A Comparison of Water Treatment Alternatives Guide
| Bottled Water |
- FDA standards for bottled water are virtually identical to EPA standards for tap water.
- Bottles are heavy to lift (40lbs.), unsightly, and a nuisance to store.
- Bottled water delivery is expensive ($1.00 per gallon and up), inconvenient and sometimes unreliable.
- You could run out of drinking water between deliveries.
- The outer surfaces of the bottle can be contaminated easily which is then transferred to the dispenser and into the water.
- Buying bottled water at the store is equally inconvenient and expensive.
- Bacteria can breed in bottled water which can lead to intestinal problems, diarrhea, and nausea.
- Generally not used to wash fruits, vegetables, and meats.
- Some plastic containers can leach toxins like cancer causing methyl chloride.
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| Boiling Water |
- This process kills bacteria but may not affect tougher to kill virus.
- Boiling water actually concentrates the levels of nitrates, salts, heavy metals and other contaminants
left in the water. - Practical only in an emergency, very expensive and
time consuming.
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| Carbon Filtration |
- By far the most common treatment, carbon filtration will absorb many organic and inorganic compounds such
as fertilizers, hydrocarbons, and chlorine. - Activated carbon is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and virus. The water leaving a carbon filter can actually have higher concentration levels of bacteria than untreated tap water.
- Granulated carbon can develop channels or bypass which results in little or no treatment.
- Silver impregnated filters are regulated by the EPA because at high levels, silver is toxic to humans.
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| Water Softeners |
- Hard water has certain levels of calcium and magnesium which has been linked to a decrease in the incidence of heart disease by several studies.
- Water softeners treat hard water by exchanging sodium for hardness minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
- Softeners increase the sodium content of water.
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| Ultra Violet SYSTEMS (UL) |
- UV lamps are effective at destroying bacteria and virus (depending upon their output) but do nothing
about chlorine. - Lamps are always "on" which warms the water stored inside and UV output begins to diminish after six
months of operation. - Warm water allows for hard water deposits to accumulate on the lamp sleeve which significantly reduces UV output and results in undertreatment. The sleeve must be cleaned with frequency.
- Many UV manufacturers use teflon tubing to flow water past the UV source.
- Teflon allows only 70% of the UV energy to transmit to the water.
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| Reverse Osmosis |
- Reverse osmosis squeezes water through a very fine membrane which produces water devoid of mineral
content including beneficial calcium and magnesium. - RO systems require chlorine free water before reaching the synthetic membranes. If chlorine comes in contact with the membranes, holes can develop resulting in untