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Clean Drinking Water & The World's Cholera Pandemic
In the developed world cholera is seen as a disease of the past - sadly the very opposite is true for some of the poorest parts of the world. While it has been more than 100 years since the last case of cholera that originated in the UK, Yemen is currently suffering the worst cholera outbreak in history, since modern records began. A huge reason for its spread is communities not having access to clean drinking water. As the disease takes hold, those infected further pollute the water supply through poor or non-existent sanitation accelerating the spread of cholera in the area. The facts are cruel: Cholera is entirely preventable; It is easily treated, yet tens of thousands of people die from it every year; Cholera can kill within hours if not treated; Every year there are between 3 and 5 million cases of cholera - and it is believed many more go unreported; The mortality rate is 1% in treated cases, but half of those who do not receive treatment will die; Young children under five years old are most likely to be affected by cholera; Once cholera strikes in a community it spreads rapidly through poor sanitation. In short cholera is a disease of poverty, it attacks communities where such basic commodities as clean water, medical help and decent sanitation are out of reach. Tackling a global pandemic The world is in the grips of a cholera pandemic - and has been since 1961 - with thousands of cases being reported every day in Yemen and outbreaks across sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. The World Health Organisation has now announced a "roadmap" to tackle Cholera and cut cases by 90 per cent by 2030. Access to clean drinking water is key to the strategy. Where drinking water is mixed with raw sewage, having access to a is essential. This basic level of prevention is the cornerstone in the fight to halt the spread of cholera. Using a water filter will remove harmful bacteria that causes diseases such as cholera, E-coli and salmonella. Check out our Gravity Filter solutions now! Emergency water filters bring hope Charities and organisations worldwide are working to bring clean drinking water to all, introducing simple water filters to communities that are genuinely life-saving, through initiatives such as Give Me Tap Humanitarian teams also make access to clean drinking water a priority in the wake of natural disasters and at refugee camps. A complete, low cost, easy to set up filter system - such as British Berkefeld's Household Filter Kit - offers an immediate but lasting solution. These gravity-fed filter systems do not rely on a power supply and can provide clean drinking water quickly and cheaply in emergency situations, helping to halt the spread of cholera and other water-borne diseases. Products such as these are lightweight, simple to use and effective. Used by aid agencies and charities they bring hope to communities stricken by cholera. The fight for access to clean drinking water is a daily battle for far too many people - targeting the causes of cholera should help to make a real difference. Check out our Gravity Filter solutions now!
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Single-Use Plastic: Drinking Water Doesn't Have To Cost...
The environmental impact of single-use plastics is finally starting to get the attention needed to tackle this growing problem. Mountains of waste are being washed into the oceans threatening marine life, the environment and ultimately our own health. Thousands of whales, dolphins, seals, sea birds and fish die every year because they mistake plastic for food. Plastic has found its way into the food chain through the fish we eat and has even been found in drinking water. It is a high price to pay for the convenience of picking up a bottle of water, a cup of coffee or a pot of sliced fruit. Check out our refillable Water Bottles now! Ditch single-use plastics - filter and reuse Solutions to avoiding single-use plastics are readily available. Reusable bottles and mugs look better, the water tastes better, you save money and play a part in helping to cut waste. There is no need to compromise. Using a water filter ensures you have the best quality drinking water on tap. Doulton water filters remove harmful contaminants, including chlorine, which can affect the taste of water. They also remove plastic micro-particles. Made from 100 percent natural materials, Doulton ceramic water filters are an ecologically-friendly, permanent solution for access to fresh, clean and great tasting drinking water. Filling a reusable bottle at home with filtered tap water will cut out the need for ever buying a plastic bottle of water. Reusable water bottle organisations can see the bigger picture too. Give Me Tap is a charity that aims to cut the use of plastic bottles and provide clean water to communities in need. Refill and save Then there is the cost to consumers. Bottled water is on average 500 times more expensive than tap water. If you pay £1 every day for a bottle of water that equates to £365 a year, whereas a Doulton filter would be a cost-effective, permanent solution providing top quality drinking water on tap. The Government is now proposing a return and reward scheme for plastic bottles to push up recycling rates. The return value is not yet known but consumers will continue to pay for an off-the-shelf product when they could save by drinking tap water from a reusable bottle. The facts on single-use plastics stand for themselves: More than480 billion plastic bottles were bought across the world in 2016; 8 million tonnes of plastic is dumped into the oceans every year; In the UK, 16 million plastic bottles fail to be recycled every day; 100,000 marine animals and one million seabirds die each year as a result of plastic waste; Plastic can take 450 years to decompose; The average cost of tap water in the UK is 0.1p per litre, compared to 65p for 1 litre of bottled water; Tap water is more rigorously tested than bottled water to ensure its safety. Making simple changes will make a huge difference to the problem of single-use plastics. Use a refillable bottle, and fill it with filtered tap water instead of adding another plastic bottle to the waste pile. Be part of the solution, not the problem. Check out our refillable Water Bottles now!
