The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that the IBM Corp. Campus in Wiccopee is dealing with lead contamination in the drinking water. The lead in the drinking water is likely coming from old pipes.

The Poughkeepsie water treatment plant adds chloramines to the water, and scientific evidence shows that chloramines can accelerate the leaching of lead from pipes. Many water treatment plants across the country have begun using chloramines (chlorine combined with ammonia) as the primary disinfectant (as opposed to chlorine). Chloramines offer some advantages over chlorine, but both chlorine and chloramines in drinking water may cause serious health problems. For instance, chlorinated water is linked with increased cancer risk. Chloramines have also been associated with skin rashes and lung irritation.

Professor Marc Edwards of Virginia Polytechnic University has found that lead contamination rises after water treatment plants begin using chloramines. He explains that chloramines release ammonia, which provides food for certain types of bacteria that produce acid, which makes the water more corrosive of lead in pipes.

Lead contamination in drinking water can make people sick and interfere with mental development. For now, IBM is providing bottled water for their employees. I think it’s time for IBM to invest in eco-friendly bottle-less water coolers for their employees. These coolers have built-in filters to remove contaminants like lead.

Mike Adams of NaturalNews.com recently wrote about what he calls the FDA’s “conspiracy of silence to avoid admitting that BPA is dangerous for human health.”

In the article, Adams points out that the FDA has ignored over 100 studies which show that BPA is dangerous. FDA conclusions about the safety of BPA are based on just two studies that were funded by the chemical industry.

“That’s how the FDA operates across the board,” Adams explains. “Ignore all the science you don’t like, and cherry-pick the science you want to believe, even if it’s all been funded by the chemical companies.”

Unfortunately, we Americans are bombarded by dangerous chemicals until they are proven to be dangerous. It seems like chemicals would be banned from use until they are proven safe. However, as Adams points out, such a position would drastically reduce profits for chemical companies.

Thanks to health advocates like Mike Adams, the BPA conspiracy won’t be able to continue for much longer. Too many regular folks are learning about the studies which show that BPA is a dangerous endocrine disruptor associated with cancer, diabetes, developmental problems, and other health problems.

BPA, or bisphenol-A, is a chemical that makes plastics more durable. It can be found in water bottles, baby bottles, aluminum food cans (in the lining), and other food containers, as well as other products like DVDs.

Kelly Wallace from CBS News recently showed that the BPA levels in her blood spiked to five times the average level after she ate a single sandwich made from canned tuna.

Consumer awareness about the dangers of BPA is creating change. For example, many baby bottle manufacturers have stopped using BPA in baby bottles. And many stores now offer BPA-free products.

When it comes to protecting the public from dangerous synthetic chemicals, your choices as a consumer are even more powerful than your choices as a voter. The political process is often slow and cumbersome, but when consumers demand change and speak through their consumer choices, change can occur rapidly.

Here’s how you can help to end the BPA conspiracy:

Stop buying canned food products. Eat fresh food; it’s better for you! You can also buy some products (like marinara sauce) in glass jars instead of cans lined with BPA.

Avoid food that comes in plastic containers. Again, whole foods are better than processed foods. Also, never microwave plastic containers.

Stop drinking bottled water. Plastic water bottles pollute your body and the environment. Instigate change by switching to reusable glass water bottles and stainless steel bottles. (By the Way, Mike Adams recently featured our glass water bottles in his 2010 New Year Health Product Guide!) Avoid aluminum water bottles because they are lined with plastic. For convenient, cost-effective access to healthy, safe water, invest in a home water filter and bottle your own water at home.

Choose glass baby bottles rather than plastic bottles. Even “BPA-free” may be contaminated, and BPA is not the only chemical in plastic. You can buy protective covers for glass baby bottles to keep the glass from breaking.

Replace conventional office water coolers with eco-friendly bottleless water coolers. Bottle-less water coolers provide a never-ending supply of healthy water. By switching to a bottleless office water cooler, you’ll save money and eliminate the need for regular deliveries of plastic water jugs.

Bottled water is not only hazardous to your health (because of the toxic chemicals that leach from the plastic) but it’s also very expensive. You can save thousands of dollars over the years by investing in a bottleless water dispenser for your office.

If your office buys individual bottles of water for employees, then you’re spending nearly $10.00 a gallon for water. That’s outrageous! If your office has a water cooler with 5-gallon plastic jugs, then you’re paying nearly $1.00 a gallon for water.

Invest in a bottleless water dispenser, and you’ll be paying less than a penny per gallon!

Sure, this will require an up-front investment. The countertop bottleless water cooler, for example, will cost $495 up-front. (And you’ll need to spend $28 on a filter replacement cartridge once a year.) But you’ll save about $300 in water costs during the first year. Over 5 years, you’ll save approximately $1,500. Even when you subtract the up-front cost and the cost of replacement filters, you’ll still see a savings of nearly $1,000! That’s quite a bonus for delivering a continuous supply of fresh, filtered water to your employees.

Before your buy a water cooler filter system, be sure to read this!

Tap water is not safe – but neither is water stored in plastic containers. Plastic containers leach toxic petrochemicals into the water. Plastic is essentially made from oil and synthetic chemicals.

Even if you buy an expensive water cooler filter system, your drinking water will still be contaminated if it’s stored in a plastic container! Unfortunately, even the best water filters do a poor job of removing plastic toxins. Chemicals such as BPA cannot be filtered out. They’re so small that they end up in our blood stream – little pieces of plastic that wreack havoc on endocrine system.

What is the best water cooler filter system?

The best filtered water dispenser is a bottleless water cooler. Bottleless water coolers connect directly to the cold water line. These modern water dispensers filter the water and store it in stainless steel tanks (hot and cold tanks) to ensure that you get only the cleanest, best-tasting water. Popular among eco-conscious business owners, bottle-less water coolers reduce plastic waste, save money, and produce healthier water.

Our eco-friendly countertop bottleless water cooler has become one of our best-selling items in recent weeks.

More people are learning about the health hazards and environmental problems posed by plastic water bottles from new sources like the documentary Tapped.

In case you haven’t heard, plastic leaches dangerous chemicals like BPA into the water. Many of these petrochemicals disrupt the endocrine system by mimicking hormones like estrogen.

Plastic is also an environmental nightmare. Sure, most water cooler jugs are re-used, but re-using them only increases the level chemical contamination – and they all end up in the landfill sooner or later.

Plus, it takes a lot of gasoline to deliver all those plastic water jugs!

Now, imagine an office water cooler that provides an endless supply of chemical-free water. Imagine never having to replace a plastic jug or take time out from your busy day to accept another delivery. Imagine eliminating that vendor from your monthly office expenses altogether.

You’re not just daydreaming. A bottleless water cooler connects directly to your water line and filters the tap water to create drinking water that’s better tasting and healthier than anything that comes in plastic container.

The countertop bottleless water cooler is our most popular model. It works just like a regular water cooler – you can get hot or cold water. It takes up very little space, and it’s easy to maintain. Simply replace the water filter once a year (the replacement filter costs less than $30). It’s a great deal and a great way to go green in your office!

Going green with a bottleless water cooler will not only reduce your company’s carbon footprint, but it will also provide your employees with healthy, chemical-free water and save your company thousands of dollars!