough water helps energize and support hair growth from root to tip. It also helps prevent split ends and a brittle hair texture, as well as fosters a healthier scalp meaning you’ll have fewer chances of developing problems like dryness, itchiness, or dandruff. Just as water hydrates and replenishes the skin, it does the same for the scalp and in turn, your lovely locks.

We naturally lose fluids throughout the day. On average, for active women and men, this can result in up to 1-2 liters of water or more, especially after intense physical activity. Ultimately, replenishing ourselves with water is a vital healthy habit we can all incorporate.

Water and weight loss

If you’re looking for a way to spur hair health and overall health, water is crucial. Forget asking yourself “how much water should I drink in a day?” in terms of measurement, and flip your thinking to “I should drink more water today” and manifest those positive thoughts. Hydrating properly has been proven to help people lose weight and even if that isn’t your goal, drinking water helps keep you feeling full and ups your metabolic rate.

Studies have found that half a litre or 17 ounces of water consumption can help boost metabolism by 24-30% for up to 1.5 hours, meaning that drinking 2 litres of water a day can help you burn more calories.

Drinking water before a meal—specifically a half an hour before—can also make a difference. This action tricks your body into feeling full helps you to eat less and feel fuller for longer. One study found that participants who drink half a liter of water before eating lost 44% more weight. So forget the pre-dinner snack (yes, we’ve all been guilty of this) and pick up a bottle of water instead.

Water and hair growth

The downsides of dehydration

Apart from sleepiness and low energy levels, dehydration can also cause weakness, low blood pressure, headaches, and an unhealthy gut. When it comes to hair growth, dehydration can actually cause hair to stop growing in extreme cases—think about it this way, the roots of the hair are the only channels by which water is supplied to the hair from the body, the thirst is real, and the solution is simple.

Water supplies the body with natural vitamins and spurs cell reproduction counteracting all these unhealthy symptoms and helping to reduce other ailments such as kidney stones.

Make water part of your routine

While some may find it hard to squeeze in more water in their daily routines, take a look at what you’re consuming instead. Could you easily swap out that soda or extra latte in the afternoon with water instead? Not only could this help you save money, but it can also help deal with that 3 PM slump. Drinking more water helps brain function, memory, and energy levels. On the flipside, dehydration leads to sleepiness and moodiness.

Drink water with every meal and instead of thinking of your intake as one big bottle intake at a time, sip water gradually throughout the day. Keep a refillable water by your desk, bedside, purse, or gym bag as a reminder to top up throughout the day.

Water and hair growth

More quick tips to up your water intake:

  • Infuse water with lemon, cucumber, mint, or fruit like raspberries to add some flavor.
  • Drink a glass of water after every bathroom break. After all, what goes out must come back in!
  • Like everything else, there’s an app for this. Daily Water Free, for example, helps make tracking your water intake easy.
  • Use a marked water bottle or filter, this will show you how much water you’ve gone through all day.
  • Eat your water! Foods like grapefruit zucchini, cucumber, and watermelon have a high water content and make for great, healthy snacks.
  • Use a “one for one rule”. For example, one glass of water for every glass of wine. This could help reduce hangovers too!
  • If aesthetic is your thing, pick up a water bottle that suits your style. (Come on, we know you have a mug for every mood already!)

Healthy hair, healthy skin, better sleep, and more energy—all benefits of staying hydrated. If we shift our focus from the latest trends to simple, proven methods, we could all be better (and healthier too!) If you are looking for the best way to help grow your hair, drop the gimmicks and get yourself a bottle of H20. When it comes to easy, natural ways to improve your hair, water literally ensures the glass is half full. Contact us for more information.…

Water being poured into a large tumbler

Can drinking more water really lead to weight loss?

While no one’s saying you’ll wake up lighter simply by sipping water before bed (or any other time of day), evidence supports the water–weight loss connection: After all, 60% of your body is composed of water, meaning that the clear, calorie-free liquid plays a role in just about every bodily function. The more hydrated you are, research suggests, the more efficiently your body works at tasks that range from thinking to burning body fat.

