Would your water supplier overdose you with fluoride? Yup!

FLUORIDE 2 min read

From: WQP

In Sandy, Utah, a do not drink advisory was lifted for 600 residents previously cautioned not to drink from their kitchen taps. Why?

Elevated levels of copper and lead.

The contamination occurred when supply employees inadvertently released undiluted fluoride into their water system for about two days.. The town authority is facing backlash because of its late notification of residents of the potential contamination quickly.

According to The Deseret News, an investigation into the town’s water quality began Feb. 6 when residents reported a potential problem. The state was then notified Feb. 8. Approximately 150 residents reported possible symptoms from drinking contaminated water. Several dogs fell ill as well. While Sandy officials announced Feb. 15 that the water was safe to drink again, the do not drink advisory was reissued until lab results were able to determine the amount of lead and copper concentrations.

Test results from two homes revealed lead levels 26 times higher than the federal threshold and copper levels 22 times higher, according to Utah Division of Drinking Water Director Marie Owens.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll ever be able to know exactly what the homes were exposed to during the 44-hour time frame that the fluoride event was happening,” Owens said. “We can’t go back and retroactively sample that.”

While the do not drink advisory was lifted Feb. 17, many residents still have questions regarding the quality of their water. Residents are questioning whether they need to replace their pipes and copper fittings and have asked the town to test their drinking water.

“What condition are my pipes in right now? What condition is my water heater  in now that I’m not going to be continually exposed?” said Jodi Monaco, resident. “I just want to know. All of us just want to know.”

To their credit, he town is paying for water tests and asks residents to collect water samples. Sandy has been cited by the Utah Division of Drinking Water for failure to adequately notify the public about potential contamination. The agency must be notified of contamination within 24-hours.

“Once I became aware this was more than just a localized event, which was how it was presented to me originally… it was sort of an all-hands-on-deck approach,” said Mayor Kurt Bradburn. “We put everything out on social media. We activated our emergency protocol so we could literally take people door to door and make sure we spoke to them, gave them water, gave them notice. But the point is, we could have done that sooner. And that’s what I deeply apologize on behalf of all residents that we didn’t do that sooner.”

Ian: So.. is this an isolated incident? Unfortunately, no. Here in Australia we were alerted to high fluoride levels on the Gold Coast some years back when the water authority was implementing their new desalination plant.

The Big Question

The question remains: can an off-the shelf water filter cope with this kind of incident. In our view, it`s a no. But there is hope. The UltraStream, (our invention) is an extremely high level performance water filter with a design brief of finding and incorporating the world`s best filtration media. It`s not just talk. We`ve tested its fluoride reduction over the life of the filter and received a reading of 97% removal.

Home Equity Line of Credit Information

The home equity line of credit is a device used by homeowners who want to borrow against the equity in their home. There are several different types of home equity lines of credit. These differences are frequently based on the interest rate charged the homeowner.

Sometimes a home equity line of credit will have variable interest rates. With variable interest rates, the homeowner cannot know for sure from month to month what the interest payment will be. The interest rate on the loan will vary to the same degree as the interest rate set by the Federal Reserve Board.  FHA Loan Limits!

In some cases the home equity line of credit offers a low introductory interest rate. These rates sound attractive, but they hide the fact that the homeowner will later be asked to pay a considerably higher rate. The homeowner needs to read the loan materials carefully in order to learn exactly what the payments could be at a much later date.

Other differences in the home equity line of credit often concern the costs of the application process. Some offers of a home equity line of credit come with a large one-time fee. Other offers for a home equity line of credit might avoid mention of such a fee but then add continuing costs. It is also possible that a home equity line of credit could tack on a balloon payment. This is a sizable payment that is demanded from the homeowner once the period of the offer of credit has ended. Alternate offers for a home equity line of credit could avoid requesting a high balloon payment but instead request much higher monthly payments.  Mortgage Rates!

 If the differences in the various types of home equity lines of credit confuse the homeowner, then it may be better to consider alternatives to the home equity line of credit. The homeowner who does not want to get a home equity line of credit can either takeout a second mortgage or borrow from credit lines that do not use the home as collateral.

In order to borrow from credit lines that do not use the home as collateral the homeowner needs to seek out those who value what he has to offer. Perhaps he owns land in a distant region where the land value is going up. This could possibly be used as collateral on a different type of line of credit. A small business owner who did not want to risk his home for a home equity line of credit might need to think about using the business as collateral.  Go Now!

Decks can add value to your house, but their maintenance and repairs can be costly. It`s important to understand the cost of different types of projects if your deck needs repair.

https://sites.google.com/view/repairdeckcost/

The cost of a deck repair depends on the size, type and amount of work required.

Deck Posts

Deck posts play a vital role in your outdoor living area. They are often integral to the aesthetics and function of your deck. They can rot very quickly if water penetrates and breaks them down from the inside.

Replace your deck posts immediately if you notice any signs of rot. Otherwise, they may spread to other parts of the post and become damaged beyond repair.

Repairing a post costs less than completely replacing it. That`s because most of the posts you`ll find are 4×4 or 6×6 stock, pressure-treated lumber from your local home reno store.

Deck Joists

Deck joists play a vital role in the durability and structural strength of your deck. They also help protect the wood from the elements.

It`s crucial to fix rotted joists as quickly as possible. This usually involves sistering a structural member (joist), over the rotten area to strengthen the deck.

If the deterioration is extensive, it may be necessary to replace the entire joist. Otherwise, you can pair sections of a damaged joist with matching dimensional lumber, which should restore the structure to original strength.

You should always use treated lumber when repairing a section that is rotten. It is stronger than untreated lumber and will stand up to the elements for a longer period of time.

Deck Footings

Deck footings are a key component of any deck construction project. The footings spread out the weight of the deck over a wider surface, which prevents the deck support posts from sinking in the ground.

If a deck footing has been built incorrectly, the foundation can heave and collapse, causing severe damage to your house. Repairing this damage can be costly.

Before constructing your deck, survey the soil conditions where your deck will be located and choose a footing type that will best serve your needs. For soft soils, buried post footings may be the best option. Screw piles work better in conditions of hard soil.

If you plan on pouring concrete for your deck footings, check with your local building department to determine the proper size and depth of the poured footing. If your soil is soft or rocky, consider using a wider base footing.

Deck Boards

It`s important to know that deck repairs can vary in price. How much you spend will depend on the type of material, the damage and the complexity.

The cost of deck repairs can be dramatically affected by the choice of high-quality materials, such as mahogany or redwood. These woods may be more expensive than pressure-treated or cedar lumber, but can last longer and resist rot better.

However, the most common type of wood for decks is pressure-treated southern yellow pine. Pressure treatment permeates the wood with chemicals that deter insects, inhibit mold and mildew, and protect it from rot.