In this interview, Andrew tells us all about many of the most common contaminants found in drinking water in the Chicago area and the nation at large. He also discusses one solution for keeping your drinking water safe—reverse osmosis systems. Andrew gives us a rundown of how they work, how much they cost, and what to look for when choosing one. Don’t miss this interview with Mr. Angel Water himself!
Continue reading Mr. Angel Water Tells Us – What Lurks In Your Family’s Drinking Water
Barrington alone supplies water to over 10,000 residents and businesses. In doing so, over 1.5 million gallons of water gets pumped every day. The water is provided from 4 large wells which draw from an underground aquifer. Once the water is pulled from the wells it goes to a village-owned water treatment plant where it is processed to reduce iron and help prevent rust stains. After treatment, the water is moved into one of 6 reservoirs used to store the water before it gets delivered. Before arriving to your sink, the water travels through 90 miles of service lines. The city water really seems to go through a lot of processing to ensure our water is clean. However, there are some things you should be aware of once the water reaches your faucet.
Many things can hide in your water and, potentially, cause you harm. The contaminants in city water are only dangerous at high levels and the city is required to measure the level of each contaminant within the water. However, these levels often exceed the EPA’s Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG). Here are a few contaminants which have been found at high levels in Barrington’s city water along with impacts they can have on you and your health.
Arsenic: This is an inorganic that can cause skin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may increase the risk of cancer.
Iron: Another inorganic that causes increased energy consumption, damage to plumbing, appliances and clothing.
Trihalomethanes: This is a disinfectant which is added to the city water to kill bacteria. It can cause Liver, kidney or central nervous system problems along with an increased risk of cancer.
Alpha Emitters and Radium: These are radionuclides which are usually naturally occurring. The increase the risk of cancer. And can be inhaled as well as consumed.
It can be quite alarming to learn that your everyday drinking water is contaminated. However, there are steps that you can take to ensure that your drinking water is safe along with your family’s well-being. Installing the following systems in your home will help keep out any type of contaminant.
Water Softeners: These help combat water hardness. Barrington’s water hardness level is 23gpg which is rated extremely high by the USGS.
Reverse Osmosis: This product does an exceptional job at removing any inorganics found in the water.
Whole House Filters: These Filters are great for an extra protection layer for any radionuclides that are left in the water.
It is important to know what is in your drinking water. If you have any questions or concerns about your Barrington water or if you would like to get a water treatment system installed in your home call Angel Water today!
For a full-size high-quality infographic visit:
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Angel Water, Inc.
(847) 382-7800
214 S Hager Ave
Barrington, IL 60010
Water Filtering Systems:Providing Safer, Softer Water, for Life.
Two years ago, federal researchers found high levels of lead in homes where water mains had been replaced or new meters had been installed. Residents were not warned about the threats these construction projects pose, but Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans for more construction projects across Chicago.
According to the Chicago Tribune, researchers at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that alarming levels of brain-damaging metal can flow out of household faucets for years after construction work disrupts service lines that connect buildings to the city’s water system. Nearly 80 percent of the properties in Chicago are hooked up to service lines made of lead.
The study also found the city’s testing protocols are very likely to miss high concentrations of lead in drinking water.
The city has issued letters alerting residents about the construction projects. These letters do not mention the hazards these construction projects pose or the harms that may be done to them by lead. The letters simply advise residents to flush faucets and house taps for several minutes after work has been completed to remove contaminants.
The EPA says this suggestion is “grossly inadequate”.
Besides the threat of new construction projects taking place across the city, Chicago is using corrosion-fighting chemicals to form a protective coating inside outdated pipes.
Instead of alerting citizens that they could be exposed to a deadly neuro-toxin, according to the tribune, city officials have repeatedly assured elected officials that their water is safe and there is nothing to worry about.
Thomas Powers, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Water Management, wrote in a October 2013 letter to aldermen in response to the EPA study. “Chicago water is absolutely safe to drink and meets or exceeds all standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois EPA.”
Protect yourself by purchasing an NSF certified water filter or by installing devices in your home that are capable of removing lead. For more information, visit Angel Water’s webpage
Flint, Michigan is facing a serious crisis. Their water is contaminated with lead and irreversible damage has occurred to the brains and bodies of children, according to a letter from Michael Moore.
The conscious decision to cut the old mining town off from Detroit’s water supply and replace it with contaminated water from the Flint River was made by Gov. Rick Snyder. Because of his choice, Flint residents have been ingesting contaminated water since April 2014.
Contaminating water for a time-span of two years would have never occurred in an affluent neighborhood or major city. As a penny-pinching vulture, Rick Snyder and politicians like him relied on the ambivalence, disengagement and socioeconomic status of Flint’s residents.
