by Gary Mays | Mar 22, 2013 | City of Gold Coast, Cold Water, Consumer Issues, Insurance, Leaking Pipes, Plumbing Emergencies, Plumbing Maintenance, Queensland Government, Water Leaks
At Whywait Plumbing the phones began to ring as soon as the water bills from Gold Coast Water arrived in late January. The most common issue was one of bill shock where residents received bills in the thousands of dollars when their normal bill was around $600.
This was brought home to us here at Whywait when our IT Manager, Brad Horrocks rang about the bill his pensioner father, Neal had received which was $4980 when his normal bill was never over $600. Unbeknown to Neale he had an underground leak in the polypipe watermain coming into his home in Coombabah. This unfortunately is common in the coastal areas such as Coombabah where the water basically soaks into the sandy soils rather than bubbling to the surface.
Neal was fortunate that Gold Coast Water gave him a rebate of $3658 but he was still left to pay a bill of $1322. The sting in the tail of this rebate is that Neale is not eligible for further rebates should he have further leaks in his watermain for 3 years. This puts Neale and all of those like him who are recipients of the 60% rebate from Gold Coast Water where the bill shock is caused by a broken pipe in a terrible dilemma. This is caused by water meters only being read every 3 months and bills being issued every 6 months.
Unless you read your water meter on a regular basis which we strongly recommend then you can suffer a major break in your watermain and not be aware of it for at least 90 days when you receive a letter from Gold Coast Water advising you that you have very high water use readings. If you have already used your once every three years rebate for broken pipes then you will pay for every litre of water that leaks into the ground.
However we do have a solution for everyone who has experienced the drama of water bill shock. Prevention is always the best solution. AquaTrip water leak detection and control systems are the solution. AquaTrip is a permanently installed leak detection protection system that quietly provides protection in the background and under normal conditions you will never know it’s there.
AquaTrip monitors the flow of water into your property, and will shut off the water automatically in the event of a tap left running, a burst pipe, or if a tap, fitting, pipe, toilet, cistern or appliance is leaking. This will save water, reduce wastage and most critically minimise property damage.
AquaTrip is an active water leak detection system that costs less than the excess charges from Gold Coast Water or the excess on one insurance claim and a fraction of the cost of most annual home insurance premiums. In most cases insurance companies do not cover the cost of watermain leaks or the resultant water costs. AquaTrip will provide your home with a lifetime of protection against such water leak events. AquaTrip is a one time insurance policy.
If Neal Horrocks had an AquaTrip installed he would not only have the peace of mind provided by AquaTrip but would be potentially $700 better off today as he would not have had to pay a water bill of $1322.
For more information on installing an AquaTrip “insurance policy” at your home or building Whywait Plumbing today for a lifetime of protection.
by Gary Mays | Mar 11, 2013 | Cold Water, Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Water Filtration
The stresses of a modern diet have for many people turned their bodies into a filter that it was never intended to be. Now a new study that followed over 8,000 men aged 45 to 73 for an average of 15 years illustrates yet again why water should be the drink of choice. The study found that men who drank one soft drink every day are at greater risk of getting more aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
“Among the men who drank a lot of soft drinks or other drinks with added sugar, we saw an increased risk of prostate cancer of around 40 percent,” said Isabel Drake, a PhD student at Lund University. Very simply men aged over 45 who drank one 330m/l soft drink a day which is essentially one standard can, were 40 percent more likely to develop more serious forms of prostate cancer that required treatment. The cancer was discovered after the men showed symptoms of prostate cancer, and not through the prostate cancer screening process known as Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA).
The study also found that men who ate a diet heavy on rice and pasta increased their risk of getting milder forms of prostate cancer, which usually required no treatment, by 31 percent. This was in contrast to men who had a high intake of sugary breakfast cereals which raised the incidence of milder forms of the cancer to 38 percent. The men in the study had to undergo regular medical examinations and kept a journal of their food and drink intake.
Isobel Drake confirmed that further research was needed before dietary guidelines should be changed but as everyone is aware there are already plenty of reasons why everyone not just men should cut back on drinking soft-drinks. Previous studies have shown that Chinese and Japanese immigrants in western countries develop prostate cancer more often than peers in their home countries. This reinforces the viewpoint that research on how genes respond to different diets would make it possible to tailor food and drink guidelines for certain high-risk groups.
At Whywait Plumbing we are aware that many people avoid drinking water because of the taste. Often the taste can be improved by the simple diet changes of eliminating sugar and sugary drinks from ones diet and by drinking filtered water. John Hopkins Universty in a recent update on avoiding cancer advocates that you are better off drinking water that is filtered to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. They further recommend to avoid distilled water as it is acidic and not to drink water frozen in a plastic bottle.
