Absence of clean, sanitary drinking water a global concern

One of the biggest concerns facing Americans and people worldwide today is the absence of clean, sanitary drinking water. Over the past few years people have begun to wake up to the fact that their tap water isn't as clean as they originally thought; the discovery has been made that a large portion of drinking water in the United States is laced with pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

It is a two part problem, however, because the vast amount of pharmaceuticals and chemicals in our water supply originate from our own homes. We use shampoos, deodorants, we take prescription and OTC medications and even hormones and while a lot of this is filtered out by water treatment facilities, pharmaceuticals like Prozac and Xanax are not filtered out completely. Even caffeine is often found and used as a guide to determine whether other chemicals may be present.

Federal regulations do not address trace levels of pharmaceuticals in drinking water and critics state that the cost of filtering the water to such a degree would be astronomical. But, what effect could these trace amounts of drugs be having on the people of the world? Asking pharmaceutical companies whether their products being in drinking water has a negative effect does no good; the answer is always "no."

Another side of the issue is the mandatory addition of certain chemicals to drinking water by state and local governments. Fluoride, the ingredient found in toothpaste, is one that is of growing concern all across the United States and one that many are fighting to be removed from their water supply for a number of thought provoking reasons.

Fluorine compounds like fluoxetine have been found to be the active ingredient in medications like Prozac, while sodium fluoride, the ingredient found in toothpaste, is considered to be poison if swallowed. Sodium fluoride was initially introduced into the water supply under the guise of preventing cavities, but has since been shown to increase dental fluorosis in children and many Americans are fighting against being medicated against their will.

Consumers who are now desperate to find a way to clean their water at home are investing large amounts of money on home water filter systems, including the Berkey water filter brand. Berkey filters, including the Big Berkey water filter, are known to be high quality and remove a larger array of chemicals and microbes from water than do standard filters available at department stores and are even capable of removing fluoride.