Is the water safe?
Is our water supply part of a government conspiracy?
What is the risk to our reservoirs and ground water supplies?

These were questions asked during the 1950's once fluoride adjustments to the water supply began in many American cities in an effort to improve the dental condition of children.

Today these questions are being asked not out of irrational fear of a foreign nation's designs on our teeth and minds, but out of some very real scientific discoveries that foreign agents - as in the chemical kind - are indeed in much of the nation's water supply. It isn't a rumor this time. It's real, and your water supply is likely affected.

Common municipal water treatment has three stages: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary treatment screens solid matter like tires and paper out of the supply. Secondary water treatment usually involves settling and separation of fine solids from liquid. Tertiary treatment can involve natural bacteria to cleanse the water, or reverse osmosis to remove salts and other factors from the water. Often the reclaimed water is pumped back into underground aquifers. Solid wastes are disposed of in a variety of ways, from spreading on non-edible crops to ocean dumping, and the cycle repeats. These methods have served us for generations.

But what if the ground water is contaminated from the beginning? There are many chemicals that can naturally occur in ground water, from high iron concentrations to high salt and mineral concentrations, and many others in between. But for many years, manmade chemicals have been leeching into the groundwater supply, sometimes from fertilizers and runoff; other times ground water is sullied from illegal dumping and even legitimate use by manufacturers, farmers, and industrial users. Sometimes it is from the antibiotics used in cattle and chicken production that wind up in manure, and by virtue of runoff, in the water. Recently, blood thinners, heart medications, and other pharmaceuticals have turned up in municipal ground water supplies.

Traditional water supply management methods do not cleanse the water of rocket fuel. And believe it or not, 35 states and the Colorado River have water supplies tainted by exactly that: perchlorate - rocket fuel is in the water. It is in the lettuce irrigated by Colorado River water. It shares the water with trichloroethylene, an industrial degreaser, and the plants, fish, and other wildlife on earth that use water. In short, it's a big problem that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not yet regulate.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is looking into the problem and holding hearings, but what can we do at home now?

The first thing to do is check your annual "Consumer Confidence Report." The EPA requires all water systems to prepare and deliver these reports annually to their customers. Their reports show the lead concentrations in your water, the presence of E. coli bacteria, and even chlorine. Make no mistake: many municipal water systems are contaminated beyond federal limits for safety and health, so be sure and read the entire report. Private wells are even more problematic because there is no reporting on the well on your lot, and pollution deposited many miles away will migrate. Large plumes of perchlorate exist in the groundwater, and they travel.

EPA maintains a Safe Drinking Water Hotline, (800) 426-4791, where you can find contact information for state-certified testing labs, or local health authority contact information for low-cost, or no-cost home water testing kits. Or click here: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/labs

Think filtration after you've reviewed the state of your particular municipal system and your own test results. Use the information you gather to choose the correct filtration for your needs. Why not just buy bottled water? Because many bottled waters come from municipal water supplies! It is less regulated than tap water, and as a result, is less safe. Additionally, there is a rising concern about the plastic bottles leeching polymers into the water they hold, not to mention the debate over tens of millions of water bottles winding up in our trash each year.

There are reverse osmosis filters for easy under-sink installation, and larger systems for filtering your main water line that require installation by a plumber. There are charcoal filters that are appropriate for certain uses, but may not be effective in others. There are ozone filters that kill bacteria. Some mount on your faucet head and are completely disposable, some employ a cartridge that is to be replaced periodically, and some can be found in a handy pitcher that is kept in your refrigerator.

Whatever type of filtration you might use, begin with a study of your water quality, do your homework on the types of filtration available to serve your particular needs, and enjoy clean water for improved health for yourself and your family.

US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works:
http://epw.senate.gov/public/
US EPA Water:
http://www.epa.gov/ow/
Consumer Reports:
http://www.consumerreports.org

Additional health-related information for seniors can also be found at:
http://www.seniorresource.com/health.htm

A2. TIME TO RE-PLAN RETIREMENT?

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B. DID YOU KNOW...?

Property Tax Postponement
Does your state offer property tax postponement for seniors? California has such a program. Here is how it works:

The Property Tax Postponement Program allows eligible homeowners to postpone payment of part or all of the property taxes on their residence. To participate in this program, the homeowner must complete a claim form and submit it to the State Controller's Office. The claim form must be filed each year the individual desires to have the property taxes postponed. Upon approval of the claim, the State Controller's Office will mail Certificates of Eligibility to the homeowner. The homeowner must mail or take the Certificates of Eligibility to the county tax collector's office to postpone the property taxes due.

