California: Alkaline Water Marketer's paradise

In a study released today that has proponents of alkaline water smiling, it was revealed that tap water in California has an average pH balance of 7.

Los Angeles, California – United States – August 25, 2009 – The body's optimum pH level is 7.365. A lower pH balance which some claim can be caused by the consumption of food and water will result in the body becoming too acidic and the immune system breaking down.

The study was done independently and no medical professionals have come forward either to endorse or refute its claims. It has been widely believed for over a decade now that the body's acidity level and how to adjust it could be the key to curing many of the fatal diseases that afflict human beings. Proponents of alkaline water and mineral supplements agree with this assumption but there is yet no concrete medical evidence to support it.

This is not the first time that California drinking water has been under fire for being unhealthy. In 1986, the toxic content of the drinking water in Los Angeles and Orange County caused the passing of Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act. It requires the State of California to publish a list of chemicals that you might be exposed to that can cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive disorders.

Prop 65 doesn't ban any chemicals from manufacturing processes but it does require companies to post warnings on their products for the protection of the consumer. This was done in the hopes of limiting the number of contaminants that could be released into drinking water supplies. It is also widely considered the beginning of the bottled water trend in California.

Today there are 750 harmful chemicals on the Prop 65 list. The study results on pH released today suggest that the drinking water itself should be placed on it, regardless of its chemical content. “The acidity level is too high”, according to those who conducted the study, and “alkaline bottled water is a much healthier alternative” is a slogan that we'll most likely be hearing a lot more of in the near future.