Its A Filter - Water filters for a reason

Its A Filter getting a Microsite

2009-09-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Its A Filter will be hosting a microsite that is for education about water filtration. As soon as the site is up and running, I will be posting a link here for everyone who follows me. Also, we are running wild in Twitter! Yes, Its A Filter is doing all it can to make sure that we are known by as many people as possible.

Send us an email and let us know what you're thoughts are about water filters today.

Got questions that you would like us to answer about the different water filtration devices on the market today in our store? Email us! We'll be happy to answer your questions.

At Its A Filter, we've created a forum for questions and answers about water filtration. If you have any questions and would like to post them to the forum, you can do so by going to www.itsafilter.com and click on the forum link.

Thanks for reading!

Just stopping in today

2009-08-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I'm just stopping in to say good day to all and I hope that everyone's summer is going well.

Its A Filter will have some new products available by the end of next month. This will include Reverse Osmosis units that everyone has been asking us about. Thanks to all who've recommended these products to us and we are happy to say that we've secured a dealer that will drop ship these products to our customers!

Let us know if there's anything else you'd like to see on our site and we'll be happy to research the products and find a way to sell them. That's just one of the ways we work to help our customers.

Have a wonderful week.

Michelle,

Its A Filter, Owner

Update for us and new products to show off!

2009-04-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've been in. I've had plenty to keep me busy around my home, my job and my online business. It's about time I catch up all those who read my blog so you'll know what is going on...

I've updated my eBay site and now there's FREE shipping on many of our items! I know that has to be a bonus for many because we're all trying to keep a few dollars in our pocket while maintaining healthy lifestyles. That's just one more way that we say thanks to all our customers and we hope that if you're not a customer yet with Its A Filter, this will help you decide to become one!

Our website (http://www.itsafilter.com/) is doing really well this year. We do have several new items. Here's just a couple you will see:

http://www.itsafilter.com/product/STAR - The STARS product line compliments any countertop! It's as useful as it is beautiful. Take a look at this product by clicking the link.

This is the Triton shower head spa that came out at the beginning of the year. A great addition to home, office or

travel! This is how you relax in the shower after a long day at work. Check it out here: http://www.itsafilter.com/product/APTR

You're more than welcome to come see what's happening at www.itsafilter.com or check us out at eBay by going to http://stores.shop.ebay.com/New-Generations__W0QQ_armrsZ1

Have a wonderful week!

Michelle,

Its A Filter, Owner

Tainted water

2008-09-18T05:58:00.000-07:00

With all the storms in the mid-west, there's a buzz going on about tainted water. However, it's not just in the storm ravaged areas that we're seeing water that is unsafe to drink. It's also in the drought stricken areas of the country. With all these things going on in our environment, it's best to consider what your next options are for the well being of your whole family. Having water filtration certainly helps! Knowing what you're buying will make all the difference. Come see what Its A Filter has for your water filtration needs.

Have a wonderful week.

Michelle,
Its A Filter, Owner

Coal fired power plants and mercury in our water

2008-07-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

"On February 8, 2008, the D.C. Circuit vacated EPA's rule removing power plants from the Clean Air Act list of sources of hazardous air pollutants. At the same time, the Court vacated the Clean Air Mercury Rule. EPA is reviewing the Court's decisions and evaluating its impacts. (PDF)"

The impact testing could be late. Millions of people in China live with this kind of poisoning everyday. The US Government is looking for alternative energy solutions and right now coal is one of their solutions. Ethanol was one nasty energy alternative because the waste off of this alternative energy source is toxic. Many studies on this topic led the Government of the US to decide to look elsewhere; perhaps in wind mill energy or electric energy. Nuclear power plants would also help but where does the waste go? In the above linked study, you will learn that the waste is dumped into water reservoirs or onto land masses that will allow seepage into underground water sources, streams and it will fully leach into our main water tributaries where our municipality water comes from. Is this dangerous? You're the consumer, you be the judge.
If you're asking questions now about the safety of your water, you should. I've asked the same questions and I'm finding the answers are not what I expected.
Water filtration is not a fad. It is not a fashion. It's a way to protect yourself, clean your water and give you a more healthy alternative to what you currently have. No filtration is leaving you at the hands of someone else. Would you do a better job of protecting yourself and your family than a stranger would?
If you have any information you'd like to share with me, please send an email to stories@itsafilter.com and I'll be happy to research your information and add it to my blog here. Thanks for reading!

Winding down on one promotion and gearing up for the next...

2008-07-03T04:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!
We're winding down on our quarterly newsletter promotion of "Tell Us Your Stories" about your water filtration experience. This promotion has been ongoing for 2 months and will end on July 31st. This has been a great promotion and those that have submitted your stories are now in the drawing for a FREE GIFT from Its A Filter. The winner will receive a free shower filter courtesy of Its A Filter and their story will be shared in our quarterly newsletter for the fall. What an exciting time for summer to be giving out a free gift!
We are gearing up for our next promotion at Its A Filter with the "Secret Shopper Giveaway" in August - October. How it works is whenever you're at Its A Filter shopping, you're automatically qualified to receive 50% off your purchase if you're shopping on the "Secret Shopper Day" that we've preselected. If you purchase a product on one of our secret shopper days you could receive from 50% off to a FREE PURCHASE because you shopped with us on our special day! You can read complete details in our next quarterly newsletter that is free to all our guests and customers at Its A Filter.
If you have any questions or comments, please let us know. We want to be your online source for water filtration products and we thank you so much for allowing our business to meet your water filtration needs.
Have a safe and happy 4th of July America!
Michelle Lewis,
Its A Filter, Owner

Fast approaching summer days

2008-06-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

Healthy living is something we are all looking for and with summer coming upon us in just a couple of weeks, the thermometer is climbing higher and higher. Our need for water during the hottest months of the year will have us all reaching for our favorite bottled water, but let us remember that the landfills are all filling up to the max with these bottles and a simple water filtration system in our homes could allow us to do the right thing for the environment, save money by filling up a bottle at home rather than purchasing one bottle at a time and finally it will save our environment from the mess that plastic bottles are causing.Just a quickie for all to take a moment today and remember there's other options than the quick stop bottled water that we consume each day. Try a filter! There's travel filters that should accomodate most any person. Have a great weekend everyone!
Michelle,Its A Filter, Owner

What are you looking for?

2008-05-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

My blog will be simple today. I'm not providing information in this one as much as requesting information. You as the readers of this blog have a developed thought as to what you're looking for in water filtration for where ever you are. Because of this, here's my question to you:

"What do you look for in water filtration (if anything)? If you are still undecided, what would be a determining factor in justifying a purchase?

Its not so much about having a good reason to be healthy but whether or not we just want a better tasting water to drink. Its A Filter thanks everyone in advance for your responses.

Sincerely,
Michelle,
Its A Filter, Owner

The things that people say...

2008-05-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of noise about the information surrounding water filtration. The market is all a buzz about how many water filtration companies are blowing the results of water testing out of porportion and that we shouldn't let this bother us or change the way we view drinking water.

