Your Drinking Water

 Millions of people choose not to drink the water from their faucets because of its taste, appearance or quality.

Water plays a huge role in our everyday lives. We bathe, brush our teeth, wash our clothes with it, and much, much more. Farming, ranching, food processing and a multitude of manufacturing processes use a great deal water, as well.

Water Analysis

Did you know. . .between 55 and 65 % of your body is made up of water? If we removed all of the water from a 175-pound man, he would weigh only 70 pounds! The younger you are the more water your body contains. The body’s inability to re-hydrate itself is a major contributor to the aging process.

Water:

- Regulates body temperature

- Serves as a solvent for minerals, vitamins, amino acids, glucose and other small

   molecules, aiding their assimilation into the body carries oxygen to all parts of

   the body

- Lubricates the areas around our joints (especially important for athletes, people

   with arthritis and those with chronic challenges, like back pain.

- Is necessary for chemical reactions in the body

- Acts as a shock absorber inside the eyes and spinal cord removes the waste

   products of our metabolic processes

Did you know. . .most headaches can be cured by drinking 2 – 4 cups of water as soon as headache symptoms are felt?

Since water is such an important part of our lives, more and more people are becoming increasingly concerned. They want the best water for drinking and food preparation.

What is the quality of your water?

There are a number of challenges that can affect the quality of the water you drink. Contaminated water can look clean and clear but just because water looks good, doesn't mean it is.

The only way to know what is in your water is to have it tested. EcoWater water treatment professionals can perform on-site tests for; hardness, iron (rust), pH, total dissolved solids, nitrates, chlorine and temperature. Note: There is no charge or obligation for these tests. At times, they may guide you to have your water tested by a certified laboratory such as Anatek Labs in Moscow, Idaho. If a city, water utility or other regulated system supplies your water they can provide you with the results from government mandated tests they’ve completed for a variety of contaminants. Keep in mind that they are not required to test for all contaminants.

While bad odors, unusual colors or metallic tastes usually indicate a drinking water contaminant, some contaminants are not so easily undetected. Lead is tasteless, odorless, and colorless and can find its way into your water via soldered pipe connections. Lead-based solder was used in homes built as recently as the late 1980s. How old is your home? What type of plumbing pipes do you have?

Even though cities generally use chlorine to disinfect water to prevent illness and disease, chlorinating is not a “foolproof” method. Unexpected outbreaks of microorganisms can still occur. And although it has been treated, city water may pick up contaminants as it travels through miles of distribution lines before it reaches your home.

What might you find in your drinking water?

The more common drinking water quality complaints are easily identifiable because they leave water aesthetically unappealing. These complaints include: 

• Chlorine Taste/Odor - is caused by the chlorine used to disinfect water supplies.

• Musty, Earthy, and Fishy Tastes/Odors – is caused by algae, molds and bacteria that live in water. These can multiply within a home's plumbing system.

• Cloudiness/Turbidity/Color – result from suspended particles and sediment; organic matter (tannins) and metals, such as iron.

• "Rotten Egg" Smell - comes from hydrogen sulfide in water or possibly, from a deteriorating anode rod in your water heater.

Other water quality challenges may not so be easily identified and require a lab analysis include: 

• Chlorine By-Products - created when chlorine reacts with other substances in water.

• Toxic Metals - metals such as arsenic, mercury and lead.

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - include commercial chemicals and pesticides.

• Microorganisms - include cysts, bacteria and viruses.

Note: The above mentioned contaminants are not necessarily in your water. The only way to be certain is to have your water tested.

Options for Improving Your Water

The good news is that there are a number of options available for improving your drinking water.

Carbon Filters: Activated carbon can reduce chlorine, VOCs, tastes, odors, and in some cases, lead. Carbon filters are available in a wide variety of sizes and styles, from mini-filters that can be attached to the end of a faucet to in-line systems connected to a home's plumbing. Filter cartridges must be changed regularly to ensure optimum contaminant reduction. Note: Faucet mounted mini-filters may be less than effective. Mini-filters are one area where price may well indicate quality and level of protection. 

Distillation Systems: Distillation systems boil water to reduce contaminants, then condense the steam that results and collect the water in a storage tank or pot. Since certain substances (including many contaminants but not all) don't vaporize they don't rise with the steam and are left behind in the boiling chamber. Note: While most distillers do not remove volatile organics, adding a carbon filter can provide a more effective system.  Distillers use a great deal of energy, radiate a great deal of heat and must be cleaned regularly.

Note: When water is “soft” or “softened” prior to distillation the need to clean the distiller is greatly reduced.

Important: Distilled water most often has a low pH value (acid). My doctor does not recommend drinking low pH (acid) water. She tells me that most disease processes can not live in an alkaline body environment. She recommends drinking water with an alkaline pH, except. . . she does recommend drinking distilled water for people who are “stone” formers. 

Ultraviolet Systems (UV): UV systems destroy microorganism’s ability to reproduce by exposing them to intense ultraviolet light… as a result, they die. Since they “disinfect” water rather than remove contaminants, UV systems should be installed with other filters; a sediment pre-filters and carbon post filter are common. UV bulbs must be changed regularly (generally once each year, depending on conditions) for the system to function properly.

Reverse Osmosis (RO) Systems: RO systems are recommended by the US Department of Health & Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the most effective ways of protecting residential drinking water. The best systems utilize a combination of carbon filtration and a semi-permeable membrane to reduce contaminants. Water is first filtered, then forced against a dense membrane, a portion of it passes through, while contaminants are left behind to be carried away by the effluent. These membranes are very similar to those used in kidney dialysis. Think “fresh squeezed” water when you think of reverse osmosis.

Reverse osmosis effectively removes dissolved salts (naturally occurring, as well as, from water softeners), suspended solids, dissolved chemicals and a wide variety of other contaminants that cannot be seen by the naked eye. When choosing an RO system, look for a unit with a high recovery rate (recovery rate = amount of water produced divided by amount of water used). Generally, a rate of 25% is considered efficient. R O filters should be changed, generally, every six (6) months and the membrane every two years, depending on what is in your water and the amount of water used.

For additional information about protecting the water your family drinks and for the best prices on water treatment products in most of the United States, contact Michael at EcoWater Systems of Moscow, 316 North Main Street, Moscow, Idaho 83843 by email at michaelr@turbonet.com or by telephone at 208.669.0908.

Other Helpful Handouts:

Water Analysis