The life of abundance

I have had the privilege to interview John Hinds, author of the Amazon best-selling book “What’s in your water“, a book that speaks about the hidden dangers lurking in all forms of potable water. John is also the president and founder of thefreewaterreport.org which is dedicated to bringing awareness and up to date information about the state of our water supply. John thank you for taking some time out to answer some questions.

Sutekh: What event or events sparked the cause for concern about our drinking water?

JH:Great question. There have been a few events that cause concern about our water and the one that sticks out is the AP Story from March 2008 that reported that pharmaceutical drugs were found in the tap water of 28 major U.S. Cities, putting at least 41 million Americans at risk.

Sutekh:That’s very alarming,Is this what inspired you to write this book?

JH: Well, it wasn’t just that. I have done extensive research and discovered that pharmaceutical drugs are just the tip of the iceberg. Approximately 249 million Americans consume tap water (drink, cook and shower) and it’s contaminated with a variety of substances. Weed killer, pesticides, oil and other chemicals have been found in tap water. So, I wrote the book to educate consumers on the dangers of tap water and to provide them with solutions to making it safe again. In fact, even the chlorine that municipalities put in tap water to kill bacteria is harmful to humans.

Sutekh: That is a lot of harmful substances. You mention chlorine, in my own research one issue I found chlorine causes is it allows candida overrun the human body. What kind of effects are these chemicals having on us and how are they getting in there?

JH: Well, basically anything you pour down the drain invariably ends up in our water supply. Also, farm runoff contributes to the contamination of tap water as well as illegal dumping and industrial waste. As far as the health effects, chlorine has been linked to cancer and believe it or not heart disease. Chlorine scars our arteries allowing cholesterol to get trapped inside those scars. And when chemicals, in small amounts, combine in our tap water, they become even more harmful to us. Our immune systems can only handle so much intoxication.

Sutekh: So these chemicals and toxins are in the public water supply, in the taps and showers in our homes and many people in urban areas in particular don’t drink from the tap at all. Some people put stockings over the tap to filter the water it’s so dirty. So they revert to only drinking bottled water, is bottled water safer for us?

JH: Now, that’s the million dollar question. Some brands of bottled water can be safe, depending on the purification methods that were used to purify it. However, the reality is that most brands of bottled water are no better than tap. In fact, they can be even more contaminated because of the plastic containers. The chemicals in some plastic bottles have been known to leech into the bottled water. Those chemicals are called phthlates, which are carcinogenic. Also. bottled water is considered a food and regulated by the FDA, unlike tap water which is regulated under the much stricter guidelines of the EPA.

Sutekh: So essentially the oversight for bottled water is less intensive than the public water supply, and the public water is extremely hazardous. That’s pretty scary.You mention plastics leeching into the bottled water. I’ve seen canteens that advertise not having these harmful plastics. What are the safest forms of water to drink in terms of filtration techniques and what should water be stored in so as to not be contaminated with these plastics?

JH:The safest containers to store water are either glass or stainless steel canteens. There are also some plastic bottles that are phthalate-free and there are bottled water companies marketing them as such. That’s your next safest option. As far as techniques for purifying water, I recommend people use multi-stage carbon filtration systems. Those systems can safely remove any synthetic organic compounds, such as pharmaceutical drugs, and they can also remove the chlorine. In the book, I go into more detail about the criteria a consumer should use in purchasing a filtration system.

Sutekh: Vitally important information. I know you have things to attend to so I just want to ask you a couple of more questions. What is your ultimate goal for your organization thefreewaterreport.org and what can people expect when they sign up?

JH: My ultimate goal is to convince people that purifying water at home is not only healthier but also more economical and convenient than purchasing bottled water. I also want them to recognize that it’s better for our environment because 86% of plastic water bottles end up as litter. Thirdly my goal is raise $2,000,000 for WaterAid, a non-profit organization focused on helping poor countries secure safe drinking water and sanitation. 10% of the royalties from the book are being donated to them. And lastly, people can expect to receive health information on a variety of topics so that they can look and feel younger longer!

Sutekh:Thank you so much John for taking some time out to answer some of these important questions, How can people get in touch with you?

JH:I am glad to have had this opportunity to increase consumer awareness on this topic. People can contact me at support@thefreewatereport.org or call me at (848) 467-0695.