On March 16th I heard a dialogue on the radio discussing the banning of bottled water in public buildings in a certain Canadian city. While I understand and applaud the idea of saving our landfills and recycling centres the thousands of cheap water bottles. And our bodies from the residues and BPAs from drinking water out of a plastic bottle; frankly, the idea of communities forcing residents to imbibe only municipal tap water makes my hair stand on end.

The problem with municipal water supplies is that they are laden with toxic chemicals that while harmless in small amounts, bio-accumulate in our bodies, wreak havoc on our immune systems and may (over time) lead to chronic disease. Some common toxins coming out of our household taps here in the Okanagan include: lead, mercury, and arsenic which are dangerous at extremely low concentrations and can be introduced into drinking water either though natural processes, old deteriorating pipes or as a result of human activity. Other inorganic compounds include chloride, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, sulfate, carbonate, cyanide, fluoride and radon. All of which have been linked to serious health problems.

One of the primary sources for local water pollution lies in our use of pesticides on our lawns and gardens. You would never dream of drinking down a tall cold glass of “Roundup”, but a glass of tap water contains many of the same chemicals. The compounds you spray on your lawn and garden run off from rain and snow, leach into our ground water and find their way into our reservoirs and lakes. As of January, 2009, Kelowna has enacted a pesticide restriction by-law for cosmetic use in response to concerns raised by local citizens and in line with other larger communities across Canada. Unfortunately, the bylaw is laden with exceptions including all gardens, public facilities and properties owned by the city. Upon further inspection, there is a list of 46 exempted pesticides and only 2 permit-required pesticides. While I applaud this first step, I believe the bylaw needs to be much more comprehensive and needs to cover our parks and green spaces as well.

Here is an important link where you can ask to be notified in advance of pesticide use in your neighbourhood:http://www.kelowna.ca/CM/Page1093.aspx

None of this is new - according to a 1993 report done by the Government of Canada, toxins in our municipal water supply was noted even then: “Of serious concern in Canada are toxic chemicals entering our water systems from many sources, including industry, agriculture and the home. Little is known about the effects of these substances on human health; often they do not become noticeable for many years, and they are difficult to distinguish from the effects of other factors. Much remains to be done to control toxic chemical pollution at its source.” (S. Meakin, Science and Technology Division, April, 1993).

The most common disinfection techniques used at municipal water treatment facilities today involve the use of chlorine, chloramines, and chlorine dioxide to kill harmful, disease-causing microorganisms in the water, making it safe to drink. Unfortunately, over the years scientists have discovered that toxic chemical byproducts form when these disinfectants react with natural organic matter like decaying vegetation in the source water. These DBPs have been linked to damaging effects to heart, lung, kidney and central nervous system and cause cancer in laboratory animals.

One solution may be to utilize a water purification system such as Reverse Osmosis on site in public buildings and restaurants. While this is a greater investment up front for the businesses, it is something the consumers can be charged for as they would be for a bottle of water. The health and well being of the citizens is worth it and I for one would happily pay a dollar for a glass of clean water than ask my liver and kidneys to filter out all the junk I know is in tap water.
Another solution is for all us consumers to carry our own purified water in either a stainless steel or glass container. While this will force us all to be a little more prepared in our day to day outings, it is by far the most earth-friendly of the options.

I’m delighted to see the toxic plastic bottles getting the heave-ho but forcing us all to drink municipal water is not the solution and I for one would rather drink wine! Organic wine, that is. Cheers until next time.