“Old Stewball was a racehorse, and I wish he were mineHe never drank water, he always drank wine.” - LeadbellyEvery spring in northern New England, crystal clear streams and brooks meander, rush, and madly crash towards the sea when snowmelt occurs. It's one of nature's bounties, and I always look forward to the experience at winter's end.
In Maine, where I live, water is also big business. Nestlé Waters North America taps a lot of groundwater in my state, and sells its bottled water under the name
Poland Spring Brand Natural Spring Water. You've probably had some.
Nestlé Waters says its product is "a light blend of minerals," and if you peruse the company's literature you'll read about Poland Spring's total dissolved solids content (TDS) spec. The company says its TDS gives Poland Spring "personality, and distinguishes it from other waters."
That's interesting, to say the least, especially when you consider that the company will buy water from whatever town in the state will permit Nestlé to tap its aquifer.
But, I don't think Nestlé will buy water from my town in Maine. Our coastal municipality draws drinking water from a stream called Branch Brook. It's a delightful little watercourse, replete with fish ladders so that migrating trout can get around the water treatment plant, and attractive wooden bridges so townsfolk can enjoy strolling along the stream.
I'm not sure what Branch Brook's TDS rating is, but I do know that there is at least one unsavory aspect of this water. It includes fluoride as an additive.
Now, I'm not particularly fond of additives. I don't use any in my automobiles, and I try to avoid buying foods with additives. I'd prefer not having any additives in my water.
Fluoride is especially repugnant to me. It's an acute toxin, with a toxicity rating of 4, compared to a rating of 3 for lead. Why is it that the US Environmental Protection Agency sets the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for lead in drinking water at 15 parts per billion, but the MCL for fluoride is 4 parts per million? That's over 250 times the permissible lead level.
According to the
National Research Council, fluoride poses a risk to the brain, the thyroid, the kidneys, and bones. In fact, in 2006, the
American Dental Association advised parents to avoid giving babies fluoridated water. Nonetheless, the ADA insists that water fluoridation reduces dental decay by as much as 40% over non-fluoridated water.
That claim flies in the face of findings at the
Centers For Disease Control. CDC claims fluoride has a minimal effect on tooth decay when swallowed, and its report states that fluoride's "predominant effect is post eruptive and topical." In plain English, that means it works to prevent decay when applied directly to the teeth, which is what your dentist might do (with your permission) as a routine preventative.
Water that’s treated with fluoride doesn't do much for your teeth. The Europeans are aware of this. The list of European countries banning fluoridated drinking water is large and growing. It now includes Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and Switzerland.
In my town, fluoridation adds $31,000 annually to the cost of treating Branch Brook's sweet water. That's roughly a quarter of the cost of the chemicals (i.e., chlorine) required for overall treatment. So, in addition to paying through the nose (I should say mouth), my taxes are being wasted (again). What's more, if I want uncontaminated water, I have to buy bottled water, perhaps from Nestlé Waters North America. But, the plastic bottles are petroleum byproducts, and bottles take a lot of energy to make. Plastics are sources of phthalates, too.
Phthalates are known endocrine disrupters.
Maybe I'll start brushing my teeth with Pinot Noir. After all, wine has personality, and it’s distinguishable from water. And, it was good enough for Stewball.
Comments? Questions? Do you have any experiences or opinions about drinking water that you'd like to share? Write me at
amm at en-genius dot net, or post your comments on our blog.
For more information on fluoride and drinking water:
http://www.fluoridealert.com/fluoride.asphttp://www.fluorideinfo.org/