Science suggests that water can help with weight loss in a variety of ways. It may suppress your appetite, boost your metabolism, and make exercise easier and more efficient, all of which could contribute to results on the scale.

While countless factors, behaviors, and predispositions can affect your body weight, if your goal is long-term, moderate weight loss, making sure you’re hydrated could be a good place to begin.

Seven reasons drinking more water may help you lose weight:

1. Water may naturally suppress your appetite.

When you realize you’re hungry, your first impulse may be to find food. But eating may not be the answer. “Thirst, which is triggered by mild dehydration, is often mistaken for hunger by the brain,” says Melina Jampolis, an internist and board-certified physician nutrition specialist. “You may be able to decrease appetite by drinking water if you are, in fact, low in water not calories.”

What’s more, drinking water can promote satiation because it passes through the system quickly, stretching the stomach. “This sends messages to your brain signaling fullness,” Jampolis says.

Elizabeth Huggins, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at Hilton Head Health, adds that though the results are temporary, “consuming water shortly before eating may help decrease food intake.” Research supports the theory: People who drank two glasses of water immediately before a meal in a small 2016 study ate 22% less than those who didn’t drink any water prior to eating.

About two cups should fill your stomach enough for your brain to register fullness.

2. Drinking water may stimulate your metabolism.

It’s possible that drinking water stimulates your body’s metabolism and energy expenditure, ultimately helping with weight management, according to Huggins.

In an eight-week study published in 2013, when 50 girls with excess weight drank about two cups of water half an hour before breakfast, lunch, and dinner without any additional dietary changes, they lost weight and saw reductions in body mass index and body composition scores.

It’s not magic: Drinking water appears to stimulate thermogenesis, or heat production, in the body, particularly when it’s chilled. The body has to expend energy to warm the fluid to body temperature, and the more energy expended by your body, the faster your metabolism (the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy) runs. Specifically, drinking about two cups of 71°F water led to a 30% average increase in the metabolic rates of 14 healthy adults in a small 2003 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Before you fill your glass and load your plate, though, keep in mind that the effects of thermogenesis probably won’t create substantial calorie deficits that result in weight loss. “Even if the effect is negligible, it is important to stay hydrated,” Huggins says, noting that there are few, if any, downsides to drinking more water.

3. Drinking water could help reduce your overall liquid calorie intake.

Because water contains no calories, filling your glass with H2O instead of higher calorie alternatives such as juice, soda, or sweetened tea or coffee can reduce your overall liquid calorie intake. Choose water over the standard 20-ounce vending machine soft drink, and you’ll drink 250 fewer calories, Huggins points out.

As long as you don’t “make up” for those calories—i.e., walk out of the coffee shop with a muffin and water instead of your usual flavored latte—the calorie savings can add up quickly, she says.

Also interesting: Although diet soda contributes no calories, replacing diet beverages with water may be a factor that contributes to weight loss in certain groups of people. Overweight and obese women who replaced diet beverages with water after their main meal showed greater weight reduction during a weight-loss program in a 2015 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The researchers noted that the extra weight loss in those who drank water could be attributed to consuming fewer calories and carbohydrates, but more research is needed. All that said, since many diet beverages still hydrate and reduce calorie intake when used as a replacement for sugary beverages, they may help certain individuals lose weight.

4. Drinking water helps during exercise.

Water is essential to the body during exercise: It dissolves electrolytes—minerals that include sodium, potassium, and magnesium—and distributes them throughout the body, where their electrical energy triggers muscle contractions required for movement, Jampolis explains. An electrolyte imbalance can lead to cramping, but that’s not the only side effect of drinking too little.

“When muscle cells are dehydrated, they break down protein (aka muscle) more quickly and build muscle more slowly, so your workouts are much less effective,” she says.

What’s more, the body loses fluids more quickly during exercise because it generates heat that’s shunted to the skin’s surface, where perspiration and subsequent evaporation (a cooling process) help with temperature regulation.

Staying properly hydrated also helps maintain your blood’s volume, so you can optimize the expansion of blood vessels at the skin’s surface to release heat, Jampolis says.