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Ceramics & The Clean Water Revolution
The quest to make clean drinking water available for all in the UK has strong links to the potteries industry. When Queen Victoria was concerned about the contents of the drinking water she was being served, it was a ceramic manufacturer she turned to. John Doulton had gone into partnership with Martha Jones and John Watts to create Jones, Watts and Doulton to design and create ceramics in London. This was the very company that would eventually, through various changes, become Royal Doulton. Check out our water solutions now! Embracing technology and industrialisation from an early point, Jones, Watts and Doulton began creating ceramic water filters in the late 1820s. At the time, drinking water in London was drawn from the filthy River Thames, which was polluted with raw sewage, and cholera and typhoid were rife. Making a name for themselves as innovators, Jones, Watts and Doulton were called upon to create water filters for the royal household. Now, more than 185 years later, ceramic remains an unbeatable base through which to filter contaminants from drinking water and is still the bedrock of Doulton Water Filter's success in providing clean, top quality drinking water across the world. Innovation in ceramic technology Jones, Watts and Doulton became Doulton and Co. in 1854, and continued to bring cutting edge technology to ceramic wares, as well as creating world famous pottery. In 1901, Doulton and Co was honoured with the royal warrant and granted the right to use "Royal". Standards remained high across the range, and in 1904, after extensive research, the firm introduced its range of porous porcelain filter candles, providing ever more effective protection from contaminants found in drinking water. This dedication to quality and innovation remains today, as Doulton Water Filters continues to focus on enabling families to enjoy the best quality drinking water by removing and reducing potentially harmful contaminants Doulton & Co opened a base in Staffordshire at the end of the 1800s and became synonymous with The Potteries. Doulton saw great changes in the business across the years as it was split into divisions and ultimately filtration and tableware became separate entities under the ownership of different companies. Tried, tested and trusted Doulton Water Filters have now been helping to save lives by filtering harmful contaminants from drinking water for more than 185 years. Made from natural earths and providing up to 99.99% filtration of pathogenic bacteria, cysts and particles from drinking water, Doulton ceramic provide people across the world, whatever their situation, with drinking water filters that perform consistently every time - giving them clean, healthy, great-tasting water from almost any fresh water source. The headquarters for Doulton Water Filters are still based in Staffordshire, near to The Potteries. Check out our water solutions now!
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Cryptosporidium: Protect Yourself From This Major Cause of...
