Drinking Water
Berkeley Parents Network >
Advice >
Advice about Health >
Drinking Water
|
Water for Kids and Families
|
Babies and Water
Related Pages
|
April 2008
Do you think the tap water in Berkeley is safe to drink? I'm
trying to stay away from plastic and am thinking of retiring
my trusty Brita but I also am leery of drinking tap water,
especially since I'm pregnant. Does anyone know which is the
lesser of two evils?!
Kellie
Well, Britta is still better than tap water in my opinion. Best
is a reverse osmosis filter and then a solid carbon filter.
Britta is better than nothing, just don't leave the pitcher
sitting in the sun. I personally drank spring water during my
pregnancy because I didn't want to drink chlorine and flouride
along with all the water I was drinking.
filters are best
Berkeley, like the rest of Alameda county, is served by EBMUD. EBMUD
water is
probably the best in the country, and among the best in the world.
We are lucky to
have such excellent water. You shouldn't need to filter it, unless
you just don't like the
taste.
Love Our Local Tap Water!
I live in Berkeley and see tiny grey & black particles coming
through the tap water frequently. I would not trust the tap
water. We used to have the Brita pitcher, but recently switched
to the Brita attached to your faucet. So much better! Always
enough water to fill up a pot and always clean water to rinse
organic fruit. Can't believe we didn't get it sooner! Bought it
at Elephant Pharm.
Heike Helmer
Yes, the water from the East Bay Municipal Utility District is
the best I know of. Danny Wan, X Oakland city council member
says that if you are buying bottled water you are throwing away
your money 'cus EBMUD water is better. It is also tested so you
can verify.
I drink it unfiltered without worries. Oh, yes it tastes great.
EBMUD will also give you rebates to buy high efficiency toilets
and clothes washers. I know of no better water utility.
EBMUD water is one thing you can be happy about.
George
Tap water in Berkeley is fine. The only I don't like is the
added flouride so I bought a reverse osmosis water filter. It's
a bit wasteful waterwise, but we only use it for drinking water
and ice. I say drink the tap water or get a reverse osmosis
filtering system if you are really worried. (I also stopped
using Brita because of the plastic water containers.)
Anon
Regarding Brita filters and pitchers: My husband inquired
directly with the company, and here is the reply he received:
''The pitcher lids and filter housings are made of Polypropylene
plastic. The reservoirs and pitchers are made either from NAS (a
Styrene based plastic) or SAN (Styrene Acrylonitrile). The
soft-touch handles are made from an elastomer called Santoprene
(not to be confused with Latex or Neoprene). Our products do not
contain any bisphenol A and are all tested by the NSF (National
Sanitation Foundation) for safety and wetted contact.
Unfortunately the pitcher materials are not recyclable, and
therefore do not have a plastic number.'' I don't know if this
information helps or hurts, but there it is.
Katie
I was a water quality chemist for EBMUD for 4 years. The water is
wonderful if you live in Berkeley or Oakland. People in Richmond
get water from San Pablo Dam which isn't as good as the Sierra
water. The people at EBMUD are very dedicated to doing a good
job. Unfortunately I found the job boring.
alita
June 2007
Does anyone know if the Berkeley tap water is ok to drink, not
filtered? Our pediatrician says it's ok to mix straight tap
water to make our babys formula. The pipes in/around our house
have been updated, but I don't know about the city's water pipe
system. Anyhow, has anyone done mixed formula with tap water?
Thanks!!
kate
Yes, Berkeley tap water is good. I am using it to make formula
for my baby for three months now after our pediatrician said
berkeley tap water is good. My baby didn't show any stomach
upsets or anything like that.
ad
Our water has chloromine in it, which is a mixture of chlorine and ammonia. It kills
fish, you have to treat it before replacing aquarium water. I think EBMUD says it's
fine to drink, but I have a filter on my tap at home which filters this out (among
other things). I wouldn't give it to my baby, child, teenager or friends. I hope
that
helps.
anon
Please tell me that you are joking!
Berkeley tap water is fantastic water! It is great for adults, kids, pets, plants
and
babies. We have been making formula for our kid with tap water-- unboiled,
unfiltered, without first subjecting it to gamma radiation since she was born. It is
DRINKING water, in which we are lucky enough to also be able to shower and bathe.