“If your body can’t dump excess heat via sweating, you’re setting yourself up for heat exhaustion or worse,” she says. “Being adequately hydrated can improve your workouts by decreasing fatigue, which can allow you to work out longer and burn more calories.” That’s why it’s so important to hydrate before and throughout your workout, not just when you start to feel thirsty.

5. Water helps the body remove waste.

Drinking water facilitates the production of urine, which is largely made up of water, and the movement of feces, since water keeps stools soft. In other words, the more hydrated you are, the easier it is for your system to move things along and the less likely you are to suffer from constipation and bloating.

In addition, adequate hydration promotes kidney function, flushes harmful bacteria from the urinary tract, and prevents kidney stones, which can occur with more concentrated urine, according to Huggins.

6. The body needs water to burn fat.

Upping your water intake may increase lipolysis, the process by which the body burns fat for energy, according to a 2016 mini-review of animal studies published in Frontiers in Nutrition. “We’re not certain of the mechanism, but mild dehydration decreases lipolysis, which may be due to hormonal changes,” says Jampolis, who was not associated with the review. Another theory posed in the animal studies: Water expands cell volume, which could play a role in fat metabolism. However, it remains unproven among human subjects.

7. Water may improve motivation and reduce stress.

When you’re dehydrated, you may experience symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, and confusion—and who makes healthy decisions under those conditions? Dehydration, the researcher of the 2016 mini-review …

Plumbing problems can be an inevitable part of owning a home. While some problems come with aging fixtures or normal wear and tear on plumbing equipment, others may be caused by how certain systems are used and maintained.

We’ve seen and fixed all types of plumbing problems—big and small alike! Here’s a look at some of the most common issues our expert plumbers handle and what usually causes them.

 

1. DRIPPING FAUCETS

Dripping faucets are annoying, wasteful, and costly. Sometimes, these drips can be caused by a worn-out washer or O ring, which can easily be replaced. In other cases, corrosion or even improper faucet installation can be the problem causing the drip.

If your faucet is dripping:

  • Use our drip calculator to find out how much that drip may be costing you.
  • Let our expert plumbers diagnose the problem if a simple washer or O ring replacement doesn’t fix your drip!

2. LEAKY PIPES

Leaky pipes can be caused by all sorts of problems, including:

  • Stubborn clogs
  • Incorrect pipe laying
  • Pipe corrosion
  • Pipe joint damage
  • Cracked seals or cracked pipes
  • Excessive water pressure

No matter what’s causing leaky pipes, this common plumbing problem needs to be fixed fast! The longer leaky pipes are ignored, the more damage they can cause—both to your plumbing system and to your home itself!

3. RUNNING TOILETS

Did you know that a running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons per day? That’s a lot of water waste! In most cases, the issues that cause running toilets include:

  • Refill tube problems
  • Worn out flapper seals or flush valves
  • Improperly sized flapper chains
  • Corroded toilet handles

4. LOW WATER PRESSURE

Weak water pressure can make it challenging to use pretty much any plumbing system in your home! Often, low water pressure is a symptom of bigger plumbing problems, like:

5. LEAKING HOSE BIBB

A leaking hose bibb is very common in the spring and summer. After a long, cold winter, many hose bibbs that aren’t protected can crack and begin to leak. We advise our customers to invest in a frost-proof hose bibb, which can reduce the chances of having future leaks.

6. SLOW OR CLOGGED DRAINS

Drainage problems can cause health hazards and even plumbing disasters if they’re not addressed quickly! In general:

  • One slow or clogged drain in a home usually means that a problem is localized to that area of the home. Commonly, these drain clogs happen because hair, soap, and other foreign objects have simply built up in a drain over time. Routine drain cleaning can be the ideal solution for addressing this issue!
  • Multiple slow or clogged drains are a red flag that you may be dealing with sewer line problems. To prevent a sewage backup in your home, it’s crucial you call Len The Plumber whenever you notice multiple slow drains in your home—especially if the problem starts with the drains in the lowest areas of your home!