The very last thing anyone wants from drinking water is to become unwell - but this is what can happen if certain contaminants are not effectively removed. Cryptosporidium is a water-borne cyst that is found in human and animal faeces; it can cause painful stomach illness if it finds its way into your body. A very resilient parasite, cryptosporidium can hang around for a long time and as such, find its way into the water system. It is a very common contaminant. Check out our water solutions now! What effect can cryptosporidium have on health? Even if ingested in only small quantities, cryptosporidium can cause cryptosporidiosis, a painful stomach upset that is often accompanied by respiratory illness. A person who has become infected by the parasite will suffer diarrhoea and a persistent cough. A major problem with cryptosporidium infection is that it is relatively easily passed on to other people. The infection also remains in the body for up to five weeks. Cryptosporidium is a major cause of diarrhoea. Cryptosporidiosis can be very serious, even life-threatening, in the case of people with a compromised immune system. Why is cryptosporidium a problem in drinking water? Unfortunately, the tough nature of cryptosporidium means it is also resistant to standard water disinfection methods such as the use of chlorine. Instead water authorities have to rely on alternative methods, such as filtration plants, to get rid of the parasite. In the wake of outbreaks in the UK in 1989, and again in 2005, the Government tightened up guidelines requiring drinking water to be monitored and efficient disinfection processes put in place. The dual approach acts as a double safety measure but alerts are still possible. In 2015, 300,000 homes in Lancashire were told to boil their drinking water over concerns there was cryptosporidium in the supply. As well as finding its way into the drinking water supply, outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis have been linked to swimming pools, farm animals, eating contaminated food and children's nurseries. What can you do to protect against cryptosporidium? Water filters are an excellent way to remove Cryptosporidium from drinking water. Doulton Water Filters have been scientifically proven to remove more than 99.99% of cryptosporidium from water - this level is known as absolute filtration. Why leave your health up to chance when a using water filter could give you the choice to have the best quality drinking water on tap all the time. Stop cryptosporidium in its tracks with a Doulton water filter. Check out our water solutions now!
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Plastic in Water: Do Water Filters Remove Plastic...
The environmental impact of plastic waste has long been a concern, but the latest research has ratcheted up alarm levels after discovering plastic micro-particles were now in drinking water. Check out our water solutions now! What are the health risks of plastic in water? Using a water filter will add an extra layer of protection to domestic drinking water supplies. The big problem when it comes to ingesting contaminants such as plastic micro-particles is that research into cause and effect takes time to establish what the health risks will be. At this early stage, there is no specific research to outline what the health risks may be. What we do know is that we would not willingly choose to consume tiny particles of plastic. Studies have indicated that BPA (Bisphenol A), which is a common component in plastics, could affect birth weight, development, obesity and the hormonal system. Some countries have now taken steps to limit their use. There is also a concern that plastic micro-particles in drinking water could act as "carriers" by bonding with harmful contaminants, such as chemicals or heavy metals, and transport these into the water. If it is finding its way into drinking water, there is a very real chance that plastic micro-particles could be absorbed into our bodies, the effect of which is presently unknown. How bad is the problem? In a recent report, The Guardian shared findings that 83% of tap water tested as part of a global survey was found to contain "plastic fibres". Of those areas tested 94.4% of water in the USA was contaminated - the highest in the study. In Europe the figure was 72%. How are plastic microfibres getting into drinking water? Plastic plays a huge part in our everyday lives and is used for a massive variety of products. As a result of this, there is a global problem with plastic waste, which takes hundreds of years to decompose. Plastic waste makes its way into the waterways - and the world's oceans - where it remains. Experts also point to washing machines emitting plastic fibres from clothes, and there have been studies that indicate so much plastic is being used that particles are even found in the air - naturally, these can pollute waterways too. Our plastic water filter systems will add an extra layer of protection to domestic drinking water supplies. What can we do? Due to the light density of plastic particles, there is a concern that these are not being removed from drinking water at the disinfection stage, along with other contaminants. To protect yourself and your family, the best step to take is to use a water filter. Doulton Water Filters have been scientifically proven to remove plastic particles from drinking water, down to as small as 0.5 microns. The water filters will also remove many other contaminants, allowing you peace of mind over the quality of the water your family is drinking. You can also help to cut plastic waste by using a reusable stainless steel or glass water bottle, filled with filtered water from home. At the end of the day, every little action helps to reduce plastic pollution. Don't take any chances with your family's health; use a Doulton Water Filter to guarantee the best quality, clean drinking water straight from your tap. Check out our water solutions now!
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Give Me Tap: How Refilling On-The-Go Is Bringing...
