water filtration | Strauss Water System

What’s in your ice cubes?

Most of us have been there. It’s been a long day at work and you’re finally on your way home. You’re on the train or the bus, it’s roasting hot and you’re thirsty. Parched, even. And, your water bottle has run dry.

You peer around, hoping that some kind passenger has a spare water bottle, or maybe you happen to be on a train with dining service, but to no such luck. As a commuter, you’re left with two choices, ride it out or get off the bus. So you sit there and suffer.

Considering any and all possibilities, it occurs to you for a brief moment that just down the aisle, in the public washroom, there is water flowing freely from the tap. You could just walk into the washroom, turn on the tap and fill your bottle. But would you?

Likely not.

In Canada, we have come to expect clean, safe drinking water. And yet there remains one public space, used by millions of Canadians everyday, that has fallen behind the times in its water safety regulations.

Despite the many advances in water filtering and purification, the federal regulations governing water quality on public transportation have remained sadly behind the times. To be exact, they haven’t been updated since 1954; that’s 60 years.

To put it into perspective, the first mass vaccination of children against polio was in 1954. Yes, polio.

It was also the year the first Burger King opened, the first commercial transistor radio was sold, and, perhaps most significantly, the year Godzilla first terrified Japanese audiences from the silver screen.

The point is that this was a long time ago and, needless to say, our scientific standards for water quality and the technology to filter and purify it have improved a great deal over the past 60-years.

There’s no excuse today for us to be subjected to 1954 water quality standards.

Fortunately, efforts are underway by the federal government to update the Potable Water Regulations for Common Carriers (PWRCC), which governs the quality of water provided on public transportation, including drinking water on buses, trains, airplanes and water vessels.

That doesn’t just mean the water for washing your hands at the back of the GO Bus. It also includes water used in your ice cubes during a flight or to prepare your food in the train dining car. Pretty important stuff.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is modernizing the PWRCC with more rigorous regulations in the areas of quality control, sampling, testing and record keeping. Testing of water samples, for example, will occur more regularly and records will be kept for a period of three years.

With these new reforms, Health Canada and companies that operate public transportation systems will have a more accurate picture of their overall performance in maintaining a high level of water quality.

We’re glad to see this step being taken.

With today’s technology, there’s no reason we can’t have clean, pure water in all of our public places, as well as in the transportation methods we use to get to them.

A Strauss WaterBar could easily connect into your train’s water system, cleaning the water of 99.9% of the microorganisms and bacteria in it, as well as removing the taste of chlorine. The result: a clean and crisp tasting glass of water with no harmful contaminants.

Unfortunately, the PWRCC won’t come into effect until at least 2015. So, in the meantime, make sure to bring your refillable bottled water with you on your commute and maybe avoid those ice cubes on your plane.

Bottled? Tap? Strauss Water?

(Photo credit: Neeta Lind/Flickr)

We all need water to survive; there’s no question about it. But it’s where we get it from that’s up for debate. Depending on your lifestyle, there’s a vast array of sources to choose from: well water, a mountain spring, municipal tap water – as is, municipal tap water – filtered by a whole home system, municipal tap water – filtered with a POU or jug system, individual-use bottles, commercial water delivery, etc. There’s definitely something for everyone; it’s just important to know more about the water you’re drinking.

Bottled Water

Canadians bought 2.4 billion litres of bottled water in 2013, which is a five per cent increase in sales from 2012, according to Euromonitor International. A 2006 study by Statistics Canada found that about three in ten households rely on bottled water as their main source of drinking water and of those households, one third of them were families with working parents and children under the age of 18.

Bottled water is an easy, grab-and-go solution and it’s good to have around the house when you’re running late to your kid’s soccer game, but there are some aspects to be aware of when choosing it. Canadian researchers discovered that 70 per cent of the bottled water brands they tested had high levels of heterotrophic bacteria, which is a type of bacteria that grows in an area with dead organic matter. While these bacteria are unlikely to cause any diseases and researchers haven’t found any signs of bacteria that would, the water could be a risk to seniors, pregnant women, infants and Canadians with compromised immune systems.

Some people prefer the taste of bottled water to tap water and the quality of bottled water is regulated by Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which ensures the water you’re drinking is safe for consumption.

Tap Water

Canadians are lucky to have access to some of the safest tap water in the world. All levels of government are involved in providing safe drinking water to residents, with provinces and territories following Health Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. These guidelines address concerns including microbiological quality, chemical and radiological quality as well as aesthetic and operational parameters.