7. SUMP PUMP FAILURE

Sump pump failures can be related to a problem with the unit or an external issue. Usually, the causes of sump pump failures include:

  • Stuck switches
  • An overwhelming amount of water, like after heavy rain
  • Clogged discharge pipes
  • Improper sump pump installation
  • Aging, with sump pumps around 10 years old being prone to failure

8. WATER HEATER PROBLEMS

Hot water is a necessity in any home. So, when water heaters can’t provide enough or any hot water, homeowners can be dealing with a plumbing crisis! Usually, water heater problems are caused by issues like:

  • Heating element failures
  • Corrosion or sediment buildup in systems
  • Loose or broken electrical connections
  • Improper water heater installation
  • The wrong size or type of system to support a home’s needs

LEN THE PLUMBER HAS ALL OF YOUR PLUMBING REPAIR NEEDS COVERED

Whether or not you’re dealing with a common plumbing problem, the trusted plumbers at Len The Plumber can help! We have the expertise and state-of-the-art equipment to diagnose and repair any plumbing problem. Plus, we offer same day and emergency service at no extra cost!…

Types Of Water

Are you looking to understand why purified water is your best option in the DMV area? We have outlined the processes of the most common types of water available so that you can see why purified water from DrinkMore Water is your best option in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC.

Contact us online to learn more about our purified water services.

Tap Water

Philadelphia tap water safe from coronavirus - WHYY

In the Washington, DC area, our tap water comes from the Potomac or Patuxent Rivers. This water is process with basic filtration techniques like flocculation, which adds chemicals to the water to get particles to coagulate and float so that they can be removed; sand filtration, which filters out large pieces of debris; or chlorination, which adds chlorine to kill bacteria and microorganisms.

Despite tap water being considered drinkable by the EPA, it can lead to numerous problems. For one, chlorine is not ideal for human consumption—while our bodies can technically handle it, chlorine can lead to a variety of health complications and is potentially carcinogenic (leads to cancer). There is also a risk of lead in tap water due to lead being present in the pipes that bring tap water to your home.

DC tap water ranges from 200 PPM to 400+ PPM in TDS (total dissolved solids), which measures the concentration of soluble impurities in pure H2O. It has such a range of quality due to water temperature (warmer water is better for dissolving things), water flow, runoff, time of year (fertilizers, which are predominantly used in the spring, can leach into fresh water), and more.

Tap water is the cheapest water option available, but as you can see, it comes with a number of compromises. If you’re concerned about additives and chemicals in your food, then you should be just as particular with your water choices.

Spring Water

1,296,908 Spring Water Photos - Free & Royalty-Free Stock Photos from Dreamstime

Spring water is often mistaken for being equal or interchangeable with purified water. However, spring water often contains many of the same impurities found in well or tap water. In fact, since springs feed our rivers, there is a lot of spring water in our tap water! Spring water generally has the same TDS range as tap water.

Many spring water companies advertise their water as “100% pure—” but if it’s not purified, what does that mean? The “pure” part actually refers to the source, not the water itself—in that 100% of that bottle’s contents came from an underground source (rather than surface water). This clever wording leads many people to believe that spring water is just as clean as purified water.

Thanks to this crafty marketing, spring water often conjures up natural, pleasant imagery. In reality, most spring water is not actually bottled at the source, but rather, is pumped into large tanker trucks from the source to be transported to the bottling facility. The water in those trucks must be chlorinated or ozonated at all times to protect against contamination. In this sense, spring water is hardly different from tap water, since it is largely treated the same way. Once the water is at the bottling facility, it goes through a carbon filtration process to remove the chlorine. This process may separate spring from tap water, but nitrates, metals, and more are likely to remain.

Distilled Water

Absolute Pure Distilled Drinking Water 6L – iMart Grocer

Distilled water is processed by boiling H2O out of its contaminants. Many of said contaminants include inorganic minerals or metals. Those impurities have a much higher boiling point than water’s boiling point of 212 degrees Fahrenheit. So, the steam that results from the boiling is captured and cooled—and the water that results from the steam is what is classified as distilled water. Because many of the volatile compounds in water have a lower boiling point than water, they boil off first. As a result, it is important to employ additional purification methods beyond distillation in order to have truly clean, pure water.

