Digital Social Hour: Why New York’s Tap Water Isn’t Safe – What Tests Reveal | Isabel Friend DSH #803

In the October 13, 2024 episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly delves into a pressing and often overlooked issue: the safety of New York City’s tap water. Kelly welcomes Isabel Friend, a renowned water quality expert and advocate, who brings to light alarming findings about the contaminants lurking in municipal water systems and explores holistic solutions to ensure access to pure, life-sustaining water.

1. Isabel Friend’s Journey into Water Quality

Isabel Friend’s passion for water quality stems from her background in nutrition and nutrigenomics. In 2009, while living in Brooklyn and working as a nutritionist, Isabel began studying how the food we consume affects our gene expression. This exploration led her to a profound realization: "the water that we drink is far more important than the food that we eat" (00:33). Motivated by this insight, she embarked on a journey to "wildcraft" her water, sourcing it directly from natural springs. This shift not only transformed her physical health but also ignited a deeper spiritual and intellectual quest into the mysteries of water.

2. Challenging the Safety of New York’s Tap Water

Contrary to popular belief, Isabel challenges the notion that New York City boasts the "safest tap water." When asked by Sean Kelly, she emphatically responds, "No. Well, I've seen tests with New York tap water that are a little bit harrowing" (00:06). Isabel asserts that trusting municipal water systems is inherently risky, advocating instead for returning to nature’s pure sources. She emphasizes the importance of personal sovereignty over one’s own bloodstream, warning against the dangers of entrusting it to governmental and corporate entities.

3. The Alarming Reality of Municipal Water Systems

One of the most shocking revelations Isabel shares involves the "closed-loop system" prevalent in many major cities. She explains, "you will find at least 52 different pharmaceutical medications flowing through that tap water because they use a closed loop system, a toilet to tap system" (05:02). This system entails recycling wastewater from toilets back into the drinking supply, leading to the presence of various pharmaceuticals, including opiates and birth control medications, in tap water. Isabel starkly describes this practice as "drinking people's filtered blood" (05:04), highlighting the perverse entanglement of human waste and drinking water.

4. Health Implications of Contaminated Water

Isabel delves into the profound health impacts of consuming contaminated water. She reveals that a staggering "75% of the population is dehydrated," with some studies suggesting up to "98 to 100% of the population is dehydrated" (12:28). This chronic dehydration is linked to a myriad of health issues, positioning dehydration as "the root of all diseases." Isabel underscores that proper hydration is not merely about drinking water but involves consuming the right quality of water that supports cellular vitality and overall well-being. She states, "your body is water" (12:25, a concept she expands upon by explaining that, "when you drink hospital water, you're paying the government for your blood stream" (02:14).

5. Solutions: Harvesting and Enhancing Natural Water

Isabel offers practical solutions to the water safety crisis. She advocates for harvesting water directly from natural springs, describing it as "free water" that is often "abundant and never more than an hour's drive away" (05:21). She directs listeners to resources like findaspring.com and her Water is Life shop for tools and materials necessary for foraging pure water.

Beyond sourcing, Isabel emphasizes enhancing water quality through techniques like vortexing. She explains, "vortexing water is one of the best ways to re-enliven, reinvigorate, aerate, and structure it" (24:36). Vortexing, which induces a spiral motion in water, mimics natural water flow patterns and revitalizes its molecular structure, making it more bioavailable and energetically vibrant.

6. The Interconnectedness of Water and Health

Isabel elaborates on the intricate relationship between water and human health. She introduces the concept of the "phase angle test," a method to measure hydration and cellular vitality, revealing that optimal hydration correlates with higher cellular energy and overall resilience. Isabel asserts, "when you hydrate, you heal and health as well" (25:07), linking proper hydration to enhanced psychological well-being and physical health.

7. Environmental Impact: The Destruction of Natural Waterways

A significant portion of the discussion addresses the environmental degradation of water sources. Isabel criticizes the artificial straightening of rivers, explaining, "The vast majority of rivers have been artificially straightened" (22:32). This alteration disrupts natural water flow, reducing water’s vitality and its ability to self-purify. Isabel advocates for restoring meandering river paths and wetlands, which play a crucial role in filtering and maintaining the natural hydrological cycle without relying on industrial filtration systems.

