Tzfat Water: Mayim Chaim?

 

In this article we discuss the quality of Tzfat tap water, the pros and cons of bottled water, as well as the pros and cons of different kinds of water filters.

  

Tzfat tap water comes from deep wells in the Einon area near Kiriat Shemoneh.  On the other hand the Tzfat municipality has not disclosed the official on-line lab report since 2005. All municipalities are required by law to disclose these reports  which detail: possible contamination of metals, organics, non-metallic elements, bacteria, etc.—either dissolved in the drinking water in the form of ion particles or un-dissolved aggregates. Of course, a lot can dirty, infest and cloud this pure spring water on its way through pipes and inside the municipal water tanks. 

 

A Tzfat resident researched the condition of Tzfat water in 2008. She received a theoretical report from the Israeli government [see Sources below] on what should be and not be in all municipal water in Israel, but no official lab report containing data about the actual condition of Tzfat water.

  

The resident’s persistent queries made such a commotion that the municipality issued a statement that "Tzfat water was contaminated, but is not contaminated now."  When the resident requested a lab report for the water of the municipality of Carmiel—and other municipalities—they immediately faxed an official lab report on the state of the water. 

 

On January 21, 2009 your reporter, Chaya, interviewed Meir Guetta, water engineer at the Ministry of Health. He had no current lab report to give me but kindly answered my questions about the quality of Tzfat water. Municipal water is tested regularly for bacteria and particulate water and currently has a clean bill of health, especially since the private company, Peleg HaGalil, has taken over from Mekorot in 2008. “The main problem in Tzfat water was in the resevoirs which hadn’t been cleaned in a long time.“ Meir stated. “Peleg HaGalil spent a lot on professional cleaning of Tzfat resevoirs and they are now totally clean.” Meir added that Mekorot, which pumps the water from the deep wells at Einon adds chlorine and fluorine.

  

Now, we turn to the question of bottled water. You might think that buying bottled water is a good solution. Many people,buy bottled water. On the other hand, the safety and taste of bottled water may be questionable.

 

 Bottled water comes from natural springs in Israel or abroad or it is tap water purified by reverse osmosis, with minerals added for taste.  According to the British online newspaper "Guardian," in 2004 Coca Cola pulled its Dasani brand water off the shelves in Britain. Dasani was made of Thames River water that had undergone reverse osmosis. In other countries the raw material for Dasani was local tap water. Calcium chloride, with the addition of bromide (a harmless chemical) was added for taste and then the water was ozonated—producing bromate, a potent carcinogen, albeit in minute amounts. 

 

The bromate in Dasani bottled water does not mean that other bottled waters are contaminated. There are stringent standards for bottled water in Israel, as in other developed countries. Many people opt for the convenience of bottled water, especially in the broiling summer months. Let us examine plastic bottles in terms of user health and environmental impact. 

 

Plastic bottles leach chemicals into the water that can affect reproductive and general health. Both soft plastic throw away bottles and colorful multi-use bottles are problematical. The throw away bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate—PET. Heat can leach PET into bottled water. A recent article in "The Los Angeles Times" states that PET leaches minute amounts of the compounds of the toxic element antimony into bottled water, a process accelerated when exposed to the heat of sunlight or other heat sources.  

 

Those colorful, hard bottles have been touted as an alternative to the soft plastic bottles--"environmentally friendly" and refillable, but they are some of the worst culprits in leaching the toxic chemical Bisphenol A into the water. This may have serious cumulative effects on the endocrine system over many years time and adversely affect reproductive health.

 

Plastic bottles thrown away on the street are an eyesore. Eventually they end up in landfill where they can take hundreds of years to decompose. Recycling is only part of the answer. You, the righteous consumer, can conscientiously throw your used water bottles in the recycling bins. For example, the Israeli plastics company Keter uses recycled bottles to produce lawn furniture, etc.

 

But there are massive environmental costs involved in producing all these plastic bottles. Petroleum and other fossil fuels are used in the plastic itself and in the manufacturing process, as well as in shipping and refrigeration.

  

Some people invest in a point of origin filter on the sink.  Solid carbon filters and reverse osmosis filters can remove a large part of the contaminants in tap water on the other hand, they are quite expensive to install.

 

 Reverse osmosis filters have membranes that remove metallic and organic contaminants as well as bacteria.  Reverse osmosis is very wasteful of water; it wastes one half to five liters of water for every liter of purified water and removes all trace minerals, like iron and manganese, both of which are essential for health. ROs come with a solid carbon component to remove rust, chlorine and improve taste. 

 

Solid carbon filters removes a good amount of contaminants also, but leave in beneficial trace minerals. These filters are initially expensive and require changing filters every year to maintain effectiveness. The Janglo website has a list of outlets for various types of filters. A solid carbon filter can cost $200 for the device plus installation. The replacement filter is $40. 

 

Tzfat resident Reuven Goldfarb sells Multipure solid carbon filters.  Some solid carbon models do not need plumbing installation; you can screw them onto your faucet yourself. A reverse osmosis unit can run you $500 including installation. 

  

Filter pitchers are more cosmetic than anything: water tastes good initially, but the speed of passage makes filtering very sketchy. Made of loose carbon, the filters build up bacterial contamination very quickly and must be changed about once a month. Some people boil their water and let the solids settle to the bottom, but plenty of Tzfat residents drink ordinary tap water, with no harmful effects evident.

 

For years I have carried a plastic water bottle, refilling from carbon or RO filters. After doing the research for this article, I threw my plastic bottles in the recycling bin. I now refill glass grape juice bottles and other juice bottles with water and they work just fine, even though they are heavier than plastic.

 

Sources:

 

A report on what should be and what should not be in Israel municipal water.

 

For issues of safety in plastic water bottles.

 

Article on tap water versus bottled water mentions antimony leaching into bottled water.

 

NBC news food editor discusses health aspects of bottled water.

 

The U.S. FDA discusses quality of tap water versus bottled water.

 

The FDA discusses the history of water filters and their benefits and detriments.

 

Plastic Bottles Pile Up as Mountains of Waste" on NBC news.

 

The Janglo article comparing water filters and list of distributors.