Well, my take on this very subject is relative to the information that has been provided to me. Furthermore, I've taken a step further and used the same advice that I give to anyone who comes to my site to purchase water filtration products from Its A Filter. Do your homework. Get a water quality test from your local municipality and then from there you can select the filter that will best suit what you're trying to achieve in cleaner water for your home, your office and your travel needs. Its no surprise that water is not as clean as it should be. More and more, chemicals are being added to our water to try and maintain some stability and health as a preventative to illnesses but is it just their responsibility? Of course not. We, as the consumers, should be ready and willing to give them a hand and help promote wellness in our homes, our offices and our traveling this summer for vacations. We can't leave our own lives up to those who are trying desperately to maintain it all for everyone under their municipality water operations.

Its easy to cast the work on someone else when we don't know what is out there. There are so many different water filtration devices on the market today that you'd search for a year and not view them all. Still, it's up to us whether or not we are willing to allow all the burden of cleaning our water to be held over to those in the operations department of "Your Water Company".

I asked for a water quality test from my local water company. They made an appointment to drop off a "first draw" bottle so that I could get the test started. It was relatively simple as I just had to make sure that the first of my day was spent filling this bottle with the water that had set in my pipes all night, undisturbed. After that bottle was filled, I filled out the card that would associate that with my home and put it in my briefcase to take back to the field office for the testing. The results were alarming to me as there are things that is still in my water that I don't want there. It's not that the EPA said I'll be sick from it but the fact those things are in my water and many of them were at their maximum allowable levels according to their own guidelines through the EPA.

Its time to get a filter. This coming from the one who owns the business and promotes it. Sure, we have filters on our water but they are not nearly enough to take care of our needs and desires for cleaner water. It's time for an upgrade. We purchase what we need to best suit our needs in our home. The cost? $179 flat - just like all my customers pay. Why would I take a discount? Just because I'm the owner doesn't necessitate that I get a discount. I pay what you pay. Its worth it to me.

Finally, things are getting cleaned up. I took my advice. I want to know that what I tell others will work. I put my word to the test against my own standards and comes out that I know what I'm talking about.

The reports and statistics are on target. The numbers are out there and the water pollution problem is being worked on but until it is solved and the drought conditions all across our country are resolved, we have to be conscious about the water problems that we are facing. Who's blowing the truth out of porportion? We are if we don't take those reports seriously and continue to put the burden of cleaner water on our water companies that provide us the best they can offer. They have millions; we are a family of 4. I can control what comes in my house and protect what goes out of my house so that their jobs can be easier over the long haul. With more helpful attitudes like this we can make a difference - one household at a time.

Feel free to leave your comments because we do value them. If you have a water filter story to share with us, please do! We currently have a promotion going that if you share your water filter story with us (be it good or bad) we'll consider it for our next newsletter. If you're selected to be in the next newsletter we'll send you a FREE GIFT just for telling your story. Go see us online at http://www.itsafilter.com and click on the News tab for more information.
Thanks for reading!
Kindest Regards,
Michelle,
Its A Filter, Owner

Knowing what to buy before the purchase is made

2008-05-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

Lots of people are savvy about purchases these days but more so now than before. The cost of everything is definately on the rise so we have to be more careful in our day to day purchases too. It isn't just exclusively reserved for the big ticket items anymore.
By carefully reviewing all the basics before purchasing a water filtration product for your home, your office or travel needs there's a few things you should consider.

1. What's in my water?

By getting your latest water quality report from your water municipality you'll find out what is in your water from their report. Maybe you need something that will filter out iron, lead, e-coli, and inorganic materials. Maybe you'll need something a little more powerful that will take all the chlorine out as well as uranium and raedon as well as all the inorganic materials that will ultimately lead to other problems. By knowing what's in the water you can select the product that's just right for you.

2. I'm in an apartment but I want all my water filtered. How can I accomplish this?

There's plenty of avenues for water filtration that will protect you in your kitchen and your bathrooms. Purchasing a shower filter/bath filter and an inline water filtration system for your kitchen will be one of many solutions to an apartment style situation. You can also take it with you easily when you move.

3. What if I still don't know after all the reports and tests as to what to buy?

Its A Filter is always ready to answer those questions and give you the best for your money. We work hard to make sure we've got the latest information on water filtration products so that we can deliver the products that you want. We can help you select the right filter for your needs by simply visiting with you on the phone for a few minutes or chatting with you in an email. At any time you feel you need any assistance with your purchase, just give us a call or send us an email and we'll be glad to help you. We always encourage our customers to ask us. That's what we are here for.

Just something to think about...

2008-04-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

Here's something to think about today if you find yourself flitting by my site on your way to find information in blogs today. Understand first, I am a business who specifically deals with water filtration. I'm sure you've seen your share about their bumper growth and essential need by the consumer but I've gone a step farther. I've done some research and what I'm finding I think really needs to be shared to those who don't have time or don't know what is really going on with our natural resources; mainly water.

Please enjoy and if you have any questions just leave a message here. Thanks, Michelle - Owner of Its A Filter; http://www.itsafilter.com

Think on this:
"Officials estimate that every day throughout the world 34 000 deaths are caused by contaminated water and poor sanitation – that equals 100 jumbo jets crashing every day!"

Yep, you read it right. That's the latest EPA findings and frankly I'm not shocked. With what I've learned in the last 6 months regarding water and the quality of it, I'm not shocked at all. Fortunately we live in a country where we can still drink from our taps and shower without a whole lot of worry about what is in our water. But, we take it for granted daily. The more we overconsume the resource that keeps our life going the less there will be to keep our children living or grandchildren. It's not new substance daily. Its a one of a kind resource that doesn't need to be abused. It's not overabundant. Our water we use daily for all our chores only makes up 1% of the total water mass of our planet. Look at the reaction of over consumption of gas and fossil fuels right now? Do you see the mess that is becoming of over consumption of that precious resource? There's scientists right now trying to stop fear fall out on this topic but honestly - tell that to the truck drivers who are currently circling around the White House in an elaborate protest about the price of the 'by-product' of gasoline. They're livid about the cost and they are making their voices heard.

It's not just something we should be taking lightly at all. Water is the reason we live. Someone has to get a hold of this message and see it for what it is! We can't keep abusing our resources and expect them to take care of our generations to come. Thinking of only today is an assurity of selfishness and greed that will destroy the future and do nothing for our present. Costs keep going up on fossil fuels at an almost daily climb, but watch this... Look at the price of gold now. Resource? Yes. Why is it so rich in worth when it wasn't just 5 years ago worth much at all? Our resources become the bartering tool of choice beyond our own currency when we don't have enough of something. Gold, silver, precious metals like copper, are all a by product of what we're losing everyday - money. At one point in our history salt was a great bartering contender as it was the most stable form of money that many could have.
What happens when water becomes one of the valuables like gas has become? What then? How do you pump more of what is being depleted? Get it from the oceans? Consume until we've firmly used all there is?
How about clean up and take care of what we have? How about consider those around us that are growing up into an environment that has not been taken care of for the last 100 years. Overuse and abuse of those things that make life live is what has got us where we are. Taking consideration of it now can and will extend it to our children and their children. We can't take life for granted though. We have to get serious and take control of ourselves and our actions so that the generations to come can enjoy the things we've enjoyed all our life; enough food and water for daily living along with vehicles and money.
Just a thought for you all that I found intriguing. For those of you who do read my blogs, I hope you enjoy them...

