‘Processed’ water is available in different grades depending on the end use. For instance, water to be used for sanitation does not need to be treated to the highest standards and would be regarded as Utility Water, whereas for everyday use, our water is normally softened and provides the best quality water for washing and bathing. This softened water is easier to heat and is therefore more eco-friendly and produces better results from our soaps and detergents.

Our fresh drinking water on the other hand must be of the highest quality and meet stringent regulations which protect us from bacteriological and chemical contaminants.

Nowadays, we no longer need to rely on the treatment of our community water supplies to offer the best quality water for our use. We can make it the best by installing our own filtration and purification systems cost-effectively and in our own homes. Because we can do this as we need it, our water can now be treated to the desired quality without fear of re-contamination.

Tap water – can we improve it?…

Recent research indicates that most of the water coming from US taps and wells is unsafe. Toxic contaminents, chloride, bacteria and chemicals including heavy metals often seep into our supplies exposing us to extremely serious conditions like cancers and damage to other major organs such as the liver. The unfortunate fact is that whatever the source, some contamination is bound to be present. Even our bottled water has been found to contain contaminents and can also contain high levels of chemicals leeched from the plastics used to manufacture the actual bottles. Some contaminants such as chlorine and fluoride have arguments for and against and you’ll have to make up your own minds on them. We cover both sides of the arguments within these pages.

The only real answer is a good quality filter or purification system installed in our own homes. One which monitors the quality of the water we drink and which removes harmful contaminants on the one hand, while retaining the beneficial minerals on the other.

Filtered Water – some of the options…

- Carbon water filters are quite cost effective and simple to install and account for probably 90% plus of all households who are using filters. The impurities in the water are absorbed by the carbon including some of the worst including Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Charcoal filters can remain active for some months with some utilising nano-silver particles as an effective antibacterial substance to promote further protection against some 650 known and harmful organisms in our water. Charcoal filters allow the beneficial minerals which are beneficial to our bodies to remain. These filter will obviously deteriorate over time and especially during periods of non-use and so it is essential to change them regularily following the manufacturer’s guidelines.

- Ceramic water filters have a very slow flow rate which can make them unpopular. These filters are similar to some carbon filters in that they are typically a cartridge system used on your counter top. Ceramic filters are made up of fossil material with some utilising nano-silver and they can filter out extremely small particles to the point where laboratories would rate the filtered water ‘bacteriologically sterile’.

- Distilled water is widely credited as the purest of all ‘filtered’ waters but that doesn’t mean it is the best for our bodies. Much research points to this type of water creating an imbalance in the body’s minerals which can be very dangerous, in the same way as with reverse osmosis systems.

- Reverse osmosis systems filter water through a very fine mesh or membrane to create drinkable water from contaminated or even salt seawater. This process again is very slow but it creates a very pure water without the healthy minerals needed for our bodies to flourish.

- UV radiation systems sterilize water by exposing it to UV light which in turn kills all living organisms. Regular testing is essential to ensure the correct operation of the filter system and the better systems normally incorporate a type of ‘timer’ so that new elements can be installed when needed.

- Atmospheric water generators produce water from air in a similar way to that of dehumidifiers which extract humidity from our air in the form of water. This is then filtered using a variety of filtration methods including UV light and reverse osmosis to produce drinkable water.

- Water ionizers can be attached to our domestic water systems to create filtered, alkaline water for drinking and acidic water for cleaning. Connected to your own tap, the ionizer dispenses water at the same rate of flow as you have grown to expect.

Bottled Water – is it better?

Billions of dollars are spent on water every year and yet research has shown that it may be no better or more healthy for us than ordinary tap water. The big brands which sell for a premium on our supermarket shelves have also been shown to be no better than the cheapest brands. The big corporate producers predict it to be a bigger revenue stream than their fizzy drinks.

What are the main types as identified in the FDA’s standards?…

- Spring water must come from underground sources which flow to the earth’s surface naturally. When bottled, it must also retain the same qualities, properties and composition as the water flowing naturally from the spring source.

- Purified water is either distilled or deionized water or water treated using a reverse osmosis system where the bacteria and and other contaminents have been removed.

- Mineral water can have no added minerals but must be 100% natural as with spring water. The levels of minerals and trace elements must be the same as when the water left the ground.

- Carbonated water contains carbon dioxide gas through a process of ‘carbonation’. This process can occur naturally as happens with Bulgarian Mihalkovo.