It comes from the Sierra Nevada, from one of the finest sources for a metropolitan
area-the Mokelumne River. You want mountain water? That's what we have, and the
good news is that you are already paying for it. Furthermore, by drinking tap water
you will not need to contribute to the massive waste problem that bottled water is
creating, both in all the bottles that need to be disposed of and the energy used to
truck that stuff across the country.
If you lived in India, Africa, or even Mexico, this would be a valid issue, but you
live
in Berkeley!
Enjoy the water, and teach your children to drink from the tap, not the bottle.
its fine
The water provided to Berkeley via EBMUD is from the Pardee
Reservoir, and is excellent in quality. There is no need to
filter it, unless you are not confient of the pipes in your
house. If you have had new, copper water pipes installed (these
are the best) then your water should be fine.
Installing a water filter for your drinking water can actually
increase tooth decay in your family, if they do not receive
fluoride through other sources (fluoride rinses, school drinking
water, fluoride toothpaste, etc.)
Once we changed out the old steel pipes in our Craftsman house,
our drinking water issues were resolved, and we have no more
problems. If your pipes were recently replaced, be sure to
clean out the aerators at the taps in the kitchen and baths,
since sometimes the debris from the old steel pipes may still be
in there.
Also, your water heater may have substantial debris in it from
the old pipes; flushing it out with a garden hose attached to
the spigot at the bottom will remove this (you should do this
annually anyway, to lengthen the life of your water heater.)
Making sure your water heater isn't any higher than 120 F. will
eliminate the chance of scalding as well.
Good luck!
Clean Water in Berkeley
The water we get in the Bay Area is superb. Some of the best
anywhere in the world. I have used it extensively to fill up
formula bottles with good results. We use a Brita filter to
remove some of the chlorine smell and taste, though. But that's
just a preference and it's not strictly necessary.
I researched this extensively with EBMUD some time back.
I found peace of mind after purchasing a water test kit, which can be
found on a
website such as www.watersafetestkits.com
I think I paid around $20 to test for e.coli, lead, pesticides,
nitrates, chlorine, hardness
and ph. All turned out fine. After reading recent reviews of bottled
water, I would much
prefer to drink from my home tap, where I at least know the source of
the water (check
out EBMUD's annual reviews).
Stacey
May 2007
Hi. I wanted to know when our baby should start drinking
water. She is 8 1/2 months old and she eats 85% breastmilk and
15% oatmeal/babyfood fruit. Does she not drink water until the
breastfeeding stops? Thank you so much.
ET
Just be sure you give water whenever she's sweating or eating dry
foods. More often won't hurt, but at least do it then so she's
not thirsty.
3 under 4
I read to start giving a little water when solid foods are first
introduced. I did, but didn't push it very strongly (I don't
think our daughter understood how the sippy cup worked at
first). She got very constipated, until she started drinking
some water with her solid food meals. So, yes, start giving some
water now. Especially during this hot weather!
Sarah
The American Academy of Pediatrics actually states that ''until
your baby starts eating solid foods, he'll get all the water he
needs from breastmilk or formula.''
anon
All of my kids drank water from a bottle right out of the
hospital. I'm not sure why your child is the age it is &
hasn't. Were you advised against it? I've never heard of such
advice. I have three children, the eldest almost 16 & they all
started drinking water from a bottle after being born then
graduated to sippy cups.
Michelle
Now.
Mommy of 3
Kelly Mom has good advice about this:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/baby-water.html
Andi
Water doesn't replace breastmilk, of course. It's just a normal
part of the human diet which can and should be introduced at
about the same time solid foods are introduced. Offer your baby
a sippy cup or trainer cup of water with her solid meals and let
her experiment with it. Of course, while she's still nursing a
lot and her ''solid'' foods are still pretty wet, she doesn't need
a lot of extra fluids, so don't push it if she doesn't seem to
actually swallow much of it -- but this is a good time for her
to begin learning to use a cup and to get used to drinking
water. She should probably drink more by the time she's eating
table foods as a more significant part of her diet, typically
between 9 and 18 months. (Incidentally, it's a good idea to
start offering her finger/table foods. If she likes eating and
is good at swallowing the oatmeal and pureed fruit, it's time to
move on to cereal bits, larger chunks of soft fruit/veg, ground
meats.)
Holly
April 2007
Looking for a safe bottle for using to drink tap water,
day-to-day. For environmental and possible health reasons, we
don't like using bottled water bottles. But, there is some
concern re: re-using bottles w/ water in case of bacteria
contamination. Any recommendations on a bottle that is good for
this purpose - using day-to-day for carrying around tap water to
drink? Any recommendations for ensuring their cleanliness too,
i.e. bacteria free. Thank you.