One final thought:

Is this good enough to drink?
Lucky you! It's holiday time and you and your family are going on a vacation to Mexico (or Africa, or India, or China, or Russia, or Asia). Pick a destination.
Whichever country is your destination, one of the first pieces of advice you will be given is, "Whatever you do, don't drink the water!"
You will also be warned against eating any fruit or vegetable that can't be peeled. You will not take water for granted again after this trip.
It's time to count your lucky stars. You live in one of the few countries in the world where you can usually drink water straight from the tap and the water fountain in your school.

Article snippet courtesy of: http://www.ec.gc.ca/WATER/en/info/pubs/lntwfg/e_chap3a.htm

Until again ♪

Allowable contaminants per the EPA

2008-04-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

These are things that people should take note of. These are contaminants: (def. 1. dirty or impure; 2. unfit for use) that are given the green light of approval by our EPA for us to consume in our water usage every day and they are perfectly ok allowing water companies to sell it to you for a marginal profit. Here's their direct comment:
"Under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the US EPA has set standards for approximately 90 contaminants in drinking water in it's national primary drinking water regulations. These are enforceable standards that may include a legal limit on the level of a contaminant or the requirement of a specific treatment technique to remove a particular contaminant. "

Looking into this further, these 90 are broken down into categories of 6. They are:
1. Microorganisms
2. Disinfectants
3. Disinfection byproducts
4. Inorganic chemicals
5. Organic chemicals
6. Radionuclides

Under these categories you will find these items (not all are mentioned but you may click the list of 6 to find the complete list of drinking water floaties currently in your home.)

Under #1: Cryptosporidium, Giardia lamblia, Legionella, Total Coliforms (including fecal coliform and E. Coli), Viruses (enteric).

Under #2: Chloramines (as Cl2), Chlorine (as Cl2), Chlorine dioxide (as ClO2)

Under #3: Chlorite, Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

Under #4: Antimony, Arsenic, Asbestos(fiber >10 micrometers), Cadmium, Copper, Fluoride

Under #5: Acrylamide,Atrazine, Benzo(a)pyrene (PAHs), 2,4-D, Lindane

Now let's talk about #6. This is a very nasty one that deserves a moment of our time to see. Many of the things listed above are just a speck in the things that you're drinking. Wonder why some women can't have children. Check the specs of Benzo(a)pyrene or any of the chlor family. How about kidney function fouling out? Stones, liver disease, unexplained cancers? Look at the list of chemicals in YOUR water. You'll find some answers you've been looking for. Some of these things cause cataracts!
Let's look closely at #6.
Commonly Encountered Radionuclides:
Americium-241
Cesium-137
Cobalt-60
Iodine-129 &-131
Plutonium
Radium
Radon
Strontium-90
Technetium-99
Tritium
Thorium
Uranium
It's radiation. Radioactive iso's that are in yours and my water. How? Few are natural. Many are from industry pollution. Some people who drink water containing radium –226 or -228 in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer. Some people who drink water containing alpha emitters in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer. Exposure to uranium in drinking water may result in toxic effects to the kidney. Some people who drink water containing alpha emitters in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer. What systems must meet the requirements of the 2000 Radionuclides Rule? The rule applies only to community water systems, which are water systems with at least 15 service connections or that serve 25 or more persons year-round. EPA will further consider a future proposal to regulate radionuclides levels in drinking water served by non-transient non-community water systems. These are water systems that serve at least 25 of the same people more than six months per year, such as schools, churches, nursing homes, and factories that supply their own water.
This comes from the EPA website. You can read for yourself here: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/radionuclides/basicinformation.html#two.

I will say again, it's a choice as to what you tolerate. If the difference is evident to you then choose to give you and your loved ones another alternative to better water quality. Many are looking now because of the latest health reports. Will water filtration eliminate your risk? I can't say that anything will eliminate your risk but I can say that your chances of cleaning up your water is greatly increased by using your own filtration system. The one that is right for you can be selected with a little effort, and the return on your choice is your quality of water in your home that those you love use everyday in one form or another. We encourage you to buy one of our water filters to experience something you've not had before. Quality and integrity in products you choose for your home. Come see why Its A Filter makes the difference.

Its A Filter weekend

2008-04-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone and welcome to Friday! Yes, it's the weekend and Its A Filter is always excited about weekends. It's a time we can help answer questions unhindered by daily 9 to 5 work and it helps get the word out about water filtration, education on how to pick the best options for each individual and be a support for those who have filters and may have questions regarding install, maintenance and repair. We always work to give our customers the best possible customer service.

The weather is getting warmer and people are now planning for their summer vacations. Its A Filter is gearing up, too. We're featuring our Buddy Travel Filter series and want all those who are going on vacation this year to consider the purchase of a travel filter for your water cleaning needs. There's no need to be bothered with illness and poor water quality on vacation so why not invest in something that will let you have more freedom and less worry about what you're drinking, bathing/showering in and using in your travel times. Its A Filter has inline filters and travel filtration solutions for you!

We'd love to hear from you so please, if you're looking for more information on water filtration and how it would benefit you just shoot us an email. We'll be happy to help you in your decision making process. Regardless of the cost, every dime you spend is an investment into something and we want your investment into water filtration to be the best decision you make today.

Come see us!

http://www.itsafilter.com/ and take a good look at what we have for you.

Have a great weekend!

Until again...

In the news...

2008-04-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

In the news from yesterday, an AP article stated that 67% of Americans are looking into buying water filtration products in the near future to help prevent contaminated water from entering their homes. There's a manufacturer of water filtration products that has come out with their version of the whole house water filter that sells currently on Its A Filter's website. With the ever increasing media discussion about this topic, we anticipate a higher interest in our site, products and filtration accessories. Nobody wants to have radium, chlorine, pharmaceuticals, and other harmful toxins in their water. Like never before, the dangers are there and it's because the regulations to water treatment are the same, unchanged for the most part, for the last half century.

It is our call to decide whether or not we are willing to take the risk of no filtration or to purchase a good water filter for our immediate lives to see for ourselves the difference they make. Many companies, including Its A Filter, are more than willing to give a 30 day money back guarantee on their products. This suggests that you will see a difference in your water and using them increases your understanding of how beneficial they really are.

Education on water contaminants will help you pick the right water filter for your needs. You can always get the latest report from your water municipality that tells you what's in the water so that you can make a better decision on which one is best suited for you.

Remember, its your choice. Some will continue as they always have and not purchase but many will look and purchase a water filter for their water consumption needs. Whatever your choice, make it a good one.

Just a reminder to everyone, Its A Filter is still looking for those stories about what you've experienced in water filtration. If you have a story to share, you can submit it to us by emailing us at stories@itsafilter.com and we'll read over each and every one. If your story is featured in our Summer Quarterly newsletter, we'll send you a FREE GIFT just for telling us your story. Please make sure you leave us a good way to contact you so that if you do win we'll be able to announce it!

