Water: The Essential Life Force

It's a common fact that water is an absolute necessity for regulating and maintaining our bodies and their countless functions. Despite the obvious statement that water is essential to our wellbeing, how many of us can actually explain why?

Our bodies, in all of their glorious mysteries, fascinating triumphs, and even shortcomings, provide us with essential clues and the feedback necessary to keep us functioning from day to day. It's our job to navigate our body's roadmap to wellness, and with a few helpful facts and important reminders, we will have you well on your way to a happy, healthy body.

Even as you are reading this, your body is hard at work performing the daily miracles that keep you alive and functioning. Your body is comprised of roughly 60% water, which is essential to many different functions. From maintaining cell life, transporting vital nutrients, enabling and sustaining chemical and metabolic reactions, regulating body temperature, and eliminating harmful toxins, you simply would not be able to function without the help of handy H20. Water is also responsible for protecting and cushioning your organs and spinal cord and powering your brain- basically, water is the driving force of health and vitality.

Water is responsible for powering the blood that circulates oxygen, minerals, vitamins, glucose and other nutrients to every part of your body. It also enables the biochemical breakdown of the food that you eat and clears away the cells rejected waste products through digestion and elimination. Powering every cell through the balance of fluid and electrolytes, there is no cell or bodily function that does not heavily rely on water.

Though the average adult loses more than 80 ounces of water each day through breathing, sweating, and waste elimination, the same person takes in less than 32 ounces of water a day. This is a startling fact, particularly when applied to brain function. The human brain is comprised of approximately 85% water, the life force that provides the brain with the electrical energy to carry out all functions (which explains why you can get a headache when you are dehydrated). From the production of neurotransmitters and hormones to thought and memory processes, brain cells require two times more energy than any other cells in the body, with nerve transmission accounting for half of all the brain's energy.

Maintaining your body's water levels is a necessity. From maintaining the tiniest of molecules and intricate brain functions to powering  the processes your  body completes each moment, drinking water is essential to your health. Factors such as climate, activity level, illness, and pregnancy can change necessary daily intake, but the average adult male should consume around 13 cups of water daily while the average woman's consumption should be about 9 cups to maintain an optimal fluid level.

Equipped with a few essential facts and armed with the awareness of your body's water needs, you're now well on your way to a happier, healthier body. Now go fill up that water bottle!

March Review: Tips to Save Water All Year Long

March was a busy time for the water industry. The Clean Water Act turned 40-years-old, the U.S. EPA hunted down loose faucets and leaks for a week, and March 22nd was World Water Day.

The Safe Drinking Water Act, established in 1974, helped to establish a set of national standards and regulations for all public water suppliers. The federal government provided leadership and funding to help states nationwide to help meet these standards. These nationwide standards help regulate states by meeting federal standards. Minnesota has always had strict water standards even before the federal mandate was issued. This act ensures safety procedures carried out by water suppliers and water treatment facilities. The water has been tested, it is safe to drink, and it has met the standards of the SWDA. 

Walter Mondale, who was U.S. Vice President when the act was passed, said, “Safe drinking water is almost the first requirement of a prosperous community.”

More than 97% of Minnesota water supplies meet all Safe Water Drinking Act standards.

The U.S. EPA, partnering with Water Sense, chased household water-wasters down for a week to reduce annual household waste in its “Fix a Leak Week”. The focus was to reduce household leaks that annually contribute to over one trillion gallons of water wasted nationwide. By fixing or repairing simple maintenances, for instance, a dripping faucet, a running toilet and other leaky valves, it will reduce the cost of water consumption while promoting sustainability.

Tips to Help Save Water Year-round 
· Take a look at your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there are serious leaks.
· Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.
· Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in the bowl after 15 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment to avoid staining the tank.)
· Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for surface leaks.

The UN System raised awareness of the inter-dependency between water and energy on March 22, titled World Water Day. This awareness event reached over 700 million worldwide, highlighting the importance and necessity of clean sources of drinking water in areas that need it most. 

Without water, there would be no life. That is why it is essential for our industry to keep growing, thriving from new innovations, to provide a healthy and dependable resource to those who matter most: you.

Cheers!