Filtered Water

What are the benefits of Filtered Water Fountains? - Aqua L'eau

Filtered water is what you are most likely to find in a grocery store. It is typically sourced from municipal tap water, which is then run through carbon filters to remove the chlorine (which improves the taste) and sometimes a micron filter as well. After the filtering, it is ozonated and bottled. In essence, filtered water is quite similar to spring water. It comes from a “natural” source, goes through minimal filtration, and is then bottled and shipped to market.

Purified Water

ICEESR | Research Challenge · Water

The source of purified water isn’t what makes it the best choice on the market—it’s the purification methods that separate purified water from the rest of the pack. Purified water goes through a process similar to what filtered water goes through, but with a few added steps like reverse osmosis, distillation, or deionization. The end result is far purer than filtered, spring, or tap water.

Thanks to our 12-step purification process, our water is guaranteed to be the same high quality every time, regardless of variations in the source water’s quality. For this reason, purified water is viewed as the objective benchmark against which the purity of other waters is judged. If you want guaranteed purity and taste, choose purified water.

Schedule Purified Bottled Water Delivery in MD, DC, or VA

If you are looking for the cleanest, purest water on the market, look no further than DrinkMore Water. We have perfected our 12-step purification system and are constantly updating our processing plant with newer and better technologies so that we can continue to guarantee our purity and taste. We truly care about your satisfaction with our water and will never stop improving our process.

 

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Drinking Soft Drinks during Pregnancy - Is It Harmful?

Most women are aware of the fact that alcohol is detrimental to the baby’s growth and, hence, satiate their cravings by replacing it with flavoured drinks, soda, diet soda, plain soda or even a cold drink during pregnancy.

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Is it Safe to Drink Soft or Carbonated Drinks During Pregnancy?

Ideally, pregnant women should consume milk, fruit juices, milkshakes etc. and avoid all forms of soda, cold drinks, caffeinated drinks and energy drinks during this phase. It is safe when ingested in moderation, though it may not be the best option. For women wondering “can I drink soft or cold drinks during pregnancy,” here’s why you should not.

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Harmful Effects of Drinking Soft and Fizzy Drinks In Pregnancy

Here are some of the harmful effects of drinking soft drinks regularly during pregnancy.

1. Side Effects of Caffeine

Most colas contain caffeine, which is addictive and has multiple detrimental side effects. Caffeine uptake in the blood is fast and reaches the baby quickly through the placenta. The caffeine affects your central nervous system and the adrenal gland while remaining in your circulatory system for about 11 hours, and the unborn baby struggles to break down this toxic substance. Caffeine is a diuretic and causes dehydration too.

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The absolute top-recommended limits for pregnant women should not exceed 200mg of caffeine per day. Besides affecting your rest and sleep an intake exceeding 300mg of caffeine can lead to a miscarriage. Over 500mg of caffeine, a day leads to chronic high heartbeat and breathing levels and heartburn in the baby. It is, hence, advisable to avoid cokes, coffees, chocolates, brownies and anything containing caffeine.

2. Side Effects of Artificial Sweeteners and Preservatives

Colouring agents, preservatives, sweeteners and flavours are unhealthy and more so in pregnancy. Here’s what they can do. Sugar intake can increase your weight and complications may occur in the pregnancy and also affect your baby’s growth. Colouring agents contain a dye, which could cause allergies in the baby. The presence of the banned saccharin in soft drinks can pass through to the baby and accumulate in the bladder.

3. Side Effects of Ice-Cold Beverages

A pregnant woman’s stomach is temperature-sensitive. Having iced and chilled drinks may lead to the stomach and blood vessels shrinking all of a sudden can’t be good for the baby, right? Side effects of this could be reduced appetite, indigestion, stomach spasms and early miscarriage besides lowering the unborn baby’s food supply and growth leading to congenital disabilities.