May will be a sale month for Its A Filter so watch for some great savings for the upcoming summer months. All savings we receive on our products will be passed on to our customers. Thanks for reading today's blog!

Have a great day...

Until again...

Just how bad is chlorine for humans?

2008-04-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

While doing a bit of updating today at Its A Filter, I was researching more about what the effects of chlorine contamination do to humans. I found this news story to be quite interesting:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3731310

Albeit it is 6 months ago, the frightening thing lays within the story. Because of a leak could potentially go beyond the confines of this factory/building area, the city evacuated in the name of precaution, over 1,500 people. Just knowing that is bad enough but it goes on to say things about 'Between 4 and 25 pounds of chlorine dioxide gas leaked from a device that pulsates small amounts of the chlorine mixture into the water as a disinfectant. The mixture, which is less toxic than chlorine, is a severe respiratory and eye irritant in humans, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.' That's certain to be safe, right? It continues to tell the story though and the further I read, the more concerned I really am. This is a 'water filtration' plant outside my city. Ours is not the only one around and it's not just water treatment plants that are using harmful and often times volatile chemicals. Many frozen food plants use chlorine in mass quantities for sterilization as well as using chlorine's worst mixing agent, ammonia, to 'quick freeze' the foods they're producing. Should these two chemicals combine the unfolding could be catastrophic.

Everyday we work, live, play and are educated around these ticking time bombs. Every day someone works in these facilities as I once did. I have personal experience in this understanding and have seen the chaos that the quick freeze chemicals alone have caused in one small Arkansas town just a few years ago.

Just how bad is chlorine for humans? Lets see...

(1) Chlorine was used as a chemical weapon in world war one-it was known as mustard gas.

(2) Chlorine is a potent irritant in humans to the eyes, the upper respiratory tract, and the lungs. Several acute (short-term) studies have reported the following effects: tickling of the nose at 0.014 to 0.054 parts per million (ppm); tickling of the throat at 0.04 to 0.097 ppm; itching of the nose and cough, stinging, or dryness of the nose and throat at 0.06 to 0.3 ppm; burning of the conjunctiva and pain after 15 minutes at 0.35 to 0.72 ppm; and discomfort ranging from ocular and respiratory irritation to coughing, shortness of breath, and headaches above 1.0 ppm.

(3) Chlorine is extremely irritating to the skin and can cause severe burns in humans.

(4) Chlorine can cause Reactive Airways Dysfunction, which is basically a disease that mimics asthma. For people that already have breathing problems like asthma, chlorine just exacerbates their problems.

(5) One other mitigating factor in the danger of chlorine in your shower is that showers are often poorly ventilated, which increases the amount you intake through your lungs.

(6) Fifteen people have died of gastroenteritis in Faisalabad, Pakistan and the remedy that the health department has come up with is excessive chlorination of water which the Water Health Organization finds hazzardous to health.

I can't imagine bathing or showering in it but to drink it?
Be aware of the problems and educate yourself in ways to avoid exposure. For your health; life.
Until again...

The Water Story Promotion at Its A Filter

2008-04-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

I know we have all heard the latest buzz in the headlines, radio and news regarding unsafe water, water contamination and things we should be concerned with. These stories always generate lots of commotion and worry in the consumers world and makes us all a little more leary regarding drinking the water we pay for each month that comes into our homes. Lots of people in the last few years have turned to water filtration as a means of battling the onslaught of information that is being provided to us through the media.

Because of this very thing, Its A Filter is sponsoring a "Tell Your Story" promotion for this spring quarter of our newsletter. Its A Filter has determined through all the research and online commentary we've reviewed that there are plenty of people out there that have a story to tell about the purchase of their water filter and how it has helped / hurt them in some way. The stories that are featured in our summer quarterly newsletter will receive a FREE GIFT from our business as a way of saying thanks for sharing your stories with us. We encourage everyone who has a story to share with us to send us an email to stories@itsafilter.com and we'll make sure to get each one of the stories read and make a determination based on those stories.

Every person has the right to tell their story whether it is positive or negative as it directly relates to business in the water filtration scene. That way we can continue to update and make our businesses better and better for those who use these products.

Water filtration is a very beneficial thing to each of us. Water is not a "new" thing and I've mentioned that in earlier blogs. Water is a vital and precious resource that can be depleted. The only reason that life exists on this planet is because water is present and without it we will no longer be here. These are the hard core facts about water and each of us has an obligation to maintain this as well as the other vital resources that our earth provides us for the generations to come. We encourage you to please take the time to share with us your stories. Let's hear from those who have purchased water filters; what your reactions have been during the purchase and how if any it has helped you overall. Has it been money well spent? Can you see any difference in the quality of water for the cost you've paid? Tell us... we want to know!

Until again...

Looking for cleaner water?

2008-04-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

Who's tired of paying for dirty water each month on your water bill? Unless you're fortunate and have fresh spring water filling a well in your yard, (by the way still costs electricity), chances are you're getting treated water from the local municipality. Because of this the water is treated and you're likely getting more than your share of chlorine and other harsh 'treatment' chemicals. My question is who benefits from the consumption of these caustic substances? Me or my physician?Many of us would benefit from a shower filter however, there are very few of us that realize the benefits to a shower filter. We're creatures of habit and want to do the familiar. Pay the water bill and blindly, with childlike faith, trust those in charge of cleaning up our water before they pump it back into our homes. Our kids, pets and we consume it through cooking, creating beverages, and showering but we are oblivious to what's in the water. Who was the last one that ordered up the latest report from the water treatment facility that handles the cleaning of our H20? Exactly... what report.It's so important that we understand what we are drinking, bathing in and using to consume into our bodies. Cancers are on the rise in astronomical numbers. People are coming down with some of the most horrendous diseases but instead of looking to what we're consuming as a potential problem we go for medications to treat the problem and never find the root of the ordeal that is costing us our lives. Take a moment and think about it. Is your life worth taking a $50 chance on a filter that might make you feel better? Peace♪

The site has a new look...

2008-04-04T04:12:00.000-07:00

Its A Filter has a new look for April. Spring is here and with that, it ushers in freshness and vibrance. I've taken the time to add a few features to the site that were not there and by the end of business day today, there will be new products on the site as well. In effect, its what is best for the customer. Its A Filter wants to ensure that you have all you need when you come to purchase anything from our stores online. It's one more way of our saying, "We care about our customers".

With all that spring offers, it does it effortlessly and the only real cost to those who enjoy it is the time. I hope you take the time to come see what a difference that product line up, freshening up a page and buying a water/shower filter can make for you today!

Have a super weekend...
Until again...

Just how many are out there?

2008-03-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

Just how many shower head filters, bath filters and water filters for your kitchen, home, office, and RV are there on the market? Looking around I've found many! From the most inexpensive at a whopping $20 all the way to the single most expensive at just over $2800 - you're going to find them, and love their marketing campaign. See as every salesperson wants you to know, they've got what you're looking for whether you were looking or not.

