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Don’t Waste Your Money on Bottled Drinking Water while Visiting Amsterdam!
Having awarded and acknowledged as a city with the best drinking water in the country and one of the best in the world, Amsterdam has spoiled its residents with the cleanest and safest drinking water for many years. People can drink it directly from the tap at houses or public places.
You are probably wondering, so, what makes the drinking water in Amsterdam (and also around Netherlands in general) so different? Isn’t it common practice in other big cities around the world, such as New York, London, and Sydney? The answer is because it is the cleanest and safest drinking water WITHOUT CHLORINE, a water disinfectant that used to kill microbiological pathogens inside the water. For many years, this chemical substance has been used in many countries for treating drinking water.
Regardless of its effectiveness to kills pathogens and provide good quality drinking water, the safety issue of chlorine use has still been controversial in terms of the probability of its reverse effect on human health, especially in the long time consumption. There are two groups of world researchers that still debating whether the chlorine is or not carcinogenic, a characteristic of agent that can cause cancers. However, the common problems related to chlorine were the discomforts of chlorinated-water taste and odor that can lead customers using alternative drinking water source, such as bottled water, which is often more expensive. Despite that debatable issue of chlorine use, Dutch government and water companies believes that by using chlorine will give more problems than its benefits.
So, your next question would probably, is it safe to drink drinking water without chlorine from the tap directly in Amsterdam? How come? What is the secret? J. C. van Dijk’s research paper in 2009, titled “The Dutch secret: how to provide safe drinking water without chlorine in the Netherlands”, summarized five main approaches that Dutch governments highlighted and strengthened during production and distribution of drinking water:
First, they collect raw water from the best water sources. Second, they prefer to use physical process treatment such as sedimentation, filtration, UV-disinfection, or even ozonization instead of chlorination. Chlorine is forbidden! Third, they prevent contamination during distribution by constructing distribution pipe line using best quality material that prevent leaking. Fourth, they use biostable materials to prevent microbial growth in the distribution system, which is safe for health. Fifth, they regularly monitor for detection of any failure in the system to prevent significant health consequences immediately. Finally, the commitment and best effort of Dutch water companies and government to constantly improve their water supply system have been an important factors in achieving this success.
After knowing this brief information on how Dutch treat their drinking water supply, i guess there is no reason to waste your money on bottled drinking water while visiting Amsterdam. I would rather spend that money for famous dutch handicrafts as souvenirs instead. That is definitely what I will do if i get a chance to visit the city. Will you?
Urinal and Gender: Is It Possible for Women to Urinate Easily While Standing Up?
“Are you serious? No, no ways, I just can’t see myself doing ‘it’ in that. For a man it may be easier, for a woman that’s just impossible”, said a female passenger when responding to the new portable urinal ‘facility’ inside the dutch trains, which was reported by AFP News last year.
Since October 2011, Dutch National Railways have been introducing the use of biodegradable plastic bags, called ‘Pee-Bags’, for urinating to passengers, as an alternative solution in non-existing-toilet trains. The option was chosen in responding to the facts that16% of commuter trains with short-distance route services, called Sprinter, have no toilets onboard. The bags are used in emergency only, for instance, when the trains are stranded due to power failure or bad weather.
The Pee-Bag, which is made by the firm Travel John, has a cup-shaped top and contains powdered absorbent substance that can turn urine into gel. Passengers can use it in unoccupied cabin at the back of the train and, then, after use, they can simply seal and throw it away in the waste bin when they get off the train.
Although it seems that passengers will face no problems when doing their ‘business’ onboard, however, women feel worry about their privacy and the easiness of how to use the device. It, unfortunately, is considered not gender-friendly, as they found difficulties to urinate in to it properly. Not like men, women have to squat and pull down their pants while doing it.
But, don’t worry women!
In fact, a Dutch woman, Moon Zijp, has invented an innovative device for women to be able to urinate while standing up, called ‘P-Mate’. Her invention was actually inspired by her visits through Indonesia, where she often faced difficulties in finding bathrooms for peeing.
The P-Mate is very handy and best used when there are no toilets available or available but unhygienic, when women need enough privacy, when there is long queuing, or when someone has difficulties to squat and sit down, such as pregnant women and those with disability.
It is made from a cardboard paper that shaped like a shoe with the funnel hole at the end. It is very simple to use and yet effective. “Just simply pop open it, move your underwear aside, and place the cupped opening against your body under the flow area between your legs. Tilt hips so funnel faces slightly downwards. Relax and pee!”, written in the P-Mate website. Moreover, Karsenty’s study, in 2008, concluded that the majority of participants who involved in a trial study were satisfied with P-Mate and were willing to use it again.
The innovation of P-Mate has been acknowledged as a gender-based revolution in the idea about urinal for women and, today, has been widely distributed and accepted in Europe, America, Australia, and also Asia, including Indonesia. This is a best example of simple idea for great impact, especially for women.
(Photo: http://www.p-mate.nl/en/p-mate-en-2/history/)
‘The Northrops’: My US Family-Friend
Setelah hampir setahun gak dapat teman kelaurga US di Atlanta, akhirnya dapat juga. Keluarga Northrops: Pak Bruce, Jessica, Sarah, and Ibu Laura (dari kanan ke kiri). Keluarga yang aktif dan suka dengan alam dan petualangan. Read the rest of this entry »
Fall’in Love
11/23/09 @ apartment yard, Decatur: Viewing so many leaves turned to red, yellow, orange, and brown with my own eyes was so beautiful. Grabbed my camera and asked my friend to have a Fall photo session, hehehe, this is my first Fall experience in States. Love it.
A Synchronized Dancing In The Paddy Field Planting
Klaten, 2008: It took about 20 minutes walking and less than 7 minutes by becak, a common three cycle in Indonesia, from the hotel i always stayed to the office i worked at Bapeda Klaten office compound. A few meters beside the office compound, there was a paddy field. It was a perfect time to plant paddies around February-March. Read the rest of this entry »
Facing The Sun: Children of Grobogan Central Java
Klaten, Jan 2008: It was daylight around 3 pm in Globogan, Central Java. Our purpose was to set the water treatment unit to the flood affected community in Grobogan, Central Java. Together with community memberes, we set the unit near the village office. While working, there were five boys standing and watching us. Grabbed my pocket digital camera and took their picture. Click! noticed they almost closed their eyes not because of the camera flash but the sun. ‘Facing the Sun’!. Read the rest of this entry »
Doggy’s Style: That’s The Way I Like It
When i woke up this morning, i opened my room door and surprised with my dog sleep position behavior. Boy, that’s what we always call our dog. Boy slept right beside my room door. Amazingly, he laid there with his four leg lifted up against the wall. Suddenly, i ran back Read the rest of this entry »
What’s Up Turtle
My lunch at Merapi Resto in Klaten. There were some things that attracted me in that restaurant. Klaten, May 2008: A few weeks ago, i decided to have my lunch in Merapi Resto, one of prestigious and famous restaurant in Klaten, for the first time. The place is great. it’s located in the midle of Read the rest of this entry »
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