News
Have You Got The Bottle To Swap?
We're all familiar with the "Be Drink Aware" campaigns, and immediately associate the phrase with advice around being sensible with alcohol. But here, we switch our attention to being aware of what we're consuming when we turn to bottled water. You may think that the fizzy drink or the healthy smoothie fruit drink markets are at the top of the beverage ladder, but you'd be wrong. It's the bottled water market that's the fastest growing drinks market in the world. Why is this? Well, some would say that it's simply down to clever marketing, because in developed nations, there's simply no need for it. The water that comes from our tap is generally potable (safe for drinking and preparing food without risk of health problems) and has usually been treated in some way to remove toxins and pollutants. These treatments can be effectively filtered out at point of use, making the water more pleasing to the palette. Simple! Check out our water solutions now! Water on tap The last twenty years has seen a veritable explosion in the production and consumption of bottled water. The reasons suggested for this are plentiful and diverse, but the overriding hypothesis seems to be that bottled water is somehow healthier and, well, just "better" The thing is - it isn't! Many bottled waters are little more than overvalued and over-treated tap waters that have gone through some sort of "purification" when there was no evidence to suggest that they were contaminated in the first place. And the premium price tag on bottled water is quite often meaningless. A study in the USA found that almost 50% of bottled water is municipal tap water and that other bottled water was found to be less regulated than tap water in terms of contaminants, and oftentimes more polluted with toxins than regular tap water. It doesn't add up. The big "bottled water" numbers What does add up is the waste produced by our thirst for the bottled stuff. Take a look at these numbers: Britain consumes 3 billion (that's a thousand million, times three!) litres of bottled water per year Typically, bottled water retails at up to 500 times more than the price of tap water The production of tap water in developed nations requires much less embodied energy than the production, distribution and "disposal" of bottled water For 2007 it is estimated that 13 billion plastic bottles of water were sold in the UK of which only 3 billion were recycled 162g of oil and seven litres of water are required to manufacture a single one-litre volume disposable PET bottle and this amounts to the release of 100g of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) campaigns strongly that bottled water is not only environmentally unfriendly but also a waste of consumers money Approximately 50% of bottled water contains added minerals and salts. This does not mean that it is more healthy Despite the growth of recycling facilities, there is litter problem with many discarded PET bottles Many discarded bottles become environmental pollution and can be found in hedgerows, parks, streams and rivers. Via rivers they can be transported to the open seas Filtered Water The best option we have economically, for sustainability and for our health and well-being is to drink filtered water. Although it might initially appear expensive buying a good quality water filter, in the long run your investment will have paid for itself while copious quantities of bottled water would have continued to be bought and hauled home from the supermarket. A water filter would look after your body and your wallet! And yes, there's the cost of the replacement filter element at regular intervals, but look at things as a whole. How many bottles won't be going to landfill or to recycling centres to be processed? How much total energy will be saved (including your own)? And how lovely would it be to have healthy, great-tasting water right at your fingertips, day or night, 365 days a year and on tap? Whether it's the hard water in your area that you're not struck on, or maybe it's the slightly bleachy odour that comes through from the treatment process, a filter is available for your local conditions and requirements, enabling you to get the water you want. Great looking, great tasting, clear water is ready and waiting for you. So, have you got the bottle to swap? Take Charge. Check out our water solutions now! Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/032551_bottled_water_faucet.html
Learn more
History of Water Treatment & How We Came...