It is for these reasons and many others that Whywait Plumbing recommend that to ensure total protection filtering your water supply at the point of entry to your home is the only guarantee you have to ensure the water you are drinking in and bathing in has harmful chemicals removed. A whole of house water filtration system ensures clean, odour free, delicious water throughout the whole house guaranteeing the following:
- Constant supply of delicious water throughout the whole house
- Removes bad taste and odour by removing chlorine, chloramines, carbon based organic compounds (VOC’s) such as pesticides, herbicides and industrial solvents that are in your tap water
- Enhances the flavour of food
- Healthier skin by eliminating chlorine from your baths and showers
- Reduce water problems and unsightly stains throughout your home by using a premium carbon filter
- Extended life of your plumbing fixtures, taps and pipes by eliminating chemicals in your water
- Save money and save time by not buying bottled water
Once we understand that the body is more than 70% water and that water controls virtually every aspect of our health, we can begin to understand its true importance. Not just the water we drink, but the water that we shower in…cook with… prepare juices, teas and coffee with. It all has a significant impact on our health. Water is the foundation of the body, and, like any structure, if the foundation is of poor quality, strength and longevity will not be achieved.
by Gary Mays | Feb 19, 2013 | Cold Water, Plumbers, Water
Harvest Mother Nature’s Precious Water With the Most Efficient Rain Collection System on the Market Today. This system collects 100% of the rain on your roof; puts money back in your pocket and allows you to use recycled water in your toilet, laundry, garden and home.
As you no doubt realise, clean and potable water remains an issue here in Southeast Queensland, especially regarding recycled water, desalinated water, and rainwater tanks. All new buildings, residential and commercial, are required to be outfitted with rain water tanks for irrigation and toilet flushing.
For existing buildings it is important in the long term to create sustainable methods to conserve valuable rainwater without destroying the aesthetics of your home or business. From our experience, a Rain-Return® system is the best of its kind, allowing a rainwater tank to collect 100% – vs. the average of 10% – of rainwater falling on your roof.
A Rain-Return® system harvests all the water from your storm water drains which, in turn, collect all the water from the roof. A simple underground pit pumps the water back to your storage tank. When the storage tank is full a float valve activates and the pump stops pumping and allows the water to continue through the normal storm water drain system.
Whywait Plumbing can design a system for you like those we’ve installed for Westfield Helensvale Shopping Centre, AB Paterson College, or Robina State School. With your new Rain-Return® system, you can:
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Maximise your storage capacity
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Collect 100% of rain falling on the roof plus air conditioning & roof condensation
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Reduce your water bills
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Eliminate ugly piping systems to your rainwater tank
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Comply with water sustainability requirements
Rain water can now be used in urban areas for:
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Laundry cold water supply to the washing machine
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Washing & cleaning
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Washing your cars & boats
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Irrigating your gardens & lawn
And, provided certain precautions are taken into account including adherence to backflow requirements, rainwater harvesting can also provide drinkable water that is free from chemicals, such as chlorine, which are used to treat our main potable water supplies.
Whywait Plumbing has been installing rainwater storage systems for more than 30 years. What’s more, we are a licensed GreenPlumber™ and, as such, have been at the forefront in developing and installing urban tanks.
With a fully-installed rainwater harvesting system from Whywait, you can count on:
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a complete site inspection to ensure the system recommended will work correctly
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a range of systems to choose from
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a guaranteed installation date
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installation and certification by a licensed plumber
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access to all government and council rebates
To learn more about a rainwater harvesting system from Whywait Plumbing , contact us today to schedule your no-obligation site inspection.
by Gary Mays
by Gary Mays | Jan 15, 2013 | Climate Change, Cold Water, Health Issues, Plumbing Maintenance, Rain Water Tanks, Sustainable Plumbing, Water Filtration
Food allergies are on the rise, estimated to be affecting at least 250,000 Australian’s. According to a new study published in the United States in the December issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), pesticides and tap water could be partially to blame.
This authorative study reported that high levels of dichlorophenols, a chemical used in pesticides and to chlorinate water, when found in the human body, are associated with food allergies. “Our research shows that high levels of dichlorophenol-containing pesticides can possibly weaken food tolerance in some people, causing food allergy,” said allergist Elina Jerschow, M.D., M.Sc., ACAAI fellow and lead study author. “This chemical is commonly found in pesticides used by farmers and consumer insect and weed control products, as well as tap water.”
In the United States where 10,348 participants in a US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2,548 had dichlorophenols measured in their urine and 2,211 were included into the study. Food allergy was found in 411 of these participants, while 1,016 had an environmental allergy. “Previous studies have shown that both food allergies and environmental pollution are increasing in the United States,” said Dr. Jerschow. “The results of our study suggest these two trends might be linked, and that increased use of pesticides and other chemicals is associated with a higher prevalence of food allergies.”