Michele
Sigg stainless steel bottles--sold at Whole Foods, Elephant
Pharmacy, etc. Lightweight, very clean, highly reusable. Just
be careful about dropping and denting them!
CC
Klean Kanteen makes stainless steel bottles that are great.
There's no lining (which Sigg bottles have -- they tend to get
unsettling deposits in them). If you're just using water in them
you can simply clean them with a vinegar/water mixture, or you
can put them in the dishwasher. They are excellent, and come in
lots of sizes including a ''sippy cup'' size, which you can use
with an Advent sippy adapter. You can get sport top or screw top
caps. The Ecology Center sells them at their store and at the
Berkeley farmers markets. The website is www.kleankanteen.com.
Annie
Any of the polypropylene (#5) bottles are fine. I got one at the
big longs on 51st. Actually I bought several. THey work great,
they have a lid that stays closed and doesn't leak, and you
really don't have to worry about bacteria if you clean it just
like you'd clean anything else. I did buy a nice avent bottle
scrubber (the standard ones are too flimsy), and I clean it w/
soap & water, and sometimes put it in the dishwasher. Avoid the
bottles with built in straws. You really can't keep those clean.
In general, just look at the lid and the bottle and see if there
are any parts that you can't reach with a brush or sponge, and
avoid any bottle that can't be cleaned. Don't worry-you'll do
fine. I suppose you could periodically soak with water and a drop
or two of bleach, or a little vinegar if you're really worried,
but it's not necessary.
Try a Sigg bottle. They work very well -- no funky tastes --
and even come in toddler sizes which works great for our son in
preschool. I have seen them at Whole Foods for the price of a
small home, but you can buy them online for much cheaper. I
think the url we used was something like reusablebags.com or
similar. I think that kid place on College Avenue has them as
well.
well hydrated
I use Sigg water bottles for both my daugther and myself. It's
stainless steel, comes in different designs and sizes, doesn't
leak and cleans well with soap and water. I know people who
also like Klean Kanteen for adults and kids. Here's a link to
some reviews on these and where to find information
http://www.organicpicks.com/category/30107&name=Feeding_Accessories&tid=30&tree=Babies__a__Kids_p_30%2CBabies___a___Kids_p_30%2CFood__a__Nutrition_p_30001
Cynthia
See the Swiss-made SIGG aluminum water bottles from
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/reusable-bottles-sigg-bottles-
c-19_33.html (and probably elsewhere) -- they are, according to
the website, ''reusable...ultra-lightweight, durable, great
looking, 100% recyclable and, most importantly, safe'' -- and
really cute, too. They come in grown-up and kid sizes/styles.
I'm about to order some for our family.
Less plastic
The best ones that I have found and use all the time are Klean
Kanteens, all stainless steel (with no plastic inner lining that
can often contain harmful chemicals) they come with an optional
sport top. I don't know if some local stores carry them, but you
can buy them online at www.kleankanteen.com.
You mentioned that for health reasons you don't want to use
plastic bottles and that you want to use your water bottle for
tap water. Since tap water can also contain contaminants that
cause health problems I would also suggest that you get a good
water purifier for your tap. The local health food stores sell
great ones for about $100.
Nicole
The Kleen Kanteen is an all-stainless steel bottle that might
work for you. (It's supposed to be a little better than the
aluminum bottles because it doesn't require an epoxy or ceramic
lining to make it food safe). I also just use a clear glass
bottle (former HonestTea bottle) for keeping water with me at the
office. I like it because I can see how clean it is and how much
water I have. I don't know about the bacteria issues you mention
with re-use, wouldn't simply washing the bottle take care of that?
safely hydrated
April 2007
My family is addicted to fizzy water (Calistoga, Pelligrino,
etc.), so much so that we go through about 20 bottles a week.
Lately, we've been hating ourselves for the amount of plastic
bottles we see in our recycler and realize that we need to make a
change...but we don't want to give up fizzy water! Any
suggestions for more eco ways to perhaps make bubble water at home?
Thanks,
Guilty Guzzlers
i am addicted to it too, and am looking for alternatives. not
only the bottle thing, but the environmental cost to ship water
long distances is hefty. in the sf chronicle's green guide
last week, there was mention of a home ''fizzing'' device. i've
also read a while back about a local service that carbonates
water and does home delivery--can't remember the name but i
think it's on the peninsula; i calculated the price and it was
higher than buying bottled water at costco.