These filters are good things to have in your home. They filter out the negatives in your water and leave you with pure, clean water if they are in fact, the recommended filter for your contamination level. Well, is all water contaminated? Yes. The fact is in and the water tests too. Studies show that there is no way to eliminate all fecal matter (err - yes, that would be feces) in the water treatment plants before it's recycled and back into your home. It's probably in your best interest to filter what you wash in and drink. I wouldn't trust boiling it out because it is known that inorganic material does not vaporize at 212 degrees... boiling...

Keep in mind that summer is coming. Lots of us will be enjoying cool down's in the pools, lakes, streams, rivers and ocean bodies of water. Chances are there are bacteria living within those water areas and you can be sick from them. No - we will never be germ free but the chances of getting sick are decreased when you do something responsible for your own life. It may cost you a little money but even smokers filter their cigarette habits. Filters DO help in some way regardless of the size. Try them. What do you have to lose? What will you gain?

Until again...

Long awaited information coming

2008-03-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

Who likes softer skin that has a youthful glow and softer and shinier hair? Who likes to smell clean hours after a shower? Who likes to have hydrated skin and hair when the weather outside is dry as toast? Of course this should be everyone. I'm not suggesting lathering up your body with baby oils, lotions, etc - chemical transformations - to give that effect. It doesn't last long and furthermore, you have to keep adding it and it eventually smells heavy and dirty as it attracts all the dirt from the air. So what's a body to do? What do you use to clean up with? Water. It's the number one ingredient that is used for cleaning. Everything else is a soap or a treatment chemical to utilize added effects, but water is the key. Knowing this, we can move on and learn what is in our water that won't let us get completely clean...

Chlorine is an oil based chemical, right? It has a greasy feel to it and has a coating effect. Because of this we use it to treat water as it lays on top (not dissolving) and it prevents anything that is good or bad from getting in the water at high enough levels. Some granules will mix in the water but they do not dissolve. They eventually find their way to the surface of what they are in and remain there. Chlorine is an effect combatant against viruses, bacteria and microorganisms that are harmful but it wreaks havoc on the skin and hair! It strips them of oils that are essential for healthy skin and hair. It leaves us coated with chemicals when we get out of the shower and it's a chemical that doesn't allow anything through! Now the conditioners, skin softners, oils and vitamins that we need to take in are not getting through and we're left with a residue of chlorine on our skin. All the lotion on the globe won't make it through that residue...

Seems far fetched to think about but if you realize just what is in your water that you shower in, bathe in and drink from your tap you'll begin to see the reality of it. You can look online at what chlorine alone does to the human body if you dare to. I want to believe that my readers are smart and wise in their decision making. That is why I share these things and hope that someone will in return come to tell me what they see.

Perhaps you could try a filter for a bit to see if I'm wrong. If it doesn't help your skin and hair feel healthier and stronger, softer and more clean in a month let me know! I bet there's no letter coming back to me about my shower filters and bath filters not working!

Thanks for stopping by... if you have a comment, leave it for me and I'll respond.
Until again...

...and you wonder what is in your shower water?

2008-03-10T08:55:00.001-07:00

Today I am awakened by the newspaper smacking the table as my 15 year old son drops it and runs toward the bus stop. It's the news for Monday, March 10th, 2008 and of course the first day of daylight savings time. As I opened the paper I see the front page news that is outlined to be "Part one of three" in a series about how safe our United States drinking water really is...
You're more than welcome to read the entire story by clicking the following link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/03/10/pharma.water1.ap/?iref=hpmostpop (CNN Headline News)

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hGsoyElv4ZL879LW6z2aZS0Pix7AD8VA14500 (Associated Press News)

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/there-are-drugs-in-drinking-water-now-what/?hp (New York Times News)

So ...
Now that you've seen the statistics, what are you going to do? Continue to trust what you can't see or buy a water filter? The choice is yours...

Come see what we can do to provide you with water filtration at a great price at www.itsafilter.com
Until again...

Great debate on what's in the water... SUPER STORY

2008-02-26T06:22:00.001-08:00

I've searched online for information about the products I sell and what they can do verses the cost they levy in order to have them in your home. As with any product there's maintenance and there is no difference in those products I sell.
As I wander the internet and library finding new information on the shower filters I sell and those of the water filtration division I stumble upon some great stories online from professionals that provide their take on what my products can or cannot do and in most instances go to great detail telling their stories. Without further adieu, here's another one - one that is worth the read.
Enjoy!
___________________________________________________________________

