Stop the Spread...Wash Your Hands!

In the midst of the worldwide pandemic happening all around us, one of the constant commands we hear numerous times a day besides “wear a mask” and “avoid crowds” is to “wash your hands”. Easy enough you’d think—unless you are one of the 2.2 million Americans lacking access to clean running water.

I was shocked to learn this appalling statistic recently on CBS Sunday Morning (July 26, 2020). Here we are the richest country in the world and yet we have citizens among us unable to wash their hands because they do not have water. Access to clean running water is essential for living—it should be a right to all American citizens—yet it is not. How can this happen? How can we fix this?

Thankfully there are people who think as I do, that this situation is unconscionable especially in light of the health scare we are all experiencing right now. The digdeep.org is just such a group—they are a human rights non-profit organization that is on a mission to right this wrong.

According to their research 2.2 million Americans do not have running water or basic plumbing like a flush toilet. Another 44 million more don’t have clean water that’s safe to drink. That’s hard to believe for those of us who take such basic necessities for granted.

I was moved to reach out and get more information on what this organization was all about and how I could help. The first thing I did was ask to join their Water Council and get their permission to spread the word about their mission by bringing awareness to the plight shared by too many Americans—no water.

We are not a huge, wealthy corporation, but for over a quarter of a century we’ve advocated for sustainable water conservation and an end to the pollution created by toxic water treatment chemicals around the globe that continue to contribute to the climate crisis. But this is a human crisis that requires action now, not later. That’s why I have pledged to contribute a percentage of sales to this worthwhile cause and become part of the solution. Our company founder believed that we should all endeavor to leave the world a better place than we found it and I intend to do just that.

Visit Dig Deep

Water Pollution Comes in All Forms…Which Ones Can We Control?

The scope of this topic is so vast that it’s hard to put into words that are easy to comprehend and can elicit a positive response. So hopefully this blog post will shed some light on a topic that is in the news far too often these days.

Industrial and commercial HVAC equipment requires tons of water to operate. Add to that the fact that this equipment needs treatment to keep it running free from scale and corrosion. Historically, that treatment has been toxic chemicals. Cutting-edge technology has been around for more than 25 years, and there are trailblazers who considered the environmental, as well as the financial advantage and made the switch from toxic to safe water treatment. 

Protecting our water resources is a difficult job because of the onslaught from so many divergent sources.  This is probably an over-simplified description, but according to the definition of Pollution on the United Nations, ‘Water for Life’ article from their website: http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/quality.shtml

“Pollution typically refers to chemicals or other substances in concentrations greater than would occur under natural conditions. Major water pollutants include microbes, nutrients, heavy metals, organic chemicals, oil and sediments; heat, which raises the temperature of the receiving water, can also be a pollutant. Pollutants are typically the cause of major water quality degradation around the world.” 

If the source of your drinking water comes from a well, your exposure to harmful pollutants is somewhat minimized. If on the other hand, your drinking water is from a public municipality, the process involved to make that water safe, or potable, is a complex one. For water to be made safe for human consumption it must go through a process defined as ‘water-treatment’. This consists of coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and finally disinfection. Obviously, this process uses millions more gallons of water to achieve its goal.

There are measures currently available to stem the tide of water contamination and lessen the impact for future generations; trying to convince people that there’s a different, better way to eliminate that pollution is another obstacle altogether.  Expanding your horizons beyond what is familiar and comfortable comes from awareness, knowledge and action to be a part of the solution.