Here's an idea:
http://coffeetea.about.com/od/water/a/carbonation.htm
http://www.easywhip.com/soda-siphons.html
Hope it helps. I know other families that have done this. You
may have to search around a bit more to get exactly what you
want, but it's a lead.
Samantha
My family is the same. Feeling guilty about the amount of plastic
we were 'recycling', I saw a van for a company called 'Selzer
Sisters' and called them. They deliver excellent (much better
than store bought) selzer to your door in containers that get
returned and reused when empty. They aren't cheap mind you, but
we feel it's worth the extra money since it's such a great
product and service.
guilty no more
I think this might be more of a recommendation than advice but check out
the
Seltzer Sisters at www.seltzersisters.com They deliver seltzer water
and the bottles
are continually reused (when they drop off your next delivery they pick
up your old
bottles to refill). A friend of mine has been getting their deliveries
for years and
loves them. They deliver all over the Bay Area.
Fellow fizzy lover
Filtered tap water (Brita filter, and I live in Berkeley),
chilled with a slice of lemon, is actually quite tasty. If it's
good enough for Chez Panisse, it's good enough for me!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117650064931669567-search.html?KEYWORDS=filtered+tap+water&COLLECTION=wsjie/6month
Or you can buy one of those seltzer water bottles if you want to
make your own fizzy water.
Former Pelligrino addict
You could try Seltzer Sisters, a service that delivers 10-20
re-usable 2 liter bottles of seltzer to your door as often as
once a week. When you have used all the seltzer, you leave the
empty bottles for the company to pick up and they re-fill and
re-distribute them. They deliver throughout the Bay Area. We
have been using their service for several years now and are quite
happy with it. You can find out more at
http://www.seltzersisters.com/
molly
Check out Soda Club:
http://www.sodaclubusa.com/default.htm
We've been making our own fizzy water using their equipment for a
couple of years now and really like it. We got the Edition 1 model.
Karen
We make our own with a 1-liter seltzer bottle and charger. The
bottle cost about $50 and the chargers (cartridges) are about
50-75 cents each.
You can get them online (a bit chearper) or at beverage stores
(BevMo has them).
---Lovin the Bubblin!---
Just google ''soda maker'' or ''carbonator'' and you'll find home
appliances that make fizzy water.
Chelsea
Easy! You want to call Seltzer Sisters (1-800-928-3755 or
www.seltzersisters.com)
for home delivery of seltzer in reusable bottles. It's kinda pricey--$3
per 1.5 liter
bottle. But the taste is excellent and you won't feel guilty about
throwing away
bottles.
Nancy
You answer is SELTZER SISTERS, a seltzer delivery service. It
is probably the same cost as Pellegrino( depends on where you
buy it) But is more expensive than Calistoga. However, I am a
mineral water freak, and I think SELTZER SISTERS is FAR better.
It is the best I have ever ever had, and I am from New York
City, and we know a thing or two about seltzer.
Seltzer is delivered to your house in returnable glass or
plastic bottles. She uses filtered water from Hetch Hetchy. It
is perfectly carbonated and NEVER goes flat. I am completely
addicted. There are two sizes - the big ugly plastic bottles
quench my thirst, but I always throw on a case ( 6 bottles ) of
glass because somehow she got her hands on hundreds of the old-
fashioned glass seltzer bottles from New York and Chicago. Each
glass bottle makes me smile. Each is etched with the name of a
long ago seltzer delivery service. They are really wonderful. 1-
800-WATER-55. Or, her website is www.seltzersisters.com.
Joined the Sisterhood
i recall macy's used to sell chargers of CO2. probably sur la
table, crate and barrel, too. you get a special bottle (which you
fill with water) that the charger screws into, then it releases
CO2 into the water. you'd be throwing away (or recycling?)
chargers only.
a
For some reason, I didn't get the advice given on this one, so
forgive me if I'm repeating info.
We just went through your exact dilemma. We love bubbly water but
have been concerned or all the reasons you state. Even at TJ's
price Pellegrino is expensive, but more than that, the waste of
shipping water across the sea.
We just bought a Lissa 2-liter seltzer making bottle. I bought it
on-line from this place, which also has a lot of info that lets
you compare models: http://www.prairiemoon.biz/selbotbrsods.html.
Their shipping was reasonable too--compared with Target.com,
which wanted a lot more.
I bought a lot of the little cartridges to bring down the price.