The Night I Bought a Water Filter
Joe Schwarcz, Ph.D.
It was a dark and stormy night. Really. There was a knock at the door. The well-dressed gentleman on my doorstep introduced himself and proceeded to ask me a rhetorical question: "Are you interested in good health?" For a moment I pondered putting an end to the encounter by saying, "No, I would rather be cold, hungry, and sick," but I thought better of it. Why not let him have his say? I invited him in.
"I notice you have a tap in the kitchen," he began, quickly demonstrating his keen powers of observation. I admitted that we had, indeed, opted for a house with indoor plumbing, despite the health benefits we might have attained by carrying buckets of well water during the Canadian winter. "You don't actually drink that water, do you?" he went on. As if admitting to a crime, I replied that not only did we drink the tap water, but we also gave it to the cat. This seemed to cause the man grave concern: "It has chemicals in it, you know." I think he was a little taken aback that this bombshell didn't immediately cause me to clutch my throat; he evidently decided that heavier artillery was needed. "Invisible chemicals," he explained. By now I had a pretty good idea where he was going with this, but the time was not yet ripe for a lecture on why "chemical" isn't a four-letter word.
"Would you like to see those invisible chemicals?" he asked. Before I had a chance to ask how anything invisible could be seen, he began unpacking some equipment from his briefcase. The equipment looked impressive. It turned out to be some sort of electrical device fitted with a pair of metal rods that looked like electrodes. Next he asked for a glass of water from my tap. He sniffed it, and, apparently convinced that the liquid was sufficiently toxic, proceeded to immerse the electrodes in it. Then, with a cry of "Watch this!" he plugged the device into a wall socket. Within 30 seconds the water started to turn cloudy, and within a minute it had formed a repulsive yellow scum. "You see!" the man cried triumphantly, implying that by passing an electrical current through the water he had scared those nasty chemicals out of solution. The toxIns had been comfortably dissolved, it seems, until the fear of being electrocuted prompted a mass exodus.
Then came the coup de grâce. He extracted a water filter from his bag and attached it to the tap. He proceeded to subject the filtered water to the same kind of electrocution as had been experienced by my "toxin-laden" tap water, but this time the results were dramatically different. There was no yellow sludge, because those invisible, noxious chemicals had been "filtered out." Surely, the couple of hundred dollars this miraculous filter cost was a small price to pay for my family's health. But if I was still unconvinced, the salesman told me, he had lots of documentation to support his claims. Out came newspaper clippings about the various dangers that lurked in tap water, including expert testimony on how chlorine had been used as a poison gas during World War I. Again he reached into his bag. I waited for him to pull out a gas mask -- I'd been wondering how he had dared to confront a lethal water tap without suitable protection in the first place. But no, instead of a gas mask, he grabbed a bottle of ortho-tolidine. He informed me that this substance would reveal the presence of chlorine in water by turning yellow. Sure enough, my tap water contained chlorine.
Now the man asked me to place a couple of fingers in a fresh glass of tap water and wait a few minutes. He tested the water again with ortho-tolidine, and this time there was no telltale yellow color. The toxic chlorine, he insisted, had been absorbed into my body. Exactly the same process occurred, I was told, every time I took a shower. No need to give up showers, though: the filtered water had no chlorine residue, and he had a filter that would fit any shower. With this dramatic demo, my lesson in toxicology and chemistry came to an end.
It wasn't easy, but I bit my tongue and made it all the way through. I didn't even react when the salesman talked about "soaring cancer rates," "bodies overburdened with toxins," and "scientists brewing up deadly chemical mixes." I resisted pointing out that the average life expectancy lengthens every year and that while some cancers are increasing, others are declining. I didn't even mention that the introduction of water chlorination was probably the greatest public health advance in history. But now it was my turn. Time for me to give a little chemistry lesson.
I began by picking up the glass of yellowed, scummy tap water, the one in which those nasty chemicals were no longer invisible, and raising it to my lips. Before the salesman had a chance to stop what must have seemed like a suicide attempt, I downed the contents. At this point the poor man's face turned the color of the liquid in the glass. He must have thought I was mad. But I knew that I wasn't taking any risks; I'd figured out what was happening. The yellow sludge wasn't coming from invisible chemicals that had been jolted out of solution. It was coming from one of the electrodes. Electrolysis is a commonly performed chemical procedure in which two electrodes are immersed in water and a current is passed between them. This causes water to break down into oxygen and hydrogen. But if one of the electrodes is made of iron, it reacts with water to form a precipitate of yellow iron hydroxide -- or rust.
So, all I was doing was drinking a little rust, just a form of iron supplement, I explained to the incredulous salesman. I decided to punctuate my little performance by taking his glass of filtered water, adding a few grains of salt, and subjecting it to a current. Within seconds the familiar yellow scum formed. The salesman watched in awe. What kind of a magician was I? He was confused. I explained to him that water conducts electricity only when it has ions dissolved in it, and his filter had removed these ions. Therefore, no scum. But when I added a little salt, electricity flowed through the water and allowed the iron electrode to rust. To prove my point, I replaced the iron electrode with an aluminum one and invited him to torture my tap water with his apparatus once again. Since this time he used no iron electrode, there was no scum.
Next we tackled the chlorine problem. I drew two glasses of tap water and placed them on the table. I inserted a couple of fingers in one and asked the salesman to hold the other. A few minutes later we tested each for chlorine content. Neither glass had any. Chlorine, I explained, evaporates. It goes into the air, not into the skin. I wasn't sure how effective my arguments and demonstrations had been. The salesman pointed out that the scum had formed with tap water and not with filtered water, so the filter had done something. I couldn't argue with that logic.
Certainly, this was not the only occasion that I'd found myself listening to curious chemical stories and bewildering claims. The business of bringing science to the public through books, newspapers, radio, and television tends to prompt requests for consultations. Over the last 20 years or so, an assortment of entrepreneurs has visited me at home or at my office either to solicit my opinion on a product or to entice me into a "can't lose" business venture based on some miraculous cure-all. I've seen and heard everything: crystals, magnets, pyramids, countless dietary supplements, convoluted weight-reduction schemes, special oils, oxygenated liquids, deoxygenated liquids, odor removers, odor-producers, exotic juices, ionizing bracelets, herbal concoctions, antioxidants of every description, parasite-killers, therapeutic glasses, foot deodorants, water magnetizers, blankets that heal, and charcoal-laden underwear that counters the effects of bean consumption.
By and large, the people I've met, and continue to meet, are well meaning and not out to defraud others. But they do share an unrealistic and overly simplistic view of the way the world works. They recklessly bandy about terms like "toxIns," "chemicals," and "poison" while misguidedly revering "natural" substances. Most possess only the vaguest understanding of molecules, chemical reactions, and research methods. They have little appreciation of the power of the placebo or the confusion that can be created by undue reliance on anecdotal evidence. True, science does not have all the answers and scientists do make mistakes, but sticking to the scientific method is still our best shot at progress.
Much of my professional work attempts to demystify science -- to provide a few scientific glimpses into the workings of our complex world. I hope that by offering explanations for a variety of common phenomena, I can help others understand how the scientific method functions and, at the same time, lay down a solid foundation for critical thinking.
That, of course, was just what I had in mind as I met with the water-filter salesman. I could lead him to water, but could I make him drink it? My demos and explanations may have had some effect, because when I offered him a cup of coffee, he happily sipped it, despite the fact that it had been brewed with water from my tap. It was then that I decided I had tormented the poor soul enough and that I should reward him for sitting through my chemistry lecture. He just about fell off his chair when I said I would buy a filter. Of course, my decision had nothing to do with his irrelevant demonstrations. I had been contemplating purchasing a filter, anyway. These devices do remove a number of undesirable substances that escape municipal treatment -- trihalomethanes, for one. While chlorine unquestionably saves millions of lives by killing bacteria that can cause disease, we do pay a small price for using it. Chlorine reacts with some dissolved organic compounds to produce trihalomethanes, which are carcinogenic. Activated carbon filters remove these, as well as a variety of other pollutants. U.S. and Canadian water-quality standards call for limiting trihalomethanes to 100 parts per billion (ppb). Whereas the risk of drinking tap water is very small compared with other risks we face, it is easily reduced by using (and properly maintaining) a good filter. In addition, I believe that water tastes better when it is free of chlorine residues.
So, I wrote a check for the filter, gave my new friend a chemistry text, and hoped that he would reap some benefit from our visit. The night, I thought, had been dark and stormy for him in more ways than one. I watched through the window as he braved the weather and headed towards the next house. The the man who was so worried about the chemicals in my tap water paused for a moment, reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit up.
-story copied from http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/filter.html -Thanks for a super story Doc!

So, what IS in your water?

2008-02-25T09:07:00.000-08:00

A lot of people would like to know the answer to this question but the problem is that they don't know where to get the data. Let me make it a bit easier for you. Click the following link: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html

You can now click on your corresponding state and then go further into your city and municipality and find out for yourself what you drink and bathe in every single day. Some may not want to know while others are ok with what they're ingesting but I wanted to know. Let's look at my city, state and US locale...
Last save date for Columbia, SC - 2006 for the 2005 test year. It is over 3 years out of date. Nice to know hey?
For Charleston: Nothing on file. Not that they have anything to hide but that it is simply not available via the world wide web currently.
The Columbia publication that can be pulled up has general data on how they can provide to you as a consumer any data you may want to see. Seems nice enough but there's no indication on what is in your water. Moving along...
I checked out the former cities I've resided in. Let's see how they come out:
Clarksville, AR - http://oaspub.epa.gov/enviro/sdw_report_v2.first_table?pws_id=AR0000289&state=AR&source=Surface_water&population=9055&sys_num=0
Here's what was found as a violation in their water:
Microbiological Contaminants: Total Coliform. Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a warning of potential problems.
Fecal Coliform/E coli. Fecal coliforms and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

Anyone up for purchasing a filter for their shower now?