Much support has been given to Flint and for that, residents are truly grateful. According to a letter from Michael Moore, the Detroit Lions donated 100,000 bottles of water while celebrities like Puff Daddy and Mark Wahlberg donated over 1,000,000 each.
People want to help Flint, but the truth is they can’t. There’s no doctor, prescription or monetary donation that can restore the brains and bodies of innocent people.
Lead poisoning is a serious thing and the people who have suffered its wrath will live a life sentence of low cognitive function, higher disease rates and unnecessary pain. These health complications will most likely limit Flint residents from better job opportunities, higher education and basic human rights.
But instead of flooding their community with plastic water bottles, consider signing a petition against the politicians who caused this catastrophe and make a bigger impact on the future. Over 456,785 U.S. citizens have already expressed their sentiment through signatures and believe the politicians who made this choice should be held accountable.
If this crisis impacted you or family, would you remain calm or would you take action? Would you demand change or would you wait for someone to step in and do it for you? If you believe the citizens of Flint, Michigan have been harmed get involved, so that this does not happen to you.
What happens when an entire generation is exposed to toxic lead?
Multiple studies have linked lead exposure in early childhood to violent crime later in life. With the water main construction projects in Chicago disturbing lead pipes and the epidemic of contaminated water in Flint, MI, lead contamination is not a thing of the past but rather, a serious issue of present times.
“It creates a social context where kids are at a clear disadvantage,” said Robert J. Sampson, a Harvard University researcher who has been studying Chicago for more than two decades.
In an investigative report from 2013, reporter Kevin Drum highlights economic and social trends that may be linked to the crime epidemics and unwanted pregnancies of the 1980’s and 90’s. The trend affected major cities like New York, Dallas, New Orleans and Los Angeles.
Drum analyzed financial disparity, drug addictions, incarceration rates and race, but only one thing remained consistent: the presence of tetraethyl lead.
Lead Contamination in present times
According to the Chicago Tribune, children in the neighborhoods of Austin, Englewood and Lawndale are subject to higher rates of lead contamination than those living in more affluent areas of Chicago.
Since consumption of lead in early childhood is linked to brain damage, poor attention span and inability to regulate emotions, researchers believe consumption of lead is also linked to violent crime later in life.
“People in neighborhoods like Englewood have faced multiple assaults over a different period of time- job losses, segregation, housing discrimination,” said Sampson. “When I see astounding levels of lead poisoning in these communities, it makes complete sense that it is part of the cycle of deprivation.”
Combating Lead Contamination
Combating lead contamination at home is possible with the help of Reverse Osmosis. A reverse osmosis water filtration system can remove any unwanted chemicals or toxins from your water while simultaneously providing optimum hydration.
According to a new federal study, the clean-up efforts of Chicago’s water supply are revealing dangerously high levels of lead. Contamination has appeared in homes where pipes were disturbed by street work. These attempts to modernize outdated infrastructure may pose a health risk.
The health threat comes from lead service lines that were installed during the 1980s to connect water mains with homes. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), whenever water main replacements, meter installations and street work occur, lead may contaminate the water supply.
Exposure to lead may cause:
• Brain damage in young children
• Lower IQ
• Learning disabilities
• Aggression
• Criminal behavior later in life
• Legionaries disease
• Seizure
Lead contamination may still occur in the water supply even years after the construction has ceased. Most people are unaware about the contamination because the municipal water supplier is not required to inform residents that work is being done and it may impact their well-being.
Any amount of lead in the water supply represents a serious danger to consumers since the EPA and Centers for Disease Control both say there is no safe level of exposure. According to the Chicago Tribune, lead has been phased out of gasoline, removed from paint and banned in children’s toys.
The problem of outdated infrastructure plagues more than just the city of Chicago. In New Jersey, 205,607 children were last year and 837 of those children tested positive for lead. Flint, MI is also facing a lead contamination crisis as the majority of residents have come in contact with contaminated water amount of residents do not have clean water.
“We owe it to the people to tell them that their water might not be safe to drink,” said Marc Edwards, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech University.
When residents of Flint, Michigan wondered if their water was contaminated, they were right. High levels of toxicity and lead poisoning were linked to a switch from the Detroit water supplier to an alternative water supplier. The city is back on the Detroit water system, but a water crisis still remains.
According to Robert Puentes, director of the Metropolitan Infrastructure Initiative at the Brookings Institution, one of the main causes of lead poisoning is aging infrastructure. This problem not only applies to Flint, Michigan, but major cities everywhere.
“We do a good job building new stuff, we don’t do a good job taking care of what’s on the ground,” said Puentes in an interview with NPR.
According to Puentes, some of these systems were built a hundred years ago. Some of the pipes are made out of wood. Some of them were built the times when metropolitan areas were expanding and decentralizing.
Outdated infrastructure causes the United States to lose about 2 trillion gallons of water each year. This water waste is caused by leaks that are left unchecked in the current system.