More details at http://www.sco.ca.gov/col/taxinfo/ptp/geninfo/description.shtml

Check with your state and/or local government to see if they have a similar program. If they do, let us know and we will let our website visitors know about your state's program. editor@seniorresource.com

Hurricane Readiness
We have seen that a lack of individual preparedness is common with all major hurricane disasters. If you know what to expect and you prepare for it, you can minimize the hurricane effects. A family readiness plan is important. Here are some things to consider in making and executing a plan, courtesy of NOAA/ National Weather Service.

1. Discuss the type of hazards that could affect your family. Know your home's vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind.
2. Locate a safe room or the safest areas in your home for each hurricane hazard. In certain circumstances the safest areas may not be your home but within your community.
3. Determine escape routes from your home and places for your family to meet. These should be measured in tens of miles rather than hundreds of miles.
4. Have an out-of-state friend as a family contact, so that all your family members have a single point of contact.
5. Make a plan now for what to do with your pets if you need to evacuate.
6. Post emergency telephone numbers by your phones and make sure your children know how and when to call 911.
7. Check your insurance coverage flood damage is not usually covered by homeowner's insurance.
8. Stock non-perishable emergency supplies and a Disaster Supply Kit.
9. Take first aid, CPR and disaster preparedness classes.
10. Use a NOAA weather radio. Remember to replace its battery every six months, as you would do with your smoke detectors. Broadcasts are found in the VHF public service band at these seven frequencies (MHz):

See a disaster supply checklist at:
http://www.seniorresource.com/srdisaster.htm

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Bill Moyers -- "Secrecy is the freedom tyrants dream of."

Ken Follett -- "There is no point in asking a man a question until you have established whether he has any reason to lie to you."

Sandra Bernhard -- "Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich."

Joan Rivers -- "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is God's gift, that's why we call it the present."

Dean Martin -- "If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt."

1. U.S. Flag Day
Since 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day on June 14, Americans have commemorated the adoption of the Stars and Stripes by celebrating June 14 as Flag Day. Prior to 1916, many localities and a few states had been celebrating the day for years. Congressional legislation designating that date as the national Flag Day was signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1949; the legislation also called upon the president to issue a Flag Day proclamation every year.

2. World Environment Day 2008
World Environment Day, commemorated each year on June 5, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The World Environment Day slogan for 2008 is "Kick the Habit! Toward a Low Carbon Economy." Recognizing that climate change is becoming the defining issue of our era, UNEP is asking countries, companies and communities to focus on greenhouse gas emissions and how to reduce them. The World Environment Day will highlight resources and initiatives that promote low-carbon economies and life-styles, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation, and eco-friendly consumption.

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Are you ready for digital TV? After February 17, 2009, all full-power television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch to 100% digital broadcasting. Digital broadcasting promises to provide a clearer picture and more programming options and will free up airwaves for use by emergency responders.

Congress created the TV Converter Box Coupon Program for households wishing to keep using their analog TV sets after the transition date. The program allows households to obtain up to two coupons, each worth $40, which can be applied toward the cost of eligible converter boxes.

A TV connected to cable, satellite, or other pay-TV service does not require a TV converter box. Consumers have a variety of options.

Options to explore include:

1. Keep your existing analog TV and purchase a TV converter box. A converter box plugs into your TV and will keep it working after Feb. 17, 2009, or
2. Connect to cable, satellite or other pay service, or
3. Purchase a television with a digital tuner.
   

Need more information? Visit
http://www.dtv.gov

The collection documents the story of the Air Force through the universal language of art. The actions and deeds of Air Force men and women are recorded in paintings by eminent American artists in a way words alone could never tell. These paintings represent the roles and diverse capabilities of the United States Air Force.

Visit the site at
http://www.afapo.hq.af.mil/Presentation/main/Index.cfm

1. Most American car horns honk in the key of F.
2. The name "Wendy" was made up for the book "Peter Pan."
3. Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.
4. Every time you lick a stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie.
5. The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.

A very self-important university freshman attending a recent football game, took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen sitting next to him why it was impossible for the older generation to understand his generation.

"You grew up in a different world. Actually, an almost primitive one," the student said, loudly enough for many of those nearby to hear. "The young people of today grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon, and our spaceships have visited Mars. We have nuclear energy, electric and hydrogen cars, computers with light-speed processing and...," pausing to take another drink of beer.

The senior took advantage of the break in the student's litany and said, "You're right, son. We didn't have those things when we were young. We invented them! Now, tell me, what are you doing for the next generation"?

SPONSOR'S INFORMATION: We welcome appropriate entities to provide sponsorship support. If you are interested please contact us at: publisher@seniorresource.com Do you have an article to share with others? We will consider any appropriate material for this publication. Please send such to publisher@seniorresource.com