8. Water as a Conscious Entity with Memory

Venturing into the metaphysical, Isabel discusses the concept of water as a living entity with consciousness and memory. Citing researchers like Dr. Emoto and Dr. Andreas Schultz, she explains that water "is the storehouse of memory on our planet" and acts as "nature's probiotic" (07:07). Water’s ability to retain vibrational information from its environment influences human biology and consciousness. Isabel believes that structured, living water can facilitate better communication between humans and their environment, promoting holistic health and spiritual well-being.

9. Practical Applications: Enhancing Water’s Vitality

Isabel shares innovative methods to enhance water’s natural properties. She praises products like the Analemma wand, which infuses water with "the entire full spectrum of not only sunlight, but also moonlight and starlight" (34:08). These tools utilize principles of epitaxy and transference to improve water’s coherence and energy, aligning it with natural light frequencies that support biological functions like circadian rhythms and cellular repair.

Additionally, Isabel mentions the use of vortexing devices and other “water alchemy tools” available at her Water is Life shop, encouraging listeners to actively engage in maintaining their water’s vitality. She underscores that investing in quality water is a foundational aspect of any health strategy, asserting, "We are water. So let's keep it simple and start with water as the primary measurement of health" (35:46).

10. Societal and Global Implications

Isabel broadens the conversation to the global scale, addressing the privatization of water resources and its socio-political ramifications. She highlights the disparity between the Global North and South, noting that privatization has "sunk [water] quality in those areas below humane levels" (18:17). Isabel warns of a looming "geopolitical water apartheid," where control over freshwater resources grants immense power, potentially leading to conflicts over this essential resource. She references former UN discussions predicting that future wars may be fought over water, emphasizing the urgent need for equitable water management and preservation strategies.

11. Integrating Ancient Wisdom with Modern Science

Isabel seamlessly integrates ancient indigenous water wisdom with contemporary scientific understanding. She references practices like hydromancy and the teachings of indigenous tribes, which view water as a mediator between the physical and spiritual realms. Isabel emphasizes that respecting and nurturing water aligns with both ancient traditions and modern health science, advocating for a harmonious relationship with water that honors its sacred role in life and consciousness.

12. Conclusion and Call to Action

As the episode concludes, Isabel encourages listeners to take proactive steps in securing their water quality. She provides actionable resources, directing audiences to her Water is Life Shop for tools and products that support natural water harvesting and enhancement. Isabel’s message is clear: "Health is the best investment. Water is always the best place to start when it comes to any health strategy" (35:19). By prioritizing pure, structured water and advocating for sustainable environmental practices, Isabel envisions a healthier, more connected society grounded in the life-giving essence of water.

Key Takeaways and Notable Quotes

• Challenging Tap Water Safety: "I've seen tests with New York tap water that are a little bit harrowing." (00:06)

• Closed-Loop Systems: "You are paying a company for your bloodstream." (02:14)
  "Drinking people's filtered blood." (05:04)

• Hydration Statistics: "75% of the population is dehydrated." (12:28)
  "Your body is water." (12:25)

• Environmental Degradation: "The vast majority of rivers have been artificially straightened." (22:32)

• Water’s Consciousness: "Water is the storehouse of memory on our planet." (07:07)
  "Water is sentient and communicates with its environment." (26:14)

• Enhancing Water Vitality: "Vortexing water is one of the best ways to re-enliven, reinvigorate, aerate, and structure it." (24:36)
  "We are water. So let's keep it simple and start with water as the primary measurement of health." (35:46)

• Global Water Crisis: "No one needs gold every day to survive, but we all need water every single day to survive." (18:20)
  "The wars of the 21st century will be fought over water." (19:57)

• Integration of Science and Spirituality: "Water is the mediator between the manifest and the non-manifest world." (28:54)
  "Health is the best investment." (35:19)

Final Thoughts

Isabel Friend’s enlightening discussion on Digital Social Hour serves as a wake-up call to the undeniable truth that water quality directly influences our health, environment, and societal structures. By unraveling the complexities of municipal water systems, advocating for natural water sources, and exploring the profound connections between water and consciousness, Isabel provides listeners with both the knowledge and tools necessary to reclaim their water sovereignty. This episode is a compelling invitation to prioritize water as the essence of life, urging a collective shift towards sustainable, natural, and spiritually aligned water practices.

For more information and to access resources mentioned in the episode, visit Isabel Friend’s Water is Life Shop and WaterIsLife Academy. Follow her journey and insights on Instagram at @jenisabellefriend.