Most of us agree that bottled water is convenient. Whatever else we may think about it, we know that carrying our own Drinking Water makes it easy to stay hydrated. We carry bottled water to work. We carry bottled water to sporting events. We carry bottled water when hiking or camping.

Do we consider, though, the footprint left by our bottled water?

Environmental Footprints

What do we mean by bottled water footprints? Think about your footprints. When you walk along a sandy beach, you make an impact on the sand. You leave a mark with each step. You show to all who come along that someone has walked there. As long as the waves do not reach the part of the beach where you walked, as long as the wind does not whistle across that expanse or rain scrub the sand, your footprints remain.

Bottled water leaves environmental footprints. What footprints does bottled water leave?

* Plastic bottles in landfills
* Plastic bottles along roadsides
* Plastic bottles on forest paths
* Plastic bottles on beaches
* Plastic bottles in a variety of other places

Many people simply drop their bottles when the water is gone. Some toss them in public trash containers. Either way, bottled water plastic leaves a not-so-nice environmental footprint.

Reducing Bottled Water Footprints

You can reduce bottled water footprints in a number of ways. Some people re-use the bottles, washing them well in a dishwasher to be sure they are safe. Others ensure all bottled water plastic is placed in recycling bins.

Perhaps the best way to reduce bottled water footprints is to carry water in a wide-mouth, reusable container. You may buy bottled water from a delivery service such as DS Waters. We review DS Waters on this website. To read that review, click here or on the dark blue DS Waters button at the top of this page. To order home delivery of DS Waters right now, click here.

Another way to reduce bottled water footprints is to use a filter in your home. Fill reusable, wide-mouthed containers from the filter, and carry your water with you. The wide-mouth container will be easy to wash well, and will provide clean, safe bottled water on the go.

If you must use bottled water in disposable plastic, be sure you recycle the plastic when you are finished with your water.

Water. It is essential for life. It is essential for cleanliness of body and surroundings. Every person in the world consumes water on a daily basis. In the United States, domestic water consumption can measure hundreds of quarts a day. Treatment of that water to make it safe is vital.

Domestic Water Contaminants

Domestic water treatment is vital because of the myriad of microorganisms that water can contain.

* bacteria
* parasite
* viruses

Such waterborne microbes can adversely affect your body in a number of ways. They can cause cholera, dysentery, diarrhea, and more.

Domestic water can contain disinfectants, pesticides, fertilizers, and drug residue. It can contain copper, iron, and lead. It usually contains chlorine, and sometimes fluoridation – both of which are detrimental to body health.

Domestic Water Treatments

There are a number of options for cleaning your water – especially Drinking Water. True, it has probably been treated to some degree by a local domestic water treatment plant. You may want greater purity, however. In emergency, you most definitely will want domestic water treatment that you yourself perform. Consider these four possibilities.

1. Boiling cater: One of the oldest methods of domestic water treatment is to kill harmful organisms by boiling all Drinking Water. You may not need to do this daily, but in emergency, the procedure can save lives. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states: “Boiling water will kill most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for boiling. Boil the water for one minute, let it cool, and store it in clean containers with covers.”

2. Chlorinating Water: If you can’t boil water, you can perform domestic water treatment with regular household chlorine bleach. Bleach will not kill all disease-causing organisms, but it can kill some. Filter cloudy water through clean cloths first. The EPA recommends that you then “Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Store disinfected water in clean containers with covers.”

3. Filtering Water: A Water Filter can provide ongoing domestic water treatment. It will remove most contaminants and microorganisms. Read our review on this site of Aquasana Water Filtration systems. Simply click on the dark blue Aquasana Water Filtration tab at the top of this page, or click here. To go directly to the Aquasana site, click here.

4. Purifying Water: The best domestic water treatment available is Water Purification. In order to qualify as a water purifier, systems such as Heaven Fresh water purifier must remove nearly 100 percent of all contaminants, microorganisms, etc. Read our review on this site of Heaven Fresh Water Purifier systems. Simply click on the dark blue Heaven Fresh tab at the top of this page, or click here. To go directly to the Heaven Fresh site, click here.

Domestic water treatment is not a matter to be taken lightly. If you care about your health, and the health of your family, you will look into the options, and provide the best water you can afford.

If you live in one of the more developed countries of the world, your Drinking Water probably is supplied by the local government. You are probably assured that your Drinking Water is safe to drink. The government probably tells you, too, that your Drinking Water has no bad taste or smell. In fact, all of the water entering your house is potable.

The reason they make these statements is that they rely on chlorine water treatment. Chlorine water treatment is one of the oldest, most basic water treatment procedures available.

Household Water Treatment

The water in your house, if you live in a town or city, is probably supplied by the local water treatment plant. Often, that water flows beneath streets in old water pipes that were set in place many years ago. It may enter your home through pipes that are equally old. None of the pipes is sterilized. All contain things that you do not want. That is where chlorine water treatment can help.

1. Kill bacteria: Chlorine water treatment can kill microbial organisms that are found in water pipes. Chlorine kills quickly, and the results can be observed immediately after the water treatment procedure is completed.

2. Remove rust: Rusty water is reddish-brown in color. Rust affects the taste and smell of the water. It can also stain clothing washed in the water. Chlorine water treatment can minimize the iron content in water, reducing the rust.

3. Emergency Drinking Water: In case of an emergency such as flood, earthquake, fire, etc., Drinking Water sources may be contaminated. Chlorine water treatment may be the only solution at hand. A few drops of regular chlorine bleach used in most household laundry will make water safer for drinking.

Business Water Treatment

Commercial water users also demand water treatment. Businesses may use bottled water in their water coolers, but other commercial uses demand water treatment. This is often chlorine water treatment.

Hotels and water parks use chlorine water treatment in swimming pools and water slide locations. The chlorine not only kills pathogens present in water entering pools and water playgrounds, but continues to kill bacteria introduced by users. Such facilities may drain their pools on only a monthly or seasonal basis. Chlorine water treatment continues to keep the water safe for use.

Safety of Chlorine Water Treatment

Despite the fact that chlorine has been used to treat water for so many decades, there is question as to the safety of Drinking Water treated with chlorine. It is a good temporary solution in emergency, but what happens when the water you use daily has gone through chlorine water treatment processes?

Studies done since the 1960’s indicate that chlorine water treatment increases the risk of developing heart disease and cancer. Chlorinated water leaves behind chemicals that have been proven to cause cancer. These chemicals are even recognized as dangerous and are regulated by the EPA.

Helpful Tip

For this reason alone, many people invest in a Water Filter such as the Crystal Quest series. We review Crystal Quest on this website. To read that review, click here or on the dark blue Crystal Quest button at the top of this page. To visit Crystal Quest right now, click here.