Now, we're making 2 liters--roughly two and a half bottles of the
750 ml Pellegrino bottles--for a dollar. At this rate, the bottle
will pay for itself in less than two months.
The water tastes great. It's a little fizzier, but with smaller
bubbles.
The store we bought from has lots of replacement parts, too.
The only not-great thing about the model we bought is that the
directions seem to be translated from Hungarian and aren't quite
clear in some places. But we seem to have figured it out.
Good luck!
Rosemary
March 2007
My 9 month old son has recently started sleeping through the
night (!!!) and has been less interested in nursing during the
day. This is fine with me, although a bit sad, but I'm getting
a little concerned about his fluid intake. He's a VERY healthy
eater but he won't drink water from any source. We've tried a
variety of sippy cups (soft spout, hard spout, etc.) and
regular cups but he just won't swallow the water, it just
dribbles down his little chin. He also doesn't take a bottle.
I want to avoid giving him juice or anything sweet but I'm out
of ideas. He's had less wet diapers lately too, which is
making me a little nervous. Any suggestions?
Thanks!!
I get not wanting to go the juice route, but we put a squeeze of
white grape juice (less sugar than other juices)in our little
guy's cup, maybe 1 TBSP, and the rest water. Maybe that would
work?
Anon.
Jan 2007
We were using filtered tap water to make up infant formula for
our twins until I found out about a recent American Dental
Association report (November 06) saying not to use flouridated
(tap or other) water. Since then, I've been trying to do
research on the best bottled water to make up formula, but it is
surprisingly hard to find this out! Is it better to use a good
mineral water (like Fiji or Evian)? How do you tell which is the
safest for babies in terms of pesticide content and mineral
content? Or is it better to use a distilled or reverse-osmosis
water? Again, which one would be safest for babies in terms of
toxic contents???
At this point, we may go back to ready-to-feed, but eventually
I'd like to move to an organic formula, and those are only
powdered, as far as I know.
If you've done the research, I'd love to hear your reply!
Thanks,
Abigail
You can hook up a reverse osmosis water filter to your sink that way you
will not have floride or any of the numerous other possible toxins in
you water. It is expensive to start but cheaper than bottled water in
the long run. Otherwise use Aquafina which a friend of mine had
analyzed and found it was the purist.
juliet
Bottled water is completely unregulated. Bottlers don't have to check
for anything, so they don't know what is in their products.
They may test for the presence of some things for marketing purposes,
but they're not going to look for things that might make them look bad.
In contrast, the quality of tapwater is closely monitored. I always used
filtered tapwater for mixing formula. Did you read the actual ADA report
itself or did you read somebody's interpretation of the ADA report?
I am sure many people will disagree but we live in Marin county and the
HOSPITAL recommended i use tap water. they said it was perfectly fine
and we used it from day one. He is 16 months now and thriving. Over time
i used the tap water in other places and never had problems (i did make
sure there was a water distrcit).Actually when my mom insisted on giving
him evian he got sick and the pediatrician thought it was because there
were too many minerals in it.
magaliusa
I am not sure where you saw that recommendation but its not true. If
your baby is formula fed, they are getting no flouride from you.
Flouride is necessary to make sure you child has healthy teeth. Teeth
start forming at birth and adult teeth by 5 or 6 months so this is a
crucial time. I know there is ''controversy'' about flouride, but it is
rediculous. flouride in appropriate amounts (~1 ppm) is a fantastic
benefit for kids!
My father is a dentist and I was given flouride in drops as a young baby
and child before it was in the water. I have the best teeth of anyone I
know and NO cavities ever! And it has improved dental heatlth for so
many since its been in the tap.
We used a filter on our tap until it broke. We then decided to buy
''Spring water''. Later we found out that the Arrowhead water we were
using had up to 2.4 ppm! If you use bottled water CALL the company to
ask about the fouride content. Springs have varying amounts and even
filtered waters or other processed waters can have it added later.
We ended up with a britta. It removed all of the heavy metals but not
the flouride which is in our tap at 1 ppm.
Good luck
Leslie
Hi there,
We used distilled water to mix up bottles when needed, with both of our
babies. I don't remember now where I saw that recommendation though. I
think it was in the ''baby guide'' we got from our pediatrician or in
one of the baby books I read.