Everyone should have access to clean drinking water - that is the ethos that underlines the work of "Give Me Tap". Working in a perfect cycle, this initiative links members of the public to a network of establishments where they can feel at ease requesting water refills for their BPA-free ˜Give Me Tap™ bottles by using an app to map out partners. How Give Me Tap is helping to fund a global solution From the money paid for these reusable stainless steel bottles, Give Me Tap donates 20 per cent to funding projects to bring clean drinking water to communities in Africa. That 20 per cent donation is enough to pay for access to clean drinking water for one person for five years. To date, the project has completed 20 water projects - mainly in Ghana - bringing clean drinking water to thousands of families. Not only is Give Me Tap bringing an essential resource to those desperately in need, it is also giving people ready access to free drinking water - and cutting down on the environmental cost of buying water in plastic bottles. 100 per cent support Its ethos is admirable and one that Doulton Water Filters is proud to be supporting. Access to clean water is essential to life and wellbeing, and the leap from making tap water easily available wherever you are, to bringing this life-source to communities in dire need is an initiative that deserves and demands support. Doulton is proud to give its 100 per cent backing to the cause and is now selling Give Me Tap bottles in support of it, directing all profits straight back to Give Me Tap. To underline Doulton Water Filter's commitment to this cause, we will also be offering a 10 per cent discount on any water system when bought alongside a Give Me Tap bottle. Quality counts: Use a water filter for better taste and well-being At Doulton, we believe that everyone should have access, on tap, to the best quality water possible. Drinking water that has been filtered using a Doulton system will be the best quality, in terms of both taste and well-being. Doulton's unique ceramic filters meet the highest standards to reduce the presence of and disinfectants in drinking water, including lead, salmonella, E. coli and chlorine. Our message is this: Give Me Tap - but make it Doulton filtered Check out our water solutions now!
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Does Your Pet Insist On Drinking Filtered Water?
Are you the owner of a pet who will happily drink from a muddy rain puddle but turns its nose up when presented with a nice, clean bowl of drinking water? Maybe the reason is that our pets, rather than just being picky drinkers, are more in touch with nature - and as such are more sensitive to the chemicals added to keep consumers safe. By accident or design, some owners have found that their pets will only drink filtered water. Check out our water solutions now! Why do some pets prefer filtered water? The main issue our four-legged friends tend to have with water is the chemical content, which affects the smell and taste and puts them off drinking. This is down to chlorine, which is added at the disinfection stage. However, with their smaller bodies and susceptibility to all sorts of conditions, some pet owners believe that the contaminants and chemicals found in drinking water are best left out - or reduced - from their pet's diet. To this end, they serve up tasty filtered water. And it's not just dogs that enjoy filtered drinking water. Cats enjoy a fresh, cold supply, while some owners of guinea pigs and rabbits choose to give their pets filtered water, believing that tap water can cause bladder issues. Fish owners will be well aware of the effects of added chemicals on their pets, as chlorine in tap water can be harmful to fish and needs to be removed with the aid of a dechlorinator. Dehydration affects pets too... As many families choose to use water filters to provide a better quality of drinking water for themselves, they cannot see why they would offer anything less to their pet. And, just like humans, pets are vulnerable to the effects of dehydration, so it is important they have ready access to drinking water that they will enjoy. Dehydration is a serious problem in animals and pets; those displaying the symptoms should be taken to a vet. In dogs and cats, the signs to look out for include: Loss of appetite Lethargy Sunken eyes Dry nose and gums Loss of skin elasticity Why get a water filter for your pet? To make sure your pet always gets enough water to drink, make sure they have ready access to fresh filtered water. Make sure this is changed regularly as pets also have a tendency to only enjoy fresh, cool water - unless it's a stagnant puddle, of course! Let your pet enjoy the best quality water by installing a Doulton Water Filter - the rest of the family will benefit too! Check out our water solutions now!