It is generally accepted that similar results would be seen within the Australian population where water is treated in a similar manner and similar pesticides are utilised by farmers. To reduce the likelihood of developing an allergy the options are:
- drink bottled or filtered water
- purchase natural or organically grown fruit and vegetables
Whilst opting for bottled water instead of tap water might seem to be a way to reduce the risk for developing an allergy this is not the whole answer. More often than not bottled water is not a solution it is a problem because it is estimated about 40 percent of bottled water is in fact regular tap water.
Australians spend over $500 million every year buying bottled water. Potable drinking water from Gold Coast City Council costs $3.27 a kilolitre. Bottled water here is 1070 times more expensive than the water Gold Coast City Council pipes directly to your home. Australian bottled water costs around $3500 a kilolitre and Italian bottled water around $9600 a kilolitre.
The only solution with respect to water is installing a whole of house water filtration system because Gold Coast City Council potable drinking water distribution pipe line systems contain bacteria killing chlorine. The intent is simply to provide you with bacteria-free water. Unfortunately, they’re doing more than that because every time you consume tap water from the Gold Coast City Council distribution system you are ingesting a measure of chlorine. Every time you shower or bathe in tap water you are ingesting the free chlorine gas in the water supply. The telltale signs of unacceptably high levels of chlorine? Dry flaky skin, and the odour you often detect in your shower, bath, or drinking water.
Chlorine does not kill all the bacteria in the water supply pipelines as scale still builds up inside the pipes requiring the council to regularly clean them. Far worse, chlorine is a chemical and a poison. Once ingested, it randomly targets what it kills off in your body. Simply put, chlorine kills all bacteria…good and bad. It can kill off the natural flora in your stomach. It can negatively affect your digestion. It can build up in fat deposits. It can settle in your arteries and lead to heart disease. What’s more, chlorine can cause bladder cancer as the human body is not designed to filter out chlorine. And yet for the foreseeable future, it will remain in the Gold Coast City Council potable water distribution pipe line systems.
To take control of an important area of managing your own health by purifying your water supply Whywait Plumbing strongly recommend the installation of whole of house water filtration systems to remove one major threat of developing an allergy.
by Gary Mays | Oct 26, 2012 | Climate Change, Cold Water, Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Water Filtration
Water is just water is just water, but many people spend an inordinate amounts of time considering which brand they should buy, whether it is still or sparkling and whether it is flavoured or not. Even more bizarre is the fact that they are willing to pay the same price for a 600 millilitre bottle of water that Gold Coast Water charge for 1000 litres of humble tap water. All of this is despite the significant damage to both their wallet and the environment.
The worldwide bottled water market value increased from $64m in 2005 to $80m in 2009 and is expected to grow to $100m by 2014. This rapid increase in bottled water sales in mature markets that have good quality tap water such as in most of Australia raises the question of how has humble water, a homogeneous chemical element, become a multimillion-dollar business? Furthermore how has it eventuated that water can be sold as a differentiated product at distinct price points and then be shipped all around the world?
Apparently it is all about the bottle and the way the bottle is branded. Firstly because bottled water provides a level of perceived convenience that is not enjoyed by tap water. Secondly it is about convenience because we are all too busy to turn on a tap and use a reusable bottle so buying a throwaway bottle of water is easier than carrying around a reusable bottle and refilling it as required. Even more bizarrely for the success in bottled water sales is the combination of branding and packaging. The design of the water bottle communicates desirable values such as health, purity and exoticism with the key factor being the ability of the bottle’s design to symbolically bestow social status upon the person consuming it.
These desirable values of bottled water originated in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries where the unique mineral compositions of springs at water hospitals or spas were used to cure ailments and maintain the health of the wealthy. As a result people began to take these healthy waters home with them due to the development of bottling equipment and machines that could manufacture and fill the bottles. The symbolism and culture of the spas remains a vital part of the marketing strategy of many brands today. Bottled water packaging lined up on the shelves is a wealth of imagery in service stations, convenience stores, supermarkets and even in drink dispensing machines. Bottled waters strongest selling points remain mountains, springs, and lakes in shades of blue and white symbolically expressing purity and health.
As more and more brands of water invade the market there has been diversification into the luxury market. Bottle designs have begun imitating the shape of wine bottles and has created a culture of high social status that rivals the wine cellar in many restaurants, hotels and bars with the images of health and luxury being created by the marketing.
Almost universally every scientific study reveals that there is little to no difference in actual health benefits derived from bottled water and tap water. Even more tellingly is the revelation that there is little difference between individual brands of bottled water. Unfortunately the prevalence and the symbolic power of bottled water marketing is overshadowing scientific findings by appealing to something of great importance to consumers of bottled water and that is their self-identity. Such is the power of the marketing of bottled water that symbolism studies have shown that many people draw on the symbolic values of bottled water to not only create their self-identity, but to decipher the characteristics of other consumers of bottled water. This symbolism has created the illusion that bottled water is more of a fashion accessory than just something to drink when you are thirsty.