Beth
Oct 2006
I live in North Berkeley and recently noticed little spots
appearing at the bottom of my stainless steel pots when boiling
water. I've had all the pots for a while and until now i've
never seen anything form in the pots besides bubbles from
boiling. But the spots began appearing this week and the same
spots have appeared on 4 different pots, so i have to believe
it's something in the water. Has anyone else noticed spots from
boiling water recently? Has anyone read or heard of any notices
about changes to our drinking water (eg. - more/less flouride,
chlorine, etc.)?
curious drinker
Yes! We just moved into Berkeley, and I dumped out a pot of hot pasta
water 2 days
ago, because having boiled the water for a few minutes, there was a weird
scum all
along the sides of the pot. No clue what it was. Any chemists out there?
writeck
Hi,
We are seeing spots to- looks like white mineral deposits of
some kind. I don't know why. We live in Pinole. Love to know
more.
DZ
Jan 2006
Is it really necessary to sterilize water (from the tap) that
baby will drink? The ''Super Baby Food'' book says ''the water
you give to your very young baby must be boiled to kill all
bacteria'' (p. 64, 2nd edition).
Rose
It's not necessary to sterilize the water unless your babies are
particularly fragile (immunocompromised or something). I gave
both of my children tap water as soon as they started drinking
water. However, I didn't give them any water until they started
eating food (around 5 months)--milk has enough water in it already.
Tap water is fine
Our pediatrician said an emphatic No to this. She feels that
tap water is the best for a baby in a place like this where we
have access to clean safe water. My gut says this is true, I
think Americans get sick abroad because we aren't exposed to
much here, and out bodies are stronger than we give them credit
for.
Editorially, I love the Super Baby Food porridge and
information about making your own babyfood, but she is an
absolute nut on some things, boiling water and formatting being
two of them.
Another Mom
I'm on my second healthy kid and I've never sterilized drinking
water (or water for formula) for my babies. I didn't even
sterilize bottles after the first week or so. We do use a water
filter pitcher at home, but it's not even nearly exclusive -
they get tap water, bottled water, restaurant water, etc. all
the time. Unless you feel you have a specific issue with your
water or pipes, I wouldn't worry about it.
laid back mama
I had the same question after reading the Super Baby Food book, and I called the
nurses at our pediatricians' office (East Bay Pediatrics) to ask. Their advice: no need to
sterilize.
Rebecca
No, my pediatrician has always said that tap water is fine. But very young babies do
not need any water to drink, unless it is very very hot and they need it for hydration.
Otherwise, they should be getting only breastmilk or formula, and maybe a little juice,
very watered down. We used warm tap water to mix the formula and the baby cereals,
though.
Mom of 3 healthy kids
VERY young babies should not be given water, unless they are
formula fed, in which case it is a good idea to sterilize the
water that is used to mix powdered formula.
But by the time a baby is ready for drinking plain water (around
6 months, same as for introducing solid foods), the water
doesn't need to be sterilized. Most babies that age are eating
sand and paper, after all, so what's a little tap water?! Of
course, if you suspect your water is contaminated with lead,
boiling won't help; other problematic contaminants aren't really
an issue with EBMUD tapwater but might be a concern at, say, a
vacation house on well water.
Drinks it Straight from the Tap
Sept 2006
We're discontinuing our service with Arrowhead bottled water due
to repeated problems with bottles having glue and other residues
on the neck. We've looked through the web site and the Internet
and can't find another bottled water service. Can anyone
recommend another bottled water service that they've had positive
experiences with?
Tired of Paying for Filthy Water Bottles
We use Alhambra water service: http://www.water.com/splash.asp.
They have been reliable and friendly, and I've never seen residue
on the bottle. Also, they have both fluoridated and fluoride-free
options, in 3- and 5-gallon sizes, if that matters to you (it did
to us.)
Thirsty mom
Jan 2006
Where can I purchase those small, 8 oz. size, bottled waters
with sport tops for my preschooler's lunch? We live in North
Berkeley. Safeway used to have the Dannon, Fluoride to go, but
no longer stocks them.
Thanks
Albertson's at El Cerrito Plaza intermittently has these - I
think they're Alhambra (it's just nuts that I don't know the
brand considering my life is littered with these bottles!), - I
do know they say Jr. Sport on them. They're definitely aimed at
kids - they're fluoridated, and sometimes the package even looks
like a school bus. There was an older style of pull-open top
that was recalled as a choking hazard, but the newer screw-type
tops are fine.
They do seem to come and go on the store shelves, but if you
save the lids you can fit them on the 8 oz. bottles without
sport tops that are available when the sport-top ones are not
there. We re-use the bottles a few times (as long as they stay
out of the sun/heat), and re-use the tops repeatedly this way.