There's so much that we as a society take for granted. All of us from time to time think that everyone is doing their jobs and all is well with all things. It simply isn't true and not everyone is doing what they know to do. It's not safe to assume anything anymore when relating to your health and or well being. Let's take a look at a few more places that I've lived.

Ada, OK: http://oaspub.epa.gov/enviro/sdw_report_v2.first_table?pws_id=OK2006201&state=OK&source=Groundwater&population=15691&sys_num=0
More of the same like Arkansas had as violations.

Texarkana, TX: http://oaspub.epa.gov/enviro/sdw_report_v2.first_table?pws_id=TX0190027&state=TX&source=Purch_surface_water&population=231&sys_num=0
This town has much more than just fecal matter floating in it's residents tap water.

These are just a few reasons why you should consider making an investment for your own life. Shower filters, travel water filters, and whole house filters are an investment into your own life. Whether you're looking for just the right price or looking to find the solution to your questions on how safe is your water, Its A Filter has something for everyone. From the economical to the full house filtration systems - we have you filtered, um... covered. :)
Remember to take a look at your own area and if you're still needing assistance on what to choose, give us a shout! We'll be glad to help you find the right water filtration product for your needs.

Until again...
Michelle

The EPA Speaks out about our water

2008-02-18T06:49:00.000-08:00

I was doing some searching this weekend, what little time I did have to search between projects, and found some interesting information online about what the EPA has to say about what really is in our drinking water. It seems that the information that I really would like to share with you all is just out of reach, but not without some effort from those who are keeping it from us. It is perfectly ok. My tenacity is only provoked by looking for what is well hidden.

Being informed about what it is you are consuming is something that we all should be aware of and understand that correct information will keep us healthy and happy for years to come. You could boil your water everyday and keep it clean that way but boiling takes out both good and bad substances; leaving your water worthless to you even as a filler. Take note to some new information that came out last year in May about water and you through the perceptions of our own United States EPA:

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. EPA sets standards for approximately 90 contaminants in drinking water. EPA's standards, along with each contaminant's likely source and health effects, are available at www.epa.gov/safewater/mcl.html.

Contaminants in our water:
*Microbes
*Fecal Coliform and E coli
*Turbidity
*Cryptosporidium
*Giardia lamblia

*Radionuclides
*Alpha emitters
*Beta/photon emitters
*Radon

*13 Inorganic contaminants (not listed here).
*Arsenic
*Flouride
*Lead
*32 Synthetic Inorganic contaminants including pesticides and herbicides (not listed here).
*21 Volatile Inorganic contaminants (not listed here).
(To see the most current health effects information for each of these contaminants, please visit www.epa.gov/safewater/mcl.html.)

This list does NOT include all the disenfectants that we can find in our water along with inorganic wastes that are not properly purified through our treatment plants.

It is really up to us all to know the facts, make sure that we are doing our part in helping the overall health of our environment and give back to the earth what it produces for us, faithfully, every day - all day. Even when we aren't aware of it, our earth is working hard to take care of us. We should do the same for it. It's ours to use, utilize and keep in the best shape and we have do take care of this earth. What can one person do to make a difference? Realize you're not alone in making it happen. There are millions just like you that want to make a difference. Buying a shower head that is filtered will help you see the benefits of cleaner water in your own life. Its a matter of beginning somewhere. Why not in your own home? Why not in your personal life before you try to save the globe? Start at home... start with considering what is in your water and do your best to clean that up. Then share what you've learned and suggestions to those who are ready to make a difference, too.
Until again...

Come see us at http://www.itsafilter.com and check out our wide selection of shower filtration. Keep checking back as we're always adding a new line of water filtration for home/office/RV. Thanks!

Benefits of Cleaner Water

2008-02-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

There's so many positive aspects to having filtered water. One of the greatest advantages is knowing your water is cleaner. Filters cannot possibly take out all the threats that this earth has to offer but they certainly do ease one's mind when you sip a cup of tea or coffee from your favorite cup. I've brought up some serious issues regarding unfiltered water and recommendations to filtering it but I'd like to bring to light some of the positive aspects to purchasing water filters for your home (or wherever you'd like to have it).

•Water filters provide better tasting and better smelling drinking water by removing chlorine and bacterial contaminants.
•Point-of-use water filters remove lead from drinking water immediately prior to consumption, thus preventing this harmful substance from entering the body.
•The purchase of a countertop filter results in a source of clean, healthy water that costs much less than bottled water.
•A solid block carbon water filter can selectively remove dangerous contaminants from drinking water while retaining healthy mineral deposits that balance the pH of drinking water.
•Drinking clean, filtered water protects the body from disease and leads to overall greater health.

Better taste is one of the first things we consider when ordering meals out or cooking at home. It's the appeal of having something flavorful and delicious in front of us that will bring us back to it. Water has long since lost its savor to many westerners but it's making a comeback. People are realizing the great value of water like never before. It's the thought that something we've always had with us could be so useful and taste so good. At least when its clean. Having hard water or tasting water that has heavy chemicals in it makes it almost impossible to drink. I've tasted water from municipalities and from wells. I've had some of the best and unfortunately, some of the worst. Best is much better.
As a life long fisherman, I've been around long enough to see the effects of those old time lead fishing weights and the impact on our water supplies that they are having. Ever lost your "hook, line and sinker"? Well, years ago, that is exactly what happened in the rivers, lakes, streams and tributaries. Thus, making a volatile situation that would unfold just mere decades away and pollute our waterways with the harmful effects of lead. Lead has the reputation of lethal because our bodies cannot process this metal and it's poisoning effects on the human body. It's not just killing the wildlife! Water filters play a key role in cleaning the lead out of our drinking water.
Filters at home are just cheaper than buying bottle after bottle in the stores. You can refill your thermos and or carry cup so that you've always got fresh drinking water. There are gravitational, portable water filters that you can buy these days to filter on demand!

Knowing that you're water is more safe to drink because you've made the effort provides you with a sense of accomplishment and the simple knowledge that you're doing what you can to improve your life and health as well as those around you. It is each one of our responsibilities to do the best we can with what we have so that we can leave this planet in a better position than what it was given to us. It's our legacy...

Please let me know what you think! I'd love to have your feedback. It's how we learn. We teach one another. Thanks so much for reading!
Come see us at http://www.itsafilter.com for our wide selection of shower filters and more. Keep checking back as we're always adding new lines of water filtration for home/office/RV. Thanks!

2005 Investigation of our water sources here in the great US...

2008-02-12T05:57:00.000-08:00

"Source: EWG analysis of water utility test data for 1998-2003,
compiled and provided to EWG by state drinking water offices."

