Clean drinking water. A very modern problem.

Why use a water filter?

The “Rule of 3” says we can live 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water and 3 minutes without air. Ancient civilisations that thrived (many to this day), all had one thing in common – access to a dependable water supply.

We all need water to survive but it’s also been the cause of countless deaths and misery. Even today, an estimated 1.5 million annual deaths around the globe are attributed to waterborne diseases caused by protozoan, bacterial, viral and algal contaminations. [1] This is before we even look at natural and introduced toxic substances like chemicals and heavy metals.

PFAS Contamination

Australia is not immune to water contamination. In October 2017, ABC’s Four Corners ran a story on contaminated ground and surface water found in multiple Australian communities including Oakey, Williamstown and Katherine. [2] The source of the contamination was found to be chemical compounds called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), collectively known as perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAS), which were used in firefighting foams around the world since the 1970s. The affected Australian communities in most cases had military bases nearby where firefighting foams were used extensively both in fighting actual fires and in training exercises, in some cases on a daily basis. The Australian Government allegedly knew about the dangers of PFAS as early as 1987 but continued using it until a phase-out began in 2016. [3]

Firefighters spraying foam on structures in the Mammoth Hot Springs complex
on 10 September 1988 during the Yellowstone Fires. [Wikipedia]

PFAS have affected the water, soil and food chain all around the world, so much so that trace amounts (which are considered to pose minimal risk) can now be found in most people. However, PFAS have a cumulative effect in the body and take 4-5 years to break down. Continually adding more by consuming contaminated water or food elevates PFAS to dangerous, possibly carcinogenic levels that are linked with testicular, prostate and kidney cancer. PFAS have also been linked to thyroid disease and elevated cholesterol leading to increased cardiovascular disease risk. Tests on children show it may also affect the immune system. (Prof Phillippe Grandjean Harvard University – Four Corners 9 Oct 2017. [2])

Heavy Metal Contamination
Sydney water has also been found to contain elevated levels of heavy metals like lead and iron in several suburbs according to a report by Channel 7 in March 2018. [4]

Where does it come from? Smog is one major cause. In March 2006, Sydney Morning Herald reported that smog levels in Sydney were 10 times worse than other Australia cities according to the annual report of the National Environment Protection Council. Opposition environment spokesman Michael Richardson is quoted as saying that “Air pollution created by traffic congestion in the Sydney CBD is affecting the health of people living in (the outer suburbs of) Camden and Oakdale and Mount Druitt and Blacktown.” [5] Other cities did not escape unscathed in the report, with Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Newcastle exceeding the national standards on several occasions.

Sydney morning smog

Other contaminants

In other cases it’s just plain toxic runoff entering our streams, rivers and groundwater. This can be anything from raw sewage, to factory and mining waste, to pesticides and fertilisers used in modern farming. In 2007, CNN reported that “up to 500 million tons of heavy metals, solvents and toxic sludge slip into the global water supply every year. In the developing world [according to UNESCO] as much as 70 percent of industrial waste is just dumped untreated into the rivers and lakes.” [6] In August 2017, ABC News reported that millions of litres of highly toxic water from an old mine was found to be entering Sydney’s drinking catchment. [7]

And then we have our extraordinary waste management problems. Much of our daily waste ends up as land fill, leaching goodness knows what into our groundwater for many years to come, or stored above ground affecting storm water runoff into our natural water systems. An issue compounded by a trash for profit industry, known for corruption and cover-ups. See Four Corners “Trashed” August 2017. [8]

Australia is a lucky country and we Australians are lucky people. We occupy a part of the earth that hadn’t been contaminated for thousands of years – at least not until the last two hundred odd years as the industrial revolution made its mark on our environment. Today we face similar environmental problems to the rest of the world with the by-products of industry and modern living affecting our air, water and food systems. There is hope for humanity and future generations if we are smart enough to tackle the issues and stop harming our environment. In the meantime we can limit our exposure to contamination on a personal level by paying closer attention to the quality of the food, air and water that we intake so that the Rule of 3 does not apply to us and our families for the years to come.

Call us today on (02) 8840 5177, or email us at sales@ilanwater.com.au, to discuss our range of water filtration systems to provide clean and great tasting drinking water at your home or office.
Australia-wide delivery available!

Clean drinking water. A very modern problem.