Great for lunchboxes, bedside tables, hiking/biking, and the
car. Can you tell this is one of the products that makes my
life easier? It is!
Nancy
Not all, but most Walgreen's carry those small Dannon waters.
Good luck!
Ellen
I was at the El Cerrito Natural Grocery a few weeks ago and
saw ''kiddie'' versions of the Trinity brand water. They were
smaller sized for little hands with sport tops.
anon
Oct 2004
My children only drink juice and milk. And I am trying to get them used to
drink water.
I thought someone could give me some good advice on how to make
the switch.
Thank you.
Mom E.
try using special straws and/or drink containers that are
reserved for water drinking.
water lover
Try watering down the juice. I cut it half half with water.
Even if they never drink plain water at least they will be
drinking half the juice you used to give them.
Jennifer
I found your post pretty funny. My 22-month-old daughter won't drink anything but
water. The other day I brought her a cup of milk and said, ''How about some milk?''
And she handed it right back and responded, ''How about some water?'' Any
suggestions out there for how I can get her to drink some milk?
Water-logged mom
I think that diluting the juice is one way of getting more water into them, but
ultimately, you want them to learn to accept the taste of water and the fact that it is
a valid and necessary form of hydration. Nutritionists say you only want kids to
drink 8 ounces of juice -- that is one big sippy cup's worth.
I was in the same dilemma about a year ago and currently do several things:
- flat out tell my 3 yo son that since he already had juice in the morning, he needs
to drink water with his snack or meal
- make a point of drinking water in front of him and let him take sips from my
glass, or give him his own ''grown up'' glass (as opposed to plastic cup or sippy)
- give him a sports bottle with water -- he LOVES those
- introduce flavored (but not sweetened) carbonated waters -- he likes those, too.
- bring only water to the park or playground so that when he is thirsty, he has no
choice but to drink it
I have found that it is a gradual process -- your kids won't embrace water
overnight, but if you take baby steps, it'll happen. My son drinks a *lot* less juice
now, and will even ask for water at mealtimes.
Been There
Here's what we do:
a) we don't offer juice except sometimes at breakfast. At other
meals we just say ''what would you like, water or milk with dinner?
b) We sometimes make water more appetizing by adding a thin
slice of lemon or lime (keep some water with lime or lemon in the
fridge in a pitcher, so that it's cool and has a bit of citrus
taste when you pour)
c) We send them to school with light-weight metal bottles that
keep water cool and fresher tasting than plastic. (I found them
on sale at Elephant not long ago, and Royal Robbins outlet on
Gilman has them - they're made in Switzerland and a bit pricey
but durable, and the kids love them.) Not only does the water
taste better, but you don't need to worry about leaching issues
from plastics.
d) We never use juice boxes due to the wastefulness, the
sweetness, etc., but we do sometimes for a car trip include an
odwalla as a special treat, But we always pack those nice cool
metal water bottles.
Natasha B.
My kids ( 3 and 17 months) drink juice but they also drink
a bunch of water. When we go on outings to the park or other
places, I only bring bottled water. Arrowhead water makes a
Jr. sport bottled water. I also have little sports bottles
(like sippy cups) I fill with water. My kids really like the
small bottles and since there is no other option while we're
out, they always drink it. At home I usually offer water or
milk to drink. You may have to take juice out of the house for
a week or so. Especially juice boxes. Whenever I buy them
that's all my kids want to drink. You could also try gradually
watering down their juice. Good luck.
kathy
We allow only water before bedtime/ after 6:30 or 7pm or so.
1. you could try slowly diluting the juices they have, starting
with 1/5 water working upto to 1/2 water 1/2 juice.
2. you could try a mild diluted herbal tea with honey (and
maybe milk) to get some water into them and add some variety of
liquids.
3. bring only water in sippys on outings- there may be a good
chance they'll drink what you brought if that's what you have
with you.