Taking a look at our latest information online that we're provided as a population of Americans makes me wonder why our Government would share such things. It's not that we want to look for the worst case scenario but what options are we given?
When I began our online shower filter business (that, by the way, also deals with many other water filter options) I didn't realize the impact that my business will have on the lives of those who choose to do something positive for their family. I had many of the same questions about why I'd buy this filter and what would be the benefit of the purchase. I'm seeing the benefits now as my skin clears up. My dry skin is no longer dry and my hair is more hydrated. It takes less shampoo to wash my hair. I rinse cleaner than I did prior to using the filter. Just lots of things I'm noticing. Not just on my own personal body either. The shower doesn't require bi-daily scrubbing because of soap scum removal. I don't have to use such harsh chemicals to clean my shower and the mold and mildew isn't as prominent. It's amazing what this seems to be doing.
I did some research and found an interesting article online and if you'd like to see for yourself, please click HERE to view the article. I'm going to post a few of the points it made and let you be the deciding vote on finding a better way to have cleaner water.

♦ Comment 1: Tap water in 42 states is contaminated with more than 140 unregulated chemicals that lack safety standards, according to the Environmental Working Group's (EWG's) two-and-a-half year investigation of water suppliers' tests of the treated tap water served to communities across the country.In an analysis of more than 22 million water pollution tests, most of which were required under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, EWG found that water suppliers across the U.S. detected 260 of pollutants tested in water served to the public. One hundred forty-one (141) of these detected chemicals — more than half — are unregulated, legal in tap water at any level regardless of potential health risks.

♦ Comment 2: In an analysis of more than 22 million tap water quality tests, most of which were required under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, EWG found that water suppliers across the U.S. detected 260 contaminants in water served to the public. One hundred forty-one (141) of these detected chemicals — more than half — are unregulated; public health officials have not set safety standards for these chemicals, even though millions drink them every day.

♦ Comment 3: Of the 141 unregulated contaminants found in tap water, 40 were detected in tap water served to at least one million people. while 20 unregulated contaminants were detected in just one system, only one time.

♦ Comment 4: Altogether, the unregulated chemicals that pollute public tap water supplies include the gasoline additive MTBE; the rocket fuel component perchlorate; at least 15 chemical by-products of water disinfection; four industrial plasticizers called phthalates linked to birth defects and reproductive toxicity; 78 chemicals used in industrial and consumer products; and 20 chemical pollutants from gasoline, coal, and other fuel combustion.

♦ Comment 5: The U.S. population is growing at a rate of one person every 10 seconds. If we fail to undertake a national, coordinated initiative to control pollution from growth and sprawl, consumers can expect ever-growing loads of these pollutants in tap water supplies. If we fail to modernize health protections for drinking water exposures, we can expect health risks to increase.

So, knowing this information, are we liable to do something? Is it time to do something different? Doing something with a bit of information to support what you do helps. It's the world we are leaving for our children and grandchildren. It is the world that our forefathers have left to us. There have been so many changes in our lives from 1900 to now. Why did we not notice that our earth to which we reside was not being protected in our changing world?

Shower filters are not the totality of answers. In-line water filters, kitchen water filters and whole house water filters are not the complete and final answer to the overlaying problems but it is a start. It is a step in a responsible direction for your home and your family. Next, look at ways you can do something to help others be educated and aware. It's one time in our lives that everything we do will have an impact on our water planet.

Until again...
Michelle Lewis, Owner
Its A Filter
http://www.itsafilter.com
"There's Always a Sale at Its A Filter"

Shower filters?

2008-02-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

Why invest in a shower filter? Here's some reasons to consider:

1. Cleaner water to bathe/shower in.
It's important to understand there are things in your water that you may not want to bathe in. Take a look at these facts by NRDC:

♦ A 1994 study estimated that some 14.1 million Americans drank water contaminated with the pesticides atrazine, cyanazine, simazine, alachlor, and metolachlor.

♦ ...water utilities have been less than forthcoming with information about their drinking water supplies and the efficacy of their purifying methods. While the primary concern of most water utilities is delivering safe drinking water -- and a large number readily share their water quality data with the public -- many insist on erecting barriers between the public they serve and information about the water they supply.

♦ William K. Reilly, Administrator of the EPA under the Bush Administration, classified drinking water contamination among the top four public health risks posed by environmental problems. Some experts estimate that 560,000 people become moderately to severely ill each year from consuming contaminated water. About 10,700 bladder and rectal cancers each year may be associated with THMs and their chemical cousins. That translates into about thirty cancers per day.

Because we don't know does not protect us. Has poor filtered water, poorly treated water played a role in your overall health? How will you know?

One more article for you before I present my point of view to us all. I will invite any person to let me know their opinion on this blog but I must remind you that the proof is 'in the pudding' and you won't know until you want to know, or not - however the evidence presents itself.

♦ One study sheds light on the grave situation in which our ignorance places us. Researchers installed sophisticated under-the-sink filters in a number of homes served by a water system meeting all current standards for water treatment, including filtration and disinfection. Then they tracked the number of illnesses in these homes, as well as the illnesses in homes served by the same water system but which lacked the sophisticated filters. What the researchers found was as surprising as it was troubling: significantly higher rates of people who did not have the filters became sick compared with those whose water was filtered. The researchers estimated that "35 percent of the reported [gastrointestinal] illnesses among tap water drinkers were water-related and preventable."

This is not the age that our parents grew up. It is our responsibility as residents of this great planet to put in place a set of directives and values to protect what is of vital necessity. Water. There's no 'new and improved' anything and certainly not water. We cannot create more water. What we have on this planet is all there is for us here and it is truly a resource. It is a tool for us to use, protect and keep in the highest degree of purity that we can provide. The water you drank this morning that was filtered through your refridgerator may have travelled from Europe in the form of rain - or as close as a barnyard in Your Town, USA. Who's to know what the 'real' process of filtration was. How you can make sure your drinking and providing the cleanest water to your family is up to you. That is something you can control. From shower filters being the quickest remedy for showering, to above and under counter water filters in the kitchen. Finally, for those of you that are serious about keeping the best water in your home/office a whole house water filter will best suit you.
All are economical and priced for greatest value overall. Do you deserve it for a better future?
Come see us at www.itsafilter.com. Go through our products list and see what we have that can help you and your environment. If you don't see something that you would like to consider, email us! We'll be happy to deliver you what you're looking for at an affordable price. Thanks for reading! Please leave your comments here, or email them to us! Tell us your experiences if you're current users of water filters/shower filters/whole house filters. We'd love to hear them!

Until again...
Michelle, Owner
Its A Filter
"There's Always a Sale at Its A Filter"

It is wise to determine in what way your water is contaminated before investing in water filters for personal use. Some filters simply improve the taste and odor of water while doing nothing to remove microbes or toxics. Be sure the filtration capabilities of your filter match the contaminants in your water, and buy only filters certified by an independent testing organization such as NSF International (formerly the National Sanitation Foundation) to remove the contaminants you're concerned about. For example, with potential cryptosporidium contamination, look for a filter that is labeled as meeting "NSF Standard #53 for cyst removal." Consumer Reports and similar magazines review water filters periodically. Always be sure to maintain the filter properly to assure it does not compound the problem.