The marketing symbolism of bottled water has increasingly come under threat by the even more symbolic environmental image as bottled water has a large environmental footprint due to the cost of manufacturing the bottle and transporting cartons of bottled water all over the world. The major target of environmental criticism is the actual plastic bottle which has an increasingly negative image. This has resulted in a re-design of the bottles to symbolically express environmental friendliness by using alternative materials such as bio-degradable plant based plastics, recyclable cartons and tetra-paks. Marketing is also using the symbolism of colour to express its new eco-conscience with green now common on bottled water packaging along with messages on the labels about all the wonderful environmentally friendly practices used to manufacture the bottles and bottle the water.
Fortunately the use of environmentally-friendly symbolism to appease the concerns of consumers about the environment are increasingly failing to convince the symbolically aware consumers who are the main purchasers of bottled water. These consumers have turned their back on bottled water at the same time as government agencies have begun to raise concerns about the cost to the environment when an equal product is already available in everyones tap. Worldwide the trend is for environmentally aware companies to hand out their own branded bottles which allow for easy refill from any domestic tap. This move in many ways is a tribute to the power of design of the bottle and its perceived convenience.
The reusable water bottle gives these companies the ability to differentiate themselves through water and give it unique appeal though packaging and graphic design. The bottle has given bottled water manufacturers an edge over tap water which can be easily eliminated by consumers beginning to utilise the convenience and symbolic appeal of the bottle combined with the simple convenience of turning on a tap and refilling the bottle.
by Gary Mays | Jul 21, 2012 | Cold Water, Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Plumbing Maintenance, Water Filtration
At Whywait Plumbing we are frequently asked about installing water filters to make the water from the tap taste better. This we understand and agree with because everyone should ensure the water they drink, shower in, cook with, prepare coffee and tea with is as pure and safe as it can possibly be.
What frequently confuses us is clients saying yes I would like a filter but it is expensive to install and maintain so I am better off buying bottles of water. This astounds us on so many levels as about 40% of bottled water is regular tap water which is 1120 times more expensive than tap water costing on average $3000 per kilolitre compared to $3.27 per kilolitre from Gold Coast City Council or $5.06 per kilolitre from Logan City Council.
Whywait Plumbing can supply and install water filters from $202.15 with the ongoing maintenance costs for replacement filters from $22.30 which is only the cost of 70 bottles of water. Bottled water is not the solution it is the problem with people paying an astounding premium for a product that is frequently full of contaminants such as arsenic, fluoride, antimony and pharmaceutical drugs.
We all need to drink more water as your body is 70% water with your blood, muscles, lungs, and brain all containing water. You need water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to your organs and tissues. Water also helps transport oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs. Drinking too little water or losing too much water leads to dehydration. Symptoms of mild dehydration include thirst, pains in joints and muscles, lower back pain, headaches and constipation.
You lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating, and you lose more water when you’re active than when you’re sedentary. Diuretics, medications and alcohol increase the amount of water your body loses. A strong odour from your urine, along with a yellow or amber color, may indicate that you may not be getting enough water. Lost water must be replaced by the water in the foods you eat and the beverages you drink.
Everyone has different needs on how much water they need to drink. At least twenty percent of the water you need comes from the foods you eat. The rest comes from the beverages you drink. As a general rule 8 glasses of water a day are recommended although this depends on the amount of physical activity you undertake and the climate where you live.
Water is the best choice for re-hydration because it’s cheap and has no calories or added ingredients. Sweetened soft drinks have added sugar that adds extra calories but no additional nutritional value. Sports drinks contain minerals that may help keep your electrolytes in balance, which is good for recovering after a hard gym work out, but contain sugar and calories that you may not want. Vegetable juices can be a good choice because they have vitamins and minerals your body requires. Fruit juices are okay in moderation but frequently contain high sugar levels that you do not want. Caffeinated beverages such as tea and coffee count, but too much caffeine can effect you.
Generally we all need to drink more water and the best way to ensure we drink the water our bodies require is to ensure a good quality and good tasting water supply is always readily available in our home or place of work. The best way to guarantee this is to install a water filter which is good for you and good for the environment. A water filter is a logical and cheaper alternative to bottled water as a single filter can prevent thousands of plastic water bottles from ending up in landfill and waterways further polluting our environment.
At Whywait Plumbing Services, we install, maintain and repair all types and models of water filtration systems. Whole of house or single above sink, you can trust Whywait Plumbing to provide the right solution for you and your family.