4. don't offer juice at dinnertime or one meal
5. water fountains- they're not filtered, but hard to resist
for most kids
6. educate with books/ vids. from library, I can't think of any
specific, but my kids seem to pick up random health-related
facts better from sources like these than anything their
parents SAY
7. but do drink lots of water yourself/selves and they will
eventually imitate on some level
anon
I would try to wean them off juice/milk, rather than looking at
it as encouraging water drinking. Start diluting the juice with
water, starting with a little water and working up to almost all
water and very little juice. This worked for me. We never drank
milk, so I can't really address that, though I suppose diluting
that migth work, too. Initially, I think I'd start reducing from
whole milk (if you're using that) to 2%, 1% etc until their onto
fat-free, since if they're drinking a lot of whole milk to start
with, they're getting an awful lot of butter fat.
heather
I offer my son ( 3 yrs) juice with sparkling water. He LOVES
it. Just enough juice to giveit light flavor and color. I
make sort of a big deal about it...kind of being a grown up
drink. Serve it in a fancier plastic see through glass.
Leslie
To :''Encouraging Water Drinking''-- I have a 14 year old who
hated water because he always liked to drink something with
flavor, so on the advice of the pediatrician I diluted his
juice almost 50%. This works best with apple or cranberry or
grape, not so well with citrus. He will drink water sometimes
now, usually at sports. Another thing I have done this year is
buy sparkling water and encourage him to dilute his juice
with that. Also, I have tried to get 100% juice and avoid the
juices that are heavy on corn syrup.
peg
June 2004
Hello,
I live in a household with four adults and two toddlers. We are
thinking of getting bottled water delivery with some type of
dispenser (the kind you put the big 5-gallon bottled upside down
into). The company I have looked into the most is Arrowhead.
They have a ceramic crock dispenser that sits on a four-legged
oak stand. This is the one I prefer because it's the least
expensive and least fancy; it simply dispenses room-temperature
water. Here are my questions:
1. Does anyone currently have this stand? Does it seem like the
kind of thing that can be toppled over by two curious toddlers?
{I called the company and they said they never had any
complaints about the stand falling over, but I am concerned
about the difference between a full and empty tank of water and
it's likelyhood to fall if knocked by the little ones. )
2. Does anyone have ideas about a better, inexpensive way to get
bottled spring water in the home? (I am aware of the dangers of
using too much ''purified'' water so I am not interested in that.)
Thank you very much,
Jo
Our water bottle lasted through a wild toddlerhood. I was the one who
knocked it over. I'd keep it in a corner, just the same.
Anon
We have the Alhambra water service with the ceramic crock
dispenser which sits on a wood stand. We have had our toddler-
aged niece and nephews over many times and have never had any
worries or close calls in terms of the dispenser being knocked
over. Our biggest problem, however, is keeping them from
playing with the spout and emptying water all over our floor
(it's unfortunately right at toddler eye level)
Hope this helps!
Shami
If you get your tap water from EBMUD or the San Francisco water system, you can
simply fill a clean bottle from your tap. Both systems get water from the Sierra and
deliver very high quality water to their clients. By 'high quality', I mean soft water,
low in total dissolved solids, low in minerals, arsenic, radon, and so on. Also very
high bacteriological quality. Unlike bottled water, that from the large distributors is
tested thoroughly and often.
However if for some reason you don't want any traces of fluoride or chlorine in your
water, you could stick with commercial bottled water. If you use your own
purification system, remember that ALL systems age, degrade, and need
monitoring and upkeep.
Good luck!
George
Oct 2002
We would like to test our tap water at home as our eleven month
old is less able to deal with lots of minerals or other disolved
chemicals than we are. Any ideas?
John and David
Test tap water for what? Assume you'll find at least chlorine, and
I think chloramines and probably fluoride. Do you want to drink
those? I understand that the minerals in tap water aren't the kind
we need and can use anyway. When EBMUD tells us that tap water
isn't safe for our fish and studies say pregnant women shouldn't
be drinking it..well, that sent me shopping for bottled water.
Distilled water is probably the best kind to drink.
anon
You can get information about water quality tests from the
company that supplies water to your house, but it won't include
any information about chemicals that are entering your water from
the pipes in your house (lead, iron, etc.) A list of
companies certified to test drinking water is at
http://www.valleywater.org/Water/Where_Your_Water_Comes_From/Local_Water/Wells/Certified_laboratories.shtm You can contact
one of the these companies for information on how to collect and
send them a sample. Costs vary, of course, depending on the
lab and the analysis you want. You probably want to test for
inorganics, which should include nitrate, alkalinity,
conductivity, and total dissolved solids.
M&M
this page was last updated: Oct 16, 2008
The opinions and statements expressed on this website
are those of parents who subscribe to the
Berkeley Parents Network.
Please see
Disclaimer & Usage for
information about using content on this website.
Copyright © 1996-2013 Berkeley Parents Network