FridgeFilters.com Blog

New study to assess the impact of fracking on drinking water

Congress has given the EPA a mandate to perform a full investigation of the practice of using ground water mixed with chemicals to release oil or natural gas, known as fracking, from drill sites.

The main concern with this process is its possible chemical contamination of ground water and the problem of proper disposal of waste-water. The EPA will be focusing their study only on the effect fracking has on drinking water and expects to have a plan in place by March 7-8 of this year.

Though there has yet to be a conclusive study that shows fracking has contaminated drinking water there have been more than 1,000 reports of contamination where drilling is the suspected culprit. The increasing usage of ground water for fracking at drill sites makes proper handling of waste water to avoid contamination crucial. The study will be an important step in the ongoing battle to protect our natural resources and the availability of safe drinking water.

EPA to roll out more regulations for water safety

This should not come as a surprise as more and more chemicals being studied by researchers have been found to have potentially harmful effects on humans. For information from the EPA press release click here.

Some of the latest contaminants targeted for regulation are perchlorates, a chemical that is produced naturally and increased from man made interference, and can effect hormone levels in pregnant mothers. Studies have shown that perchlorates can interfere with the thyroid gland and this is the main reason it is being regulated.

The EPA has decided to address 15 others contaminants at the same time, they usually only tackle 1 chemical at a time, in an attempt to make it more cost effective to enact regulations for safer drinking water. While this is certainly a step closer to safer drinking water as a whole, we should not have to wait for federal water safety regulations to have safe drinking water.

Hexavalent Chromium found in US Tap Water

Recent testing of 35 cities across the country has revealed that at least 31 of those cities could have elevated levels of the contaminant hexavalent chromium, also known as Chromium-6. More information on the report can be found in this CNN article.

Reports have indicated that simply drinking bottled water will not safeguard against ingesting chromium-6 as many bottled water companies use municipal water supplies to fill their bottles. Filtering tap water is also not guaranteed to reduce chromium-6 unless you are using a system that is certified to reduce chromium. Many reverse osmosis systems can reduce chromium-6 as well as a variety of other contaminants from drinking water.

Home Depot currently sells the GE reverse osmosis systems PXRQ15F and GXRM10RBL that reduce chromium-6. Replacement filters for both systems can be found at Fridgefilters.com

New Water Station from 3M Offers Alternative to Bottled Water

According to an article in the Star Tribune, 3M’s Water Station design was in the works for more than 2 years before finally hitting shelves in 2010, but it was definitely worth the wait. The Filtrete Water Station offers an innovative new approach to how we filter and consume drinking water. The Water Station combines the convenience of bottled water with the cost effective and environmentally friendly practice of filtering tap water. This dual purpose unit fits easily in any home and is sure to be a big hit with families all across the country.

The Filtrete Water Station uses a fast-flow cartridge to quickly dispense filtered water from the station directly into 4 reusable water bottles. The result is an environmentally friendly, inexpensive source for cleaner, better tasting bottled water. The reusable bottles can easily be detached from the water station and either refrigerated for later use or taken on the road as you rush out the door to soccer practice, dance rehearsal or a visit to grandma’s house.

The filter cartridge can be easily replaced and recycled and Filtrete also offers consumers the ability to order additional water bottles for the station so you can be sure to always have a supply of bottled water ready to go.

D.C. water supply may have dangerous levels of lead contamination

An effort to disinfect the water in the D.C. area may have contaminated as many as 15,000 homes. The disinfectant caused corrosion in lead pipes that leached into the water supply. The CDC has concluded that many homes may still be at risk of elevated levels of lead contamination.

For more information you can find the full report here.

Many older homes may still use lead pipes for the water supply and this can increase the risk of lead contamination. In some cases the visible piping in the home may be made of PVC or copper, but the service lines that lead to the house may be lead. Here are some tips to check if your house has lead water lines from ehow.

You can also test your own water for lead contamination with a Drinking Water Test for Lead.

If you know that you have lead pipes or that you are at risk of lead contamination you can also use a water filter to remove lead from drinking water. Just make sure that the filter cartridge you are using is NSF certified for lead reduction. A simple inline filter like the GXRLQ from GE reduces 99% of lead as well as filtering out chlorine, cysts, asbestos and other contaminants.

Why start to worry now?

At this point most people know there are trace levels of a variety of contaminants present in their drinking water. The quality of our water is adversely affected by pollutants and pesticides from factories and farms as well as naturally occurring contaminants. Contaminated water is not a new problem, but scientists are starting to discover another link in the chain of chemicals found in our drinking water, prescription drugs.

This time, though, it is not the fault of a big bad corporation polluting our water. The traces of pharmaceuticals found in water sources downstream from sewage treatment plants seems to indicate that many people are flushing away their expired and unneeded medications. Tests on the water have found by-products of anti-depressants, antihistamines, and anti-seizure drugs make up the highest percentage of prescription drugs in the water supply.

Even in low doses these chemicals are not the kind of things we want in our drinking water. The EPA is now testing to assess the risk of drinking these chemicals to humans, but study results will not be available until next year.

If you do not already use a water filtration system it is definitely something to consider. Water filters carry a relatively low price when compared to how many gallons of clean drinking water they provide consumers. The best part is that your water will not only be safer to drink, but it will taste better too!

Boil Water Warnings in Tennessee and Massachusetts

Warnings have been issued to boil water before using it for drinking or cooking due to flooding in parts of Massachusetts and Tennessee.

Please be sure to follow appropriate safety procedures if you live in an area where your drinking water has become contaminated. Here are some helpful tips to follow...

• There may be unknown contaminants in water that may or may not be on list of impurities removed by an installed filter. Fridge filters do not remove minerals, for example.
• Immediately turn off water connection to fridge
• Replace all filters (faucet, fridge) that were installed when water went bad, after 'all clear' is given.
• Toss all ice as it may be contaminated.

For helpful instructions on emergency disinfection of drinking water you can visit the EPA website here.

Maytag Recall Expanded

Popular refrigerator manufacturer, Maytag, has expanded their recall to include even more refrigerator models. The company has recalled an additional 46,000 units due to a potential electrical failure that poses a serious fire hazard in many of their refrigerator models.  The brand names included in the recall are: Maytag, Jenn-Air, Amana, Admiral, Crosley, Magic Chef, and Performa by Maytag. Please click here for more information on the recall.

The Incredible Shrinking Water Bottle

Do your water bottles shrink to half their size when exposed to sunlight and heat? These water bottles from Primo do, and it could result in an explosion of water in your car on a very hot day.