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 | 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.
by Gary Mays | Feb 19, 2012 | Plumbers Gold Coast, Water, Water Filtration
“Choose Reverse Osmosis…”
For the Purest Water You Can Drink at Home!
Your Body Absorbs Harmful Chemicals. But It’s not Designed to Filter Them Out. Reason Enough to Consider a Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System for You Home.
What Your Body Absorbs, And What It Can’t Filter Out.
More and more, organic foods are being made available to you in restaurants, food stores and vitamin shops. The more you consume organic foods and beverages, the fewer toxic chemicals you’re ingesting…and that promotes a healthier lifestyle.
Unfortunately, there are still far too many inorganic substances we consume on a daily basis, and increasingly this comes to us through our potable drinking water supplies.
Fluoride, for example, remains a hot topic throughout the world. Specifically, the so-called dental benefits of this chemical compound are not universally accepted as a given. But now fluoride has been added to Queensland’s water supply, and that’s a reality that must be faced.
Whether you are pro or con on the fluoride as a water additive, fluoride is one more toxin added to your body…and one more toxin that your body cannot filter out. So here’s the question: if your body can’t filter out harmful toxins, shouldn’t you be looking for ways to have your them filtered out for you before you drink the water?
The only proven method to remove fluoride in the long term is through Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration (RO). Simply put, Reverse Osmosis filtration is the total removal of introduced chemicals, dissolved salts, and metallic ions. Water that has undergone Reverse Osmosis water filtration can be up to 98% pure.
Advantages of Drinking Reverse Osmosis Filtered Water
- RO filtration eliminates almost all salts & minerals from your drinking water.
- Drinking RO purified water prevents incompatible toxins from entering our bodies.
- Best of all it removes & flushes out inorganic mineral deposits already present…the kind that create arthritis in the joints, deposits in the gallstones & kidney stones & deposits on artery walls.
- RO also filters out sulfates, arsenic, aluminum radioactivity and all other harmful parasites and viruses.
- It eliminates the spots and discolouration (dental fluorosis) on your teeth.
Disadvantages of Drinking Reverse Osmosis Filtered Water
- RO filtered water is stripped of its chemistry and is demineralised
- RO water is free of components that balance or stabilise the pH of water, so water with a low pH is known to be aggressive (corrosive).
- RO water always leaves some mineral component that takes the edge off the aggression, however if a simple pH test indicated the water is below 6.8 pH it may also have the ability to leach precious minerals from our body.
But let’s not forget that RO water is healthier, tastes better, is odour-free, and the systems are easy to maintain.
The purpose of an RO membrane is to remove 95-98 % of all contaminants and it does this extremely well. Once we have this near pure water we can begin to develop it to suit our needs.
At Whywait Plumbing Services, we’re Reverse Osmosis and Water Filtration Experts
Lots of plumbers can install Reverse Osmosis systems.But there’s only one Whywait Plumbing Services…the company that’s highly proficient in all aspects of water quality and filtration.
One conversation or in-home visit with us, and you’ll discover the Whywait difference for yourself.
For a no-obligation proposal and quote, or simply to learn more about how Reverse Osmosis water filtration can benefit you and your family, contact the water filtration pros at Whywait Plumbing Services. There’s so much we can do to help.
by Gary Mays
Gold Coast & Tweed: Call us now
by Gary Mays | Nov 15, 2011 | banging pipes, Consumer Issues, erosion and corrosion in plumbing pipes, Gold Coast Plumber, Gold Coast plumbers, Gold Coast Plumbing, Health Issues, Insurance coverage of water leaks, Leaking Pipes, PEX pipes, Plumbers, Plumbers Gold Coast, Plumbing Maintenance, water damage insurance claims, Water Filtration, Water Hammer, Water Leaks, water pipe pressure
Traditionally most homes used copper pipes to circulate hot and cold water. Since the 1970’s plastic pipes have increasingly replaced traditional copper or galvanised steel pipes.
Over the last ten years, pipe-in-pipe systems have been commonly installed to circulate water in most newly constructed homes. The inner pipe for drinking water is made of a plastic called cross-linked polyethylene (PEX).
Since the advent of plastic plumbing systems, there have always been questions regarding the effects on health and do they affect the taste and odour of drinking water. International studies have shown that plastic pipes can release substances that give drinking water an unwanted taste and odour. It has also been suggested that some of these substances may be carcinogenic.
Several investigations worldwide on health issues have been conducted, and most are inconclusive or positive. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has just released a new study on whether leaching or leakage products from these pipes harm health and if they affect the taste and odour of drinking water. The potential leakage products consist of residues of additives used during manufacture to give plastic pipes their desired properties and any subsequent breakdown products.
The Norwegian study results indicated:
- There are no health risks associated with drinking water from PEX pipes
- A few types of PEX-pipe may cause prolonged undesirable taste and odour if the water remains in pipes over time
- Although the taste and odour usually dissipate with use, water from two PEX types still had an unpleasant smell and taste after a year.
- The volatile organic compounds that leaked from new PEX pipes were generally low.
- The level was further reduced with the use.
- No correlation was found between manufacturing methods and leaking products.
This study was undertaken far more scientifically than many tests or studies in Australia. It is common in Australia for international products that have undergone extensive testing to fail AS4020 based on a highly subjective taste test from a panel of 5 – 7 people. The Norwegian study tested ten different PEX pipe types for leaching products in a standardised laboratory test. The water was in contact with the tubes for 72 hours.
Three different manufacturing methods produce pipes known as PEX-a, PEX-b or PEX-c. These methods use slightly different additives, but this study found no correlation between production methods and leakage products. Two of the most commonly occurring substances detected in the experiment’s water were 2.4-di-tert-butyl-phenol and methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE). For three new pipe types, MTBE was detected in higher concentrations than the US government’s recommended limits for the taste and odour of drinking water (USEPA). Still, the values were reduced to below this limit after the tubes were used for a while.
This study confirms what the plumbing technicians at Whywait Plumbing frequently observe: no matter what type of pipe, there can be a taste or odour in new piping systems or where a house has been unoccupied. The taste and odour soon disappear once the water is in use in the house and is in constant circulation.
