Recycling?  Think about this: your bottles still need to be transported to a recycling plant to be processed by car, train, plane or truck, and then even more energy is required to recycle them.

A Celsius Atmospheric Water Generator is very energy efficient and can make more than 25 litres per day from only the air around you!

You may actually be paying more than you think for your most valuable resource..

  *all costs approximate
 

**costs based on prices from a leading home delivery service site
 

The water we all use to drink, swim, wash and bathe is seriously threatened by climate change, as altered weather patterns and water cycles could cause communities all over the country to face longer droughts, more frequent floods and storms, and increased water pollution. Obtaining, transporting, and treating water also uses lots of energy, creating the same global warming pollution that threatens our water in the first place.

It’s very encouraging that the new climate bill recognizes these challenges and includes provisions designed to help America’s water resources adapt to the impacts of global warming. As we hoped, the bill includes funding for states and federal agencies to develop and implement natural resources adaptation plans. It also promotes water efficiency by supporting the EPA’s WaterSense certification and labeling program (an efficiency rating system, similar to Energy Star), requiring federal agencies to be leaders by using water-conserving items, and providing grants to states and other entities who offer consumers financial incentives to buy water-efficient products and services. It even establishes a research program to study impacts to our drinking water and develop strategies to make our water resources more resilient.

As the bill we saw drop in the Senate yesterday reveals, our lawmakers know that the climate problem is also a water problem. With this legislation, they’re taking a positive step on the path to ensuring strong and healthy water resources for all Americans long into the future.

Source: http://www.greenandsave.com

Come by and try our amazing Atmospheric Water Generators!

The city hired PHH ARC Environmental this summer to conduct water quality tests at all five VPD buildings after officers and civilian staff complained about the taste and smell of the water.

"The results confirmed that four out of the five VPD facilities show much higher than acceptable readings for lead and copper contaminants and that the water also had above average and higher than normal levels of turbidity," said a report written by VPD Insp. Loris Zuccato.

The buildings in question are the headquarters at 312 Main St. and at 2120 Cambie St. Other locations are the VPD’s east annex at 236 East Cordova St. and the support building at 5 East Eighth Ave.

The VPD’s building at 209 Waterfront St., which houses the department’s marine squad, was the only building that didn’t register poor water quality. Testing was conducted Aug. 13 in accordance with B.C. and Health Canada guidelines.

PHH ARC Environmental said in its report that elevated levels of copper and lead are likely a result of leaching of materials in the distribution system or plumbing. The company recommended installing filtration units, replacing taps and compression components and conducting regular testing of drinking water.

No cost estimate was included in the company’s report.

Despite the findings, the VPD report states the water quality does not "adversely expose VPD employees to any immediate and serious health risk." However, the VPD report recommends the police board defer any decision on getting rid of bottled water at VPD facilities until water quality is improved.

ity council has adopted Metro Vancouver’s "Tap Water Declaration" for the elimination of the purchase and sale of single-serving bottled water in city buildings. In May, the city sent a letter to the police board requesting it do the same to help limit the number of plastic bottles being manufactured and ending up in land fills.

Officers can buy bottled water in the VPD’s cafeteria at 2120 Cambie and from vending machines in all VPD buildings. The VPD report pointed out that a number of employees, generally the front line officers, rely on bottled water as their "only alternative source of fresh clean drinking water."

The concern about water quality at VPD buildings has been an ongoing discussion by officers and civilian employees. In the past, employees were told to run the water for 30 seconds before drinking.

"This suggestion has had very little impact on alleviating employee concerns or instilling employee confidence in the overall water quality," the VPD report said. "This overriding concern has over time resulted in many employees taking steps to purchase large bottled and purified water containers from independent vendors as an alternative to using the tap and drinking water found in VPD facilities."

The VPD report agreed with the environmental company’s recommendations that proper filtration systems be installed. But until the cost of the repairs and a timeline is finalized, bottled water should remain available, the report said.

Mayor Gregor Robertson, who is chair of the police board, said it was the "logical step" to keep bottled water available to VPD officers and staff. Robertson said the water quality problem illustrates how crucial investment is in new VPD facilities.

The VPD has long said it needs a new station that can house its members and staff, instead of spreading them out over five buildings, some of which are antiquated. The police board continues to examine the cost of a new station, Robertson said.

When asked if police officers and staff should drink fountain water, the mayor declined to give a specific answer, deferring to the report’s recommendation that bottled water remain available.

"Right now operating without bottled water is not OK," he said, noting he needs more detail on whether the city should post signs on water stations warning of the water’s quality. "I’m confident there will be signs posted on any drinking fountain that is compromised."

SOURCE: http://www.canada.com/vancouvercourier

Unfortunately, that fact isn’t stopping people from buying a lot of it. Estimates variously place worldwide bottled water sales at between $50 and $100 billion each year, with the market expanding at the startling annual rate of 7 percent.

Bottled water is big business. But in terms of sustainability, bottled water is a dry well. It’s costly, and wasteful. Want some solid reasons to kick the bottled water habit? We’ve rounded up three to get you started:

1. Bottled water is not a good value

Take, for instance, Pepsi’s Aquafina or Coca-Cola’s Dasani bottled water. Both are sold in 20 ounce sizes at a minimum of $1 per bottle, which works out to 5 cents an ounce. These two brands are essentially filtered tap water, bottled close to their distribution point. Now consider another widely-sold liquid: gasoline. It has to be pumped out of the ground in the form of crude oil, shipped to a refinery (often halfway across the world), and shipped again to your local filling station.

Right now, the average price per gallon is hovering around $3. There are 128 ounces in a gallon, which puts the current price of gasoline at fraction over 2 cents an ounce. And that’s why there’s no shortage of companies which want to get into the business. In terms of price versus production cost, bottled water puts Big Oil to shame.

2. No healthier than tap water

In the US, for example, in theory, bottled water falls under the regulatory authority of the Food and Drug Administration. In practice, about 70 percent of bottled water never crosses state lines for sale, making it exempt from FDA oversight. So despite marketers’ claims, there really is very little empirical evidence which suggests bottled water is any cleaner or better for you than its tap equivalent.

3. Bottled water means garbage

Bottled water produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year. According to Food and Water Watch, that plastic requires up to 47 million gallons of oil per year to produce. And while the plastic used to bottle beverages is of high quality and in demand by recyclers, over 80 percent of plastic bottles are simply thrown away. That is, assuming empty bottles actually make it to a garbage can.

Looking for a better option to quench your thirst while out and about? Buy a stainless steel thermos, and use it. Don’t like the way your local tap water tastes? Inexpensive carbon filters will turn most tap water sparkling fresh at a fraction of bottled water’s cost.

SOURCE: http://www.laestrella.com.pa/mensual/2009/07/16/contenido/122642.asp