While the toxic water in Flint has been linked to lead poisoning, Puentes states that Chicago has a 10-year plan to update water infrastructure and prevent contamination.
One way to ensure that your water is free of any contaminants is to invest in a water filtration system through Angel Water Inc. Our systems are designed to remove contaminants like lead, fluoride and sodium while reinfusing it with necessary minerals.
After an increase in cases of lead poisoning in children who live in Flint, Michigan, a state of emergency has been declared. Although these cases cause serious concern, there is a solution to prevent lead from creeping in to your water supply.
What is Lead?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), lead is bluish-gray metal found in small amounts on the earth’s outer layer. Lead can be found in all parts of our environment. Much of it comes from human activities including burning fossil fuels, mining, and manufacturing.
How does lead infiltrate your water supply?
The biggest culprit in contaminating the water supply is lead pipes. Other sources of contamination include lead solder used to join copper pipes, brass in faucets, coolers, and valves. Brass generally contains low lead levels, however the lead can still dissolve into the water.
How does Angel Water remove lead from the water supply?
There are numerous ways to remove lead from your water supply and there are many factors to consider when doing so. One of the first things to think about is if your water supply comes from city water or well water.
Once that is assessed, Angel Water will decide if lead can be removed from your system by flushing it. If your water is severely contaminated, installing a reverse osmosis system can remove lead from your water supply.
Why should I be concerned?
An article from the Huffington Post emphasizes how the long-term consequences of lead poisoning can harm children on a physical and psychological level. Some of those problems include:
• Kidney dysfunction
• High blood pressure
• Behavioral disorders
Is there lead in my drinking water?
One of the most effective ways to find out if there is lead in your drinking water is to schedule a water test with Angel Water Inc. We can be contacted at 847-382-7800 or through our Facebook Page.
Our water tests are performed by trained professionals and will help you identify what’s in your water. Once we know what’s in your water, we can help remove any contaminants or impurities.
At Angel Water, we believe the best water comes from a reverse osmosis water filtration system. A reverse osmosis system from Angel Water removes up to 97 percent of impurities and remineralizes the water when the filtration cycle is complete. Installing a reverse osmosis system creates the best water for you and enables optimum hydration.
Why is Reverse Osmosis the best?
Better Than Bottled
By ensuring quality and removing toxins, Reverse Osmosis water lessens the dependence consumers have on plastic water bottles. Most often, people use plastic water bottles to avoid contaminants like lead and arsenic. Both are removed through the process of reverse osmosis along with a need for plastic water bottles and unnecessary waste.
Best tasting water
According to the National Rural Water Association, lead, iron and nitrates often make tap water unpalatable. While most reverse osmosis systems strip the water of necessary minerals, our filtration process puts the necessary amount of magnesium and calcium back into the water, ensuring the best taste.
Safe for compromised immune systems
By removing toxins and reinfusing essential minerals, reverse osmosis water is safe for people with compromised immune systems. For people who have been diagnosed with autoimmune disease, cancer or multiple sclerosis reverse osmosis water can ensure optimum hydration in the body and ease the physical stress of chronic disease.
Why our reverse osmosis water is different
Besides retaining the utmost quality and long lasting service, Angel Water strives to educate and empower customers on the choices they make. Our water educators work to provide customers with enough information and education to help them make the best choice for their lifestyle. We promise a 10-year guarantee for all products purchased as well as the peace of mind that goes with it.
By making a long-term investment with Angel Water, you can improve the quality of your life and prevent health-related problems in the future.
Angel Water
214 S Hager Ave
Barrington, IL 60010
(847) 382-7800
www.angelwater.com
Did you know coal tar sealant can harm aquatic life near you?
According to Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) coal tar based sealcoat, the black sealant on top of driveways and asphalt, has been identified as a major source for carcinogens and is toxic to aquatic life.
On Wednesday, October 14, 2015 The Barrington Area of Council Governments (BACOG) will be hosting Dr. Barbara J. Mahler to speak on the topic of tar sealants. Dr. Mahler has researched and authored many articles about coal tar.
She will discuss the body of research on coal tar and PAHs and their consequences on human and environmental health. Her findings are backed by the U.S. EPA and reveal why levels of toxicity found in driveways and parking lots contribute to water pollution.
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According to the EPA:
Alternative solutions to coal-tar sealcoat are possible. The EPA suggests pavement options such as pervious concrete, permeable asphalt and paver systems. Each of those do not require sealants and allow stormwater to absorb water and decrease runoff.
The presentation is being co-sponsored by BACOG and Citizens for Conservation. Please join BACOG and CFC for this presentation on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Barrington Village Hall, 2nd Floor.
Angel Water Inc.
214 S Hager Ave
Barrington, IL 60010
www.angelwater.com