Tap or faucet water, depending on which continent you reside, has been commonplace since the middle of the 20th century but was in fact available during the latter part of the 19th. Although a huge infrastructure is required to process and distribute our water under pressure, it’s cost is insignificant in relation to the cost of bottled water – depending on brand etc, up to 1,000 times the cost of processing and distributing the same amount of our tap / faucet water.

Our tap water brings us many health benefits, not least of all the fact that it is processed to remove any dangerous contaminants. Our water is governed by strict legislation across the globe and while it can contain various chemicals, again depending upon your location, these are used to improve and preserve the water until we drink it. Fluoride is added in many areas and the jury’s out on that one regarding pros and cons. Many other naturally occurring minerals such as calcium carbonate can be present and metal ions like magnesium and iron which are all relatively harmless. Test kits are available for those who are unsure or worried about the state of their supply.

Groundwater is affected by local conditions and these ultimately shape the water you drink. Occasionally there may be a disasterous chemical spill which will alter our local water and in these cases, although thankfully few, we are advised to drink bottled alternatives until it is safe to do otherwise.

So what is Potable Water? Water which is fit for our consumption is classed as Potable Water, whether it is natural such as spring water or processed. It’s all drinking water.

Our tap water is delivered to us through a huge network of plumbing and pipes. The composition of these pipes has changed drastically over the years to a point today where the vast majority of pipes have seen replacement with copper or brass. Plastic has seen an increase in popularity quite recently but it cannot keep our water as clean. Copper is bacteriostatic which means that it is capable of inhibiting the growth and reproduction of bacteria – plastics are not and can indeed harbor bacteria. The one drawback of copper was that the solder used to connect the copper pipe, was composed of lead and tin in equal amounts. Even though the water flowing through our pipes usually coats the interior with mineral deposits, effectively sealing of the lead, United States regulations and those across much of the globe now stipulate the use of virtually lead free solder to prevent lead leaching into our drinking water. Copper pipes can also corrode and pit with cold water.

And now we come to our favorite all time question – is our tap water supply better quality than bottled water? It depends on where you are in the world and where your tap water originates from, what sort of pipes it flows through and whether you have any third party filtration system or purifier in place. It also depends on what brand of bottled water you are comparing it to. There is no hard and fast rule and what one person says the next will disagree with. If you want to try and improve it, install a filter system.

The thing to remember is that most water in the civilized world, be it from taps, faucets, bottles or even your refrigerator, is regulated and falls within the recommended guidelines set for chemical, contaminant, mineral and impurity levels. Our view is that if we can make improvements by using filters or other sensible routes, then why not. What is clear is that our water doesn’t necessarily need to be pure to benefit our health.

Hard water, whilst not a health risk can create a large number of problems for us because the inherent large numbers of dissolved minerals which make the water ‘hard’ in the first place build up in our pipes, taps and appliances. The high mineral content in hard water also stops our soaps and detergents doing their job. The main two components of hard water are calcium carbonate and magnesium. The higher the content of these two minerals, the ‘harder’ the chemistry of the water.

The harder the water, the more prominent the problems associated with it. Even after washing, our clothes, skin and hair can feel and look lifeless and rough. Our dishes, especially if you use a dishwasher, can be covered in hard to clean off stain spots or cloudy film on glasses. Our hot water systems are more at risk as the heat will intensify the situation. Pipes and appliances blocked with scale causing ineffective flow or complete failure are commonplace. If left untreated, the cost from an increase in charges from our energy suppliers can be as much as 25% – more overall if our systems fail and we have to renew appliances, pipework and even boilers.

So are there any benefits of Hard Water?

Sure. We all need calcium and magnesium in our diets and hard water can provide part of that, especially in areas where the mineral content is extremely high. If we could remove some of the minerals and change the properties of the calcium ions to stop the formation of limescale, this hard water would actually be pretty good for us and our appliances etc.

Is there anything we can do to lessen the effects of Hard Water?

We don’t have to do much to lessen the effects of hard water…

- There are detergents specially formulated to work with hard water, washing powders and other soap products that are specially formulated to deal with different degrees of hardness.

- Reducing the temperature of our boilers to around 50 degrees will ensure that deposits are reduced but also give us plenty of hot water for showers and baths.

- Most dishwashers today have the facility to include rinse aids which will help combat the effects

- Using one of many water conditioners, water softeners or even electromagnetic systems attached to your pipes can help further.