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Side Effects of Cold Drinks

4. Side Effects of Sweeteners and Added Calories

When you are pregnant you are eating for two and so should take extra food, nutrition and care. Reduce the intake of soft drinks that add calories and no nutritional value to the baby’s growth. The added calories could lead to overweight babies.

5. Side Effects of Carbonated Water

Colas and soft drinks have carbon dioxide bubbles. Towards the end of pregnancy, you are extremely sensitive, and carbonic acid may give you severe heartburn and indigestion, increasing the acidic levels for close to an hour. Added to caffeine, this makes heartburn in you and the baby worse.

6. Side Effects of Flavouring

Flavouring contains phosphoric acid, which leads to calcium leaching from the bones. The lack of calcium makes the bones brittle, which is undesirable, especially in pregnancy.

by Taboola
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7. Side Effects on Baby’s Brain

Study shows that when a mom-to-be had more sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened drinks, their babies tend to have the poorer problem-solving ability and verbal memory. Drinking it during pregnancy was linked to poorer fine motor, visual, spatial and visual-motor abilities in early childhood.

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Alternatives to Soft or Fizzy Drinks During Pregnancy

Yes, of course! Your cravings during pregnancy for cool drinks can be satiated with healthy alternatives that are additive and caffeine-free, have less sugar and lots of nutrient value.

Just remember that water is always the best base and helps with some symptoms like constipation, itching belly, feeling tired, headaches etc. You need to drink at least eight glasses of water a day, which makes a daunting task. To satiate the craving for cold drinks with a blend of water in the following healthy recipes. A single serving of a fizzy cold drink is okay, though not the safest and best alternative. Here are a few ways to help those erratic urges and cravings. Drink a glass of milk, fresh fruit juice, lassi or coconut water instead. Exercise and consume these beverages instead.

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1. Buttermilk

Buttermilk

Buttermilk with a dash of ginger, onion, coriander and salt forms an excellent health drink. You can experiment by blending it into smoothies or as a standalone. Be careful not to drink too much.

2. Homemade Smoothie

Fruit Smoothies

Use fruits like apples, bananas, chick, musk-melon, watermelon, grapes, and whichever fruits you desire. Blend in half a cup of water or milk to make a delicious smoothie.

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3. Fruit-Veggie Combos

Fruit & Veggie Smoothies

Use a juicer to blend fruit and a vegetable and avoid sweeteners. Try combining carrots with apples, oranges, pineapples etc.

4. Lemon-Based Cool Drinks

Lemonade

Make lemon slices or lime juice in plain water. You can even add any other fresh fruit juice to the flavour. Lemon and limes are known for their limiting of morning sickness and nausea. Besides, they provide beneficial minerals and vitamins.

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5. Fruit Cup in Mineral Water

Fresh Fruit Cup

Make yourself a fruit cup with slices of fruits of your choice like watermelon, lemon, orange, pear, kiwi, litchis, passion fruit, mangoes, cherries or bananas. Pour mineral water over it and dig in.

There are several flavoursome drinks that you can try in place of soft drinks, which not only keep you refreshed during pregnancy but also offer you a host of nutrients and benefits.…

Sticky

One of the most important aspects of any house or residence is the plumbing. The type of plumbing you have in your house can make it into a sweet haven for you or into your worst nightmare. This is why you should ensure that the plumbing in your house is well maintained and working properly. Faults in plumbing can prove to be a huge mess with water leaking out from everywhere and turning your washrooms and sinks into a complete mess. According to Armstrong Bros Plumbing, Plumbing faults may result from wear and tear of specific parts and also due to age.

This is why they should be attended from time to time. A good plumbing service ensures that you do not have worries regarding your plumbing system. This is why the services of an experienced plumbing company is needed. In this article, we are going to talk about plumbing for both residences and commercial buildings and why it is important to avail the services of a reputed plumbing agency.

Why do you require expert services in plumbing

If you try to tackle the problems related to your plumbing all by yourself, you can end up making a big mess. There are specific systems and installations which only an expert in plumbing has knowledge about. Also, certain areas may need special tools and equipment to stop the leakage of water and keep drainage systems from overflowing. If you make a single error on your part, it can turn out to be a disaster. From waste water to garbage and even feaces, your whole washroom and plumbing system can be covered in a huge mess.