For thousands of years water treatment wasn't a priority. Human communities simply settled and made their homes near to water. It made sense. It was a necessary commodity and the means to carry far were unattainable. The water was heavy and sloshed around, making containers unstable as it was moved from place to place. Setting up home near to a river, lake or mountain stream was common practice and a practical means to an end. However, ensuring a water supply was present was the easy part and water treatment in those days (and is still often the case now) wasn't given a second thought. But as time moved on, water quality started to become important and proving that water was drinkable and healthy became a thought-provoking task. Many generations simply used their eyes and nose to check that their water source was suitable to drink. If it looked clear and it smelled of nothing in particular, then it was deemed drinkable. The final taste test sealed the judgement. If it tasted OK, then everyone drew their water from the same place with little thought as to its safety and no thought about its long term affects. For thousands of years, water was tested this way and there was little understanding as to why people became sick for no apparent reason. Check out our water solutions now! What were the early water treatment and filtration systems? It was around 4000 B.C. when water started to be passed through charcoal to make it less cloudy, but societies soon realised that using the human senses just wasn't good enough to determine the cleanliness of their drinking water. Methods, such as boiling, straining and exposing to sunlight were tried when water didn't look clear or it had a bad smell. These tests would have some effect, but it would be many years of using no treatment methods or very basic (and somewhat ineffective) processes to filter their water before more successful techniques were discovered. It wasn't until the 1700s that filtration was considered as a possible method of removing unwanted particles from drinking water. Filtering the water through sand became popular and by the 1800s scientists started to understand that it wasn't just visible particles that were the problem. As more research was carried out, it became clear that many contaminants were invisible to the naked eye and a better way of filtering the water would be needed. A major breakthrough in water treatment It was in the mid- to late- 1800s that scientists made a number of important breakthroughs. Cholera, a fatal disease, was found to be waterborne and caused by water contaminated with sewerage. As science advanced, the theory of microbial transmission of disease became known, and was linked with being carried by water. Drinking water systems continued to use a sand filtration method, which reduced water turbidity (cloudiness), but failed to deal with life-threatening microbial bacteria. The race was on to find a new and effective method to deal with the unseen dangers in water. In 1826, our very own Henry Doulton pioneered water filtration and invented the concept of the contemporary ceramic candle water filter after which he was commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1835 and consequently awarded a knighthood in 1887 for his innovative services to the British Empire. Another breakthrough came at the turn of the century in the USA. In 1908, it was discovered that chlorine was extremely effective as a water disinfectant and became somewhat of a panacea for all earlier water quality woes. The impact of industry and technology Whilst the fields of science and medicine were advancing, so the march of industry took its toll. In the 1960s and 70s, industrial accidents, chemical spillages and leaks, run-off from farms and the expansion of the number of new man-made chemicals and products meant that water sources became under increasing attack from a wide-range of new contaminants and chlorine alone would not be enough. There was a little good news though. Technological improvements to filtration methods were ongoing, especially with the use of granular carbon and other filter mediums. Research showed that combining different methods was beneficial, and sedimentation (where particles are allowed to fall to the bottom of a tank), filtration through various structures, and chlorination was an effective combination. What is water treatment like today? Technological advances have made water treatment highly scientific, and today our water is screened, clarified, filtered, aerated, and disinfected before it reaches our tap. Filters are still made from the natural raw materials, which were used way back when, but technology has progressed so that new and exciting methods can be used to make them even more effective, accessible and reliable. Filter mediums are finer and can filter more out. Anti-microbial coatings deal with microscopic pathogens, and filtration methods can be adapted to suit the water being treated, its source and its make-up. Today's water is clean, healthy and great tasting. It smells good and it looks inviting to drink. To get to you, your water has been on an incredible journey. Check out our water solutions now!
Learn more
5 Key Facts You Need To Know About...
We tend to take water for granted, especially in western society, and the benefits of water filtration are frequently overlooked. Turn on a tap and there it is; flowing effortlessly for drinking, cooking, bathing and cleaning. It's there for our leisure time too; for fun and exercise in swimming pools, and to educate and amaze us in aquariums and ponds. Wherever we happen to be in the world, water holds the key to the health and well-being of everyone. Without systems in place to ensure its cleanliness, water can quickly have the opposite effect and become a harbour for a plethora of bugs and bacteria, bringing with them deleterious outcomes. Check out our water solutions now! Facts about water filtration If you've not thought much about why water needs to be filtered, here are five key facts about water filtration and its importance for everyone. Water filtration accessibility is low Water filtration as a barrier Water filtration saves lives Water filtration for survival Water filtration to stay hydrated Find out more about these facts below 1. Water filtration accessibility It's still a little-known fact that around 25% of the world's population has no access to clean drinking water. Couple this with the fact that around 97% of all available water is either saline or for some reason undrinkable and it stands to reason that making water available for human consumption needs some serious thought. Water filtration systems are essential for the removal of water-borne disease-carrying bacteria, toxins and other harmful elements. 2. Water filtration as a barrier Hundreds of tons of pollutants leach or are washed into our watercourses every year. Accidental contamination (from chlorine, aluminium or other elements) also happens with widespread consequences such as vomiting and stomach upsets. Secure, reliable, efficient water filtration systems prevent such impurities reaching our taps and keep our drinking water clean and healthy to drink. 3. Water filtration saves lives Whilst you have been reading this short piece, another child has unfortunately passed away in the developing world from drinking dirty water. Portable water filtration systems being rolled out across developing areas are saving lives by providing cleaner, bacteria-free drinking water. 4. Water filtration for survival The human brain is around 75% water and our body needs a constant supply of clean healthy water just to function properly. Whilst our immune system can detect and protect us against some bacterial invaders, some contaminants such as the virulent E-coli bug, can cause serious diarrhoea and intestinal infection. It can be found in untreated/unfiltered water containing faecal matter and in contaminated food. 5. Water filtration to stay hydrated Clean water is a basic human need and is provided in the developed world via water filtration and treatment plants. Whilst you could probably survive for 3 or 4 weeks without food, you would probably die of dehydration after a single week without water. With a growing population and antibiotic-resistant disease on the increase, the need for clean water with bacteria and pollutants effectively filtered out has never been so great. The importance of filtered drinking water We all need water and we need it to be healthy. The importance of filtering our water, whether in the UK or overseas, cannot be understated - the removal of harmful toxins, bacteria and particles is essential for the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. We also need the naturally occurring minerals that water contains and which some treatments can destroy. This is where Doulton water filtration systems come in to their own; by removing what we don't want from our drinking water it leaves us with exactly what we need! Check out our water solutions now!