We only access water from taps at home, work or school, but there are three main elements involved in providing us with clean water to fill our glasses: the water source, the water treatment system and the distribution system. Each part of this system needs to remain free of contamination for our own health and safety. The 2000 Walkerton tragedy is an example of what happens when our water is tainted and the importance of proper monitoring.

Health Canada continues to monitor water quality by conducting surveys of tap water and water treatment facilities to measure the presence of any potential contaminants, by-products or inorganic substances. Some households continue to boil or filter their water to ensure its safety.

Added benefit: most municipally sourced tap water has fluoride added to it. This mineral protects us from dental decay, which happens when bacteria feeds on sugar found in some foods and creates acid. This acid breaks down your tooth’s outside layer, the enamel, which over time leads to tooth decay and ultimately cavities pain, infections and tooth loss, if left untreated.

Strauss Water

Strauss Water Canada’s WaterBar gives Canadians another water option. Health Canada offers many checks and balances in your bottled and tap water, but our WaterBars can give you that extra peace of mind.

Our triple water filtration and purification process kills 99.9% of micro-organisms and bacteria, while absorbing the chlorine that can impair the taste of water. WaterBars use an activated carbon filter, a micro-mesh filter and ultra violet light to deliver safe, great tasting water, which is packed with essential mineral elements including calcium and magnesium.

Avoid dehydration this summer, but ensure that the water you’re drinking is good for your health. If your kids need some convincing to stay hydrated, there are liquid water enhancers and natural ways to add flavour and quench their thirst.

How to avoid dehydration this summer

(Photo credit: Keith Allison/Flickr)

Many people aren’t drinking enough water during a day and they may not realize the effects it has on them.

Recently, Miami Heat’s LeBron James had to be carried off the court during an NBA finals game due to muscle cramping. The air conditioner broke down during the first game and temperatures climbed above 32.2 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit). After James was pulled off the court, the Miami Heat lost the game. The NBA superstar suffered from dehydration, which led to the painful muscle cramps that left him immobilized. According to the Miami Herald, after the game, his body needed to be hooked up to two bags of fluids, along with taking salt tablets and potassium pills to restore his electrolyte balance.

“My body just shut down,” James told the Miami Herald. “Basically my body said, ‘OK, enough jumping for you for tonight. You’ve had enough.’ Nothing I could do about it.”

What’s dehydration?

Dehydration occurs when the fluids in the body aren’t replenished as quickly as they are lost. When exercising or spending time outdoors in warm weather, people are more likely to experience this since they lose fluids faster through sweat, which is what happened with James. When a person sweats, they are losing more than water, they’re also using electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium and chloride.

Athletes are more likely to experience muscle cramps from dehydration, which leaves the person in excruciating pain and, at times, temporarily unable to use the cramped muscle.

Symptoms of dehydration differ based on its severity. If you have a mild dehydration, some symptoms you’ll notice include sleepiness, exhaustion, thirst, headache, constipation, dizzy or light-headedness. If you have a more severe case, symptoms can include extreme thirst, sunken eyes, fever, shriveled skin, low blood pressure, rapid breathing, rapid heartbeat and very little urination when you use the bathroom.

How much water do you need?

Most people are familiar with the age old advice recommending that we drink eight cups of water a day. While that’s close to how much you need, both men and women require a different amount of fluids to stay hydrated. According to the Institute of Medicine, Men should drink about 3.7 litres, while women should drink about 2.7 litres each day.

Note, however, that this is only the recommended amount and things like physical exertion, age, height and weight, among other factors, play into how much water you should be drinking on a daily basis. For example, if you’re exercising or out in the heat you’ll need to drink more liquids since you’ll be losing your water at a faster rate. But, to avoid cramping during a workout, take small sips more frequently.

The easiest way to gauge how hydrated you are is to look at the colour of your urine when you go to the washroom; the lighter it is the more hydrate you are. Dr. Michael Farber explains to MSN Health & Fitness that if your urine comes out colourless similar to how water looks, it means that you’ve been staying hydrated. Whereas, if your urine comes out in a yellow-brown colour similar to the colour of iced tea, this means you’re not drinking enough since your urine is more concentrated.

The majority of a person’s fluids (80 per cent) comes from water or other beverages, while only 20 per cent of it comes from food. Stay hydrated and wherever you go this summer, make sure you pack some water with you.

Strauss Water Canada’s WaterBar is an easy solution for convenient and clean drinking water this summer. Our triple water filtration and purification process kills 99.9% of micro-organisms and bacteria and absorbs the chlorine that can impair the taste of water. Our WaterBars use an activated carbon filter, a micro-mesh filter and ultra violet light to deliver safe, great tasting water, all the while maintaining essential mineral elements including calcium and magnesium.