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Just Like A Sponge: Teach Children About Hydration
Good health in childhood puts in place the foundations for lifelong wellbeing - an essential part of which is establishing the practice of drinking plenty of water from an early age. But some parents have more luck than others at getting their children to drink enough and stay hydrated. While there are plenty of tricks that can be employed to encourage your child to consume enough water, it is worth taking the time to explain why hydration is so important to children. Check out our refillable Water Bottles now! Make the science simple Water makes up 70% of a child's body - explain that they are "more special" than adults, as they have more water in their bodies than grown-ups and need to take care to keep their water levels topped up. Fuel the body like a machine Fill up a glass of filtered drinking water and explain it is this simple substance that keeps their body working just like fuel for a car. Just as cars need to be filled up at the garage to keep moving, children need to refuel to keep moving with glasses of filtered drinking water. This water travels around the body to keep every little bit working - keeping hands and feet moving, eyes open, and the mind thinking. Soak up the science with a practical demonstration Use a dry sponge to show how water can bring physical change. Soak the sponge with water and get your child to explain how it feels - soft, heavy, bouncy, full of life, wet - and explain that only when water is added can it do what it is meant to properly. Encourage your child to squeeze the water out of the sponge and describe what happens as it loses water - it loses its bounce, feels rough, and doesn't work properly. Discuss how human bodies lose water too and how that happens - going to the toilet, running around, sweating, and getting too hot. Explain that, just like a sponge, unless we replace the fluid loss by drinking more water, children too can lose their bounce and struggle to do their job of having fun because they will feel tired and flat, just like a dried sponge. Finally, leave the sponge out somewhere to dry out naturally and get the children to check how its form changes and talk about how dry and tough it becomes. Explain that without any outside pressure, the sponge will still lose water as it dries out naturally. Tell them this is just the same as the human body, which will still lose water even if children are not running around using it up. For a final flourish, pour water onto the dehydrated sponge and watch together as it fills with water and recovers its bounce - explain to your children that they are just the same but that drinking water in little bits is the best way to stop their bodies drying out and becoming dehydrated. Use a thirst for knowledge to get children drinking water Children love to learn and understand how their bodies work - use this thirst for knowledge to help get them regularly drinking water. Teach your children how drinking water will help them bounce through the summer holidays. Check out our water solutions now!
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Tips To Keep Children Drinking Water This Summer...
The summer holidays are finally here and that hopefully should mean plenty of fresh air and exercise. As water makes up more of a child's body than an adult's it is vital they have plenty of drinking water as they are more prone to suffering from dehydration. How much they need depends on each individual child, but health experts suggest 6-8 glasses each day. For younger children, the British Nutrition Foundation suggests servings of 120-150mls, and 250-300mls for older children. As with all things child-related, expert advice is one thing, getting your child to follow that is quite another. Top tips for keeping children hydrated over the summer holidays Let them choose a water bottle Sometimes it really is that simple. Younger children in particular will love having a new trinket to carry around. Let them help to fill up their new bottle with filtered drinking water and the prospect of feeling "grown up" should at least last a week or two of the summer holidays. Check out our refillable Water Bottles now! Make ice lollies at home Invest in some lolly moulds then add flavourings or juice to filtered drinking water and fill up the moulds. At least you will know what is actually in the lollies - and that there is water in there! Always have water on hand Save yourself a fortune on drinks over the summer holidays by always carrying a refillable bottle of filtered drinking water. Pack well when heading out for the day with a bottle for everyone and frequently offer your children a sip of water. Try to cut back on sugary drinks The most important factor is keeping your child hydrated, so a glass of squash made up with filtered drinking water may help to keep fluid levels topped up. However, dentists advise keeping these to meal times to minimise sugar damage. Encourage children to drink more when exercising It can seem like young children are on the go all the time. If they've been whizzing around the park, or scooting about at the local beauty spot, keep offering them water to stop them becoming dehydrated. For older children heading out on their bikes or playing football, encourage them to take a bottle of filtered drinking water with them and remind them how important staying hydrated is to being at the top of their game. And should the sunshine make an appearance? Provide plenty of fresh, cool filtered drinking water to stop children getting dehydrated in the heat of the sun. Most of all make sure they have plenty of energy to enjoy themselves over the summer holidays by staying hydrated with top quality, fresh filtered drinking water. Check out our refillable Water Bottles now!
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