Learn more
Torrential Rain & Flooding... But No Drinking Water!
The first week in October 2016 saw Hurricane Matthew sweep through the Caribbean, hitting the island of Haiti with wind-speeds of over 150 mph. With the number of casualties quickly reaching 1000, aid workers and rescue agencies struggled to get shelter, food and water to tens of thousands of people left homeless, thirsty and hungry. The storm not only destroyed homes and crops, but severely damaged roads, power supplies, ports and the water supply infrastructure. The facilities for aid vessels to safely dock and for rescue personnel to get to devastated areas were greatly compromised. Attempts to provide extra resources on the ground were further threatened by the outbreak of cholera following the major disruption to the water supply. Check out our water solutions now! Priorities Fears grew that deaths due to the spread of disease could quickly outnumber those caused by the hurricane itself, and the supply of cleaner and healthier drinking water, together with shelter for all those displaced became a priority. The storm had passed directly across Haiti's entire southern coast, driving the sea inland, flattening homes and contaminating any fresh water supplies not already destroyed. The main road connecting the capital, Port-au-Prince, to the southern coast was destroyed and some small towns became inaccessible. The US naval vessel USS Mesa Verde assisted with rescue efforts, as well as nine military helicopters that helped to deliver food and water to the hardest-hit areas. The Red Cross launched an emergency appeal to provide medical aid, shelter and water for Haiti, one of the world's poorest countries, which had never fully recovered from the earthquake in 2010 that killed thousands of people and which was followed by a cholera epidemic. Providing accessible, cleaner, healthier drinking water With the threat of a following storm surge and further flooding imminent, and no chance of restoring a reliable water supply to thousands of people, water had be dropped in by helicopter or shipped in on vessels that were able to dock. In such situations, contaminated water is real a threat, so gravity fed independent water supplies and water filters are proven to save lives. Those providing humanitarian aid need fast, portable and reliable methods of delivering water that's healthy to drink, not only for the homeless, but for the aid agencies and rescue workers arriving in the area too. Crisis Hurricane Matthew resulted in a colossal humanitarian crisis, which caused major food and water insecurities, zero sanitation and a cholera epidemic. Without filtered drinkable water, it was anticipated that many more people would suffer. To reach minimum survival conditions, people who had lost everything needed to rely on the most basic of human needs and clean drinking water. With power lines down and no reliable electricity supply, pumping water from a source that wasn't damaged by the storm was also impossible. Getting water to isolated areas in highly demanding conditions, anywhere in the world, is a major challenge. Technology Demanding situations and challenging conditions, whether in war zones, drought and famine effected regions, or as in the case of Haiti, areas suffering extreme weather events, need alternatives that are not only highly adaptive and portable, but quick to deliver results. This is where the technology to provide efficient, robust, independent drinking water filtration and supply can save lives. Doulton Water Filters can help To find out more about our Gravity Fed Water filters and wide range of products that can be used in difficult and demanding situations, call us now or email here. Quality drinking water solutions for everyone and trusted by millions. Check out our water solutions now!
Learn more
Spreading The Water Filtration Word Across Social Media
Ever since our inception in 1826 we've held a strong sense of commitment to our supporters, distributors and customers. We pride ourselves in having open communication channels with everyone we work with and are more than happy to listen to all aspects of feedback to the accessibility to, and awareness of, water filtration. Now, almost 200 years on from our formation we're taking a very big step into the virtual world of social media. As from today, we're proud to announce the brand new social media platforms for Doulton Water Filters as follows: Twitter - @DoultonWater Facebook - /DoultonDrinkingWater YouTube - /DoultonDrinkingWater LinkedIn - /Doulton-Drinking-Water Google+ - /DoultonDrinkingWater We're taking it slowly and investing heavily in the information we provide across our activity so that you can stay informed of what really matters to you, your family and your colleagues. Content will be rich and educational in nature, drawn from experience from across the world. You will be sure to gain useful facts, figures and even the odd quirky insight by following our profiles. If you have any questions whatsoever please feel free to contact us and share your thoughts to seek further information. And if social media isn't quite your thing, please refer to our full details listed below; we're traditional at heart too. Until then, we'd love for you to connect with us and share our commitment to worldwide innovation and improving water filtration for everyone across the globe. Contact Doulton Water Filters Lymedale Cross Lower Milehouse Lane Newcastle-under-Lyme United Kingdom ST5 9BT 01782 664 444 help@doulton.com Check out our water solutions now!
Learn more