Clean Water Adventure

I shared about our recent adventure to a gravity-fed spring with HandPicked Nation, a leading proponent of the Real Food Movement. In the article I talk about FindaSpring, a community-based website offering an interactive listing of natural springs around the world. When I realized such a spring was within an hour's drive, I was elated. Here's an excerpt from the article:

The spring is located at the top of Mt. Lemmon—the perfect spot to cool off when weary of the blazing summer temperatures. We brought numerous glass bottles as well as a five-gallon plastic water bottle. The trail was a bit rocky but we reached our destination awaiting the sound of flowing, fresh water.

We heard no such sounds. Only a trickle of water dripped from the pipe that connects this golden aquifer with the outside world. A passerby stopped to check on the spring's status. She told us there was no sign of water the week before. "Other times of the year, it's gushing," she said. (Which is exactly how I imagined the spring based on this video found at FindaSpring.com.)

However, our labor was not in vain. Four of us formed a line as one person "caught" the water in a thermos, while another poured, and another passed it to the top. It took more than a half hour, but we left with nearly two gallons of water. The taste was as pure as I expected. FindaSpring offers no guarantee on the water quality and even suggests testing the water if you're not sure. We were willing to take the risk and enjoyed every gulp.

Upon our return home I took our remaining living water and over the next few days transformed it into a refreshing batch of kombucha. Come monsoon season we'll head back up to the top of Mt. Lemmon to see if our golden water has begun to flow again. We'll take our five-gallon bottle just in case.

Is there a gravity-fed spring near you? Check out FindaSpring.com and begin your adventure.

To read the article in its entirety, visit the HandPicked Nation website.

Here's a photo of Chris and Colin at the site of the trickling water.

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Solar Water

There are multiple ways to use sunlight for water filtration. Solar water traditionally combines cobalt blue with sunlight in order to alter the structure of the water molecules. Cobalt blue glass comes in a variety of forms. I found these 16-ounce glass cobalt blue bottles at Freund Container and Supply. After filling each with tap water, I left the bottles uncapped overnight (this allows the chlorine to evaporate). I then capped each bottle and placed them outside in direct sunlight for 6 hours. (Recommendations vary from 1 hour to 6 hours.)

The taste difference was remarkable. The water tasted sweeter, lighter, and cleaner. I inventoried my family using a blind taste test, and each one voted for the solar water. Tap water is pictured on the left below, solar water on the right. The tap water had been sitting for 20 minutes. (I have written previously about contaminants in tap water in a post titled Water Quality Report.)

I've been using solar water for kombucha, water kefir, and other fermented beverages. The kids enjoy drinking it straight from the refrigerator. These bottles would be perfect for traveling—a cheap, simple, reusable water bottle!

This post was shared at Healing With Food Friday.

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Water Quality Report

"What's in my water?" I have asked this question only in recent years. Most of my life has been spent in blind belief and trust. Now that I understand the relationship between environment and health, I have a keen interest not only in air and food quality, but also in the safety of our water supply. Therefore when I received our local water company's Annual Water Quality Report last spring, I opened it with new eyes. The Table of Contaminants alone covers three pages. Categories include: microbiological contaminants, radionuclides, lead and copper, inorganic contaminants, synthetic organic contaminants, and volatile organic contaminants.

Here is an excerpt from the Synthetic Organic Contaminants page. (Click on image for larger view.)

I find the "Likely Sources of Contamination" column unsettling. Residue of banned termiticide. Runoff from insecticides. Discharge from chemical factories. Leaching of soil fumigant. I find no comfort in the fact that the levels of contaminants fall within "safe limits."

Heptachlor and chlordane have been banned for decades, and yet are in my water supply in 2013.

2,4-D is directly linked with nervous system damage. Glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup, has been linked to endocrine disruption in frogs as well as people.

With two other pages filled with contaminants such as benzene, styrene, toluene, and PCBs, all unique to modern times, I'm unwilling to assume that all is well with my tap water.

If you're interested in seeing what's in your water, the Environmental Working Group offers this National Drinking Water Database. Earthworks also provides a helpful fact sheet on Understanding Your Water and Air Tests.

Where does this leave us in terms of water filtration? Options abound and are often confusing. Our family currently uses the Berkey water filter shown below.

The best bet is to find raw water from a spring that is gravity-fed. These are more plentiful than you might expect. FindaSpring.com offers a helpful database. I was shocked to discover one within 45 minutes of our Arizona home!

As I consider our water company's annual report, the growing controversy surrounding hydraulic fracturing (used to drill for natural gas), and the explosive growth of genetically modified crops, I have to agree with author and marine biologist Rachel Carson that the indiscriminate use of pesticides and other chemicals will have long-term implications.

This post shared at Wordless Wednesday

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