Specials
Water, Water, Everywhere by Stephen Slauenwhite The human body is approximately 70% water and needs to replenish water lost in daily activity. Another important function of water is to flush out toxins from the body. Water is not a source of minerals for the body. A common misconception is that hard water - water high in calcium, magnesium or iron - is good for us. First, the calcium in hard water is inorganic - a mineral from the earth. This is very different from calcium of organic sources such as milk, vegetables and fruits. Secondly, the kidneys and liver filter out impurities in fluids we consume. Therefore, the purer the water we drink, the better, since our organs have to do less filtering before our body uses the water. What is the difference between the two common forms of purified water, reverse osmosis and distilled? Reverse osmosis is a purification technique originally used to remove salt from seawater. The technology has been modified to pass water under pressure over a tightly wound thin membrane. As the water passes over the membrane, small droplets of water form on the treated side of the film, leaving the minerals to continue to pass down the drain. This happens very slowly and several times before the water treatment is finished. The removal rate for most minerals usually ranges from 90-97%. When the membrane starts to deteriorate reducing the removal rate to only 75% of the minerals, it should be replaced - typically every 3-5 years. Note: Uranium, arsenic, and lead have lower removal rates. If you have any concerns, please have your water assessed. Distillation is a well-known purification technique. Water is added to a boiling chamber and heated to the boiling point. As the steam rises, it is passed through a cold condensing coil to return the water vapor to a liquid. The final step is passing the water through a carbon filter before collection in a storage container. The water turns to vapor and contaminates remain in the boiling chamber. Distillation is probably the most expensive form of water purification due to the power required to boil the water. However, it provides the purest form of water with an impurity removal rate of over 99%.
Stephen Slauenwhite, CWQA Certified water technician can be reached
at Ecowater
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