Water
for Living
Frequently
Asked Questions About Healthy Water
What are the most commonly used methods of drinking
water filtration?
Carbon filters- carbon block and granular
carbon filtration medias have been used for decades to
remove chlorine, certain solid materials, sediments and metals, and carbon
filter medias have a capacity for filtering out synthetic (human-hade) organic
chemicals, such as herbicides, pesticides, and solvents. Carbon filter is an
excellent means of removing chlorine cold tap water, typically in the
temperature range of 50-75 F.
Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) is significantly more effective that carbon block filters for removing synthetic organic chemicals and radon. Granular carbon can become 'exhausted' in effectiveness in a relatively short time and must be regularly replaced. "Exhausted' carbon filter medial is also a good 'growth media' for bacteria.
Carbon Block Filters allow for the effectiveness of both activated carbon and mechanical filtration. Certain types of carbon block filters are effective at filtering chlorine, lead, and certain organic chemicals. The useful life of carbon block filters is much shorter than granular activated carbon, and they require frequent replacement.
Reverse Osmosis- Developed over twenty-five years ago to purify water for use in various industries such as printing, photo processing and more recently computer chip manufacturing, reverse osmosis (RO) forces tap water through a very fine porous membrane which filters out substances larger than water molecules, such as sediment, certain minerals like calcium and magnesium, which may 'soften' the feel of the water but is not healthful. How well a RO system works depends on the amount of contaminants, toxins and minerals are found in the tap water it is filtering. RO systems do not work well to filter synthetic (human-hade) organic chemicals, such as herbicides, pesticides, and solvents, and are usually set up to work together with a carbon-based filter. RO systems require more maintenance than other types of filters, they waste three or four gallons of water for every gallon that is filtered, and the filtered water then sits in a holding tank (without anything to prevent bacterial growth) until it is used.
Steam Distillation- By the simple process of boiling tap water in a chamber, allowing the steam to condense and collect into another holding chamber, steam distillation removes all many contaminants, including large sediments, and virtually all minerals. Unfortunately, many volatile organic chemicals (VOC's) such as acetone, benzene, toluene, TCE, and xylene, evaporate out of the water at a temperature lower than the boiling point, and therefore are not removed by steam distillation. Steam distillers should also be set up to work together with a carbon-based filter. The removal of all minerals will leave the water tasting 'flat' or somewhat bitter. Distilled water is also considered to be 'hungry' for minerals, wanting to become re-mineralized. Because of this, many people who exclusively drink distilled have been found, over time, to become trace mineral or electrolyte deficient, which can cause numerous health problems. Most healthcare professionals who understand this problem with distilled water recommend the addition of liquid, ionic mineral drops to be added to the distilled water before drinking.
Selective Resins & Ion-Exchange Systems- Many resin systems contain sodium-based media, which are effective for removing selected minerals such as calcium and magnesium, replacing them with sodium. This is how many water-softeners work. The removal of these healthful minerals may 'soften' the feel of the water but is not healthful. Ion-exchange systems require the constant replacement of salt. How well a selective resin or ion-exchange system works depends on the amount of contaminants, toxins and minerals are found in the tap water it is treating.
Ceramic Filters- Ceramic filters are more efficient at reducing live cryptosporidium (parasites) than conventional block carbon filters tested under similar conditions.
Other Unique filter
KDF- This filter media is often used in combination with other media in various
water filters systems, and is especially useful in shower filters- where the
specific elimination of chlorine is the main goal. KDF is a combination of two
metals; zinc and copper, which are dissimilar in electromagnetic properties,
used specifically to reduce the chlorine content and prevent bacterial growth
within the filter media. When chlorine comes into contact with KDF, it is
converted (by electro-chemical reaction) into zinc chloride- a harmless tissue
salt. Some people and professionals have expressed concern about KDF upsetting
the body's zinc/copper balance, however, it is theorized that a person would
have to drink hundreds of gallons of 'KDF filtered' water. Another benefit of
KDF is it's bacteriostatic
ability, meaning, it discourages growth of microorganisms. KDF media in static
water has an electrolytic field which most microorganisms can not survive in.
Chlorgon- A high temperature catalytic media of minerals and calcite, which become more efficient as the water temperature increases.
Chlorgon is the only non-carbon filtering media to remove:
· Free Chlorine (Cl-)
· Combined Chlorine (Sodium Hypochlorite)
· Lead (Trace amounts)
· Hydrogen Sulfide (Rotten Egg Smell)
· Iron Oxide (Rust Water)
· Dirt, Sediment
· Odors