As oxygen is important to your body to function, proper plumbing is necessary for commercial or residential buildings. It ensures that water leaves and enters your building properly. Although when we hear the plumbing, we automatically tend to think of water, it also pertains to maintenance and installation of heating systems, furnaces, water boilers, washing machines and many more. Faulty pipes and leakages can lead to excess moisture developing in your house. This can lead to the growth of fungus or mold. This is why the services of an expert plumbing agency is required.

Plumbers of Bradenton Florida

Plumbing works require experience on part of the plumber and also knowledge about specific plumbing tools and services. There are various aspects of plumbing apart from repairs and cleanings which include water filtration, sewers, pumps, hydro jetting, storm drains, etc. This is why expert knowledge is required when it comes to plumbing. Plumbers from a reputed plumbing agency have complete knowledge about complete plumbing works. They also have access to special tools and devices which are required to attend to your problems. They also specialize in the repair and installation of old and new parts respectively. Thus, when you avail the services of an experienced plumbing company, you can be at complete peace of mind with your plumbing.

The best plumbers of Bradenton Florida

If you are living in Bradenton, Florida, there are a number of plumbing agencies out there for you to avail their services. However, not all of the plumbers of Bradenton Florida are competent enough to provide the right kind of plumbing works. Also, choosing the right one can be a tedious task and time consuming also. This is where an experienced plumbing company comes in. They have a full workforce of plumbers who have specialized knowledge and access to equipment needed to attend to your plumbing problems.

Some of the services that are offered in plumbing are

  • Video diagnosis of specific parts and devices
  • Tankless services for water heaters
  • Repair of minor leaks and replacement of faulty fixtures
  • Plumbers even attend to plumbing works of RVs and Motorhomes
  • Repairing services consist of slabs, pipes, showers, sewers, faucets, drains, boilers, water pressure among others
  • Remodeling existing plumbing system and installation of new ones suited to your current theme
  • Upgrading bathroom fittings and fixtures
  • Unclogging drains, drainage systems and pipes
  • Maintenance of drains and pipes, sinks, toilets and dispensers
  • Snaking

Why choose an experienced plumbing agency

When you avail the services of an expert agency, you can always count on them for top notch plumbing services. They have experts who are well acquainted with various plumbing systems and models. They make sure that each and every single need of plumbing is handled with professionalism and skill. When you hire unlicensed agencies, you are at the risk of losing out on huge amounts of money due to incompetent and subordinate plumbing works. Owners should also make sure to hire agencies who have licensed plumbers. In this way one can be sure that they are getting true value for what they are paying for. Availing services of an unlicensed plumber puts you at the risk of damaging parts and your overall plumbing system in general.

Bradenton Florida Plumbing Company

Welcome to the Bradenton Florida Plumbing Company. We are your number one option for plumbing if you are living in Bradenton. We make sure our team of experienced professionals get your job done right the very first time. Customer satisfaction is our number one priority and we ensure we leave each client feeling happy and satisfied with our services. We are among one of the best plumbers in Bradenton, Florida and we ensure we provide you with high quality materials, parts and not to forget, world class services. We hire local plumbers who are extremely diligent and honest with their work. Our plumbers are licensed in this field and ensure you get the best quality of services related to plumbing. We cater to both commercial and residential plumbing works and even attend to your motorhomes. Thus, we are your one stop destination for all things related to plumbing.

Final thoughts

Plumbing is vital in maintaining your building and having proper flow of water. It is one part of your building that you simply cannot afford to overlook or it may cost you huge amounts of money in the long run. As they say A stitch in time saves nine’, so does the same apply for plumbing. If you tend to attend to it when the first signs of faults show, you can save a lot of time and money in the future. Thus, avail our services whenever you find any faults with your plumbing and be at complete peace of mind with us taking over your plumbing for you. Get in touch with us now for a complete inspection and estimate.

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