How do you know how hard your water is? Ask your supplier. Municipal water suppliers will have this information for you. If your water is from a private supply then there are numerous testing kits on the market to do self testing.

There are a variety of ways to treat hard water including carbon filters, softeners, reverse osmosis and electromagnetic conditioners. Some work better than others and obviously cost will also be a major issue. Unfortunately a good deal of sodium is added during the ’softening’ process which is not great for our health and so filters and the electromagnetic conditioners are considered the best answer as reverse osmosis is quite an expensive option.

Removal of contaminants from our water by filtering can be done in a variety of ways in our own homes but tends only to be used on cold water. It enables us to drink more water safely without having to turn to bottled water products and offers a cost effective and healthy alternative to the shop bought bottle. There are lots of top brand product out there such as Brita, Culligan and Pur – brands with good reputations for quality.

Jug, pitcher or carafe filters are great for small amounts of water and are extremely cost effective. The only drawbacks other than that they provide just small amounts of filtered water, are that they tend to be quite slow and the filters need replacement regularly because they get clogged with the contaminants that they are removing. Unless used regularly, they can also become home to bacteria growing within the filter element. Another cheap alternative to plumbed in systems is the tap (faucet) filter purifier, but again these can be very slow and won’t fit all applications.

Under sink filter units and reverse osmosis systems are great in that they are kept out of the way, but both can take valuable cupboard space. Both need special modifications to the plumbing system and while the reverse osmosis systems produce some of the purest water available, they are also very slow and create huge amounts of waste water – roughly 4 or 5 gallons for every gallon of purified and filtered water that they produce.

Whole house systems use long life cartridges and will require installation by a qualified plumber but offer a cost effective solution on a large scale. These systems can filter out a lot of contaminant and even chlorine, but struggle with some of the nastier bugs and chemicals.

Types of effective filtration

Carbon – charcoal medium carbon is a well used and cost effective solution to our water filtration needs. The filters absorb contaminants and impurities as water flows through the cartridge. The micron rating of these filters is important as anything at 1 micron or below will remove some of the worst contaminants such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Most of the carbon cartridge systems have a simple timer system to keep track on the age and viability of the filter. The do need changing quite often.

Ceramic filters utilize Diatomaceous earth which is a chalky rock made from years of compacted sediment which crumbles easily. It’s use in water filtration is widespread, not only in drinking water treatment but for filtering swimming pools, fish tanks and even wine and beer. The only drawback really is that they have a very slow flow rate.

Mixed media water filtration can provide great tasting water and is an extremely popular filter system removing not only toxins and contaminants such as chlorine from your water, but also treating hard water.

Water distillation is a highly effective method of producing exceptionally pure water. However, this water is stripped of all mineral content and is therefore considered inappropriate and harmful to our bodies in and significant amount or period of time. Reverse osmosis is similar to distillation in that it strips the filtered water of valuable minerals which can then cause an imbalance within our bodies.

UV and Infra Red systems are quite different to each other although sounding quite similar. UV sterilizes water by subjecting it to an ultra violet light which kills the bacteria, while Infra Red utilizes natural silicate minerals such as Tourmaline which can soften the water and negatively charge it which some claim enhances the body’s hydration.

Magnetic filtration basically rearranges the water’s ions, ionizing the minerals and creating softer, smaller molecules which again can help with the hydration of the body but the effects are normally short-lived. A water ionizer creates alkaline water which is great for our bodies.

Water softeners are used in hard water areas to rid our water of calcium and magnesium ions which causes blocked pipework and appliances and which stops our detergents from forming suds. These ions are replaced with sodium (salt) which reverses the hard water problem. This is why our dishwashers as extreme users of water, rely so heavily on salt.

Filters are popular not only in the home but by many companies who want to give their employees the best quality water to aid better health. It can be a confusing process to research and select the best and most effective filtration system for your needs but having done so, you will have a valuable asset for you and your family, and even you and your employees.

Not only are the rivers being tested but they will also test the tap water after it has been through the water-treatment cycle. A number of the most common and potentially dangerous prescription drugs will be tested for and the river Thames seems to be the prime target due to its catchment area covering the most densely populated part of the country.

Anti-cancer drugs are the main problem as they can be excreted unaltered from the body and are difficult to remove by conventional water-treatment. 50 or so of these drugs are used by patients in Britain and researchers are concerned they may have an additive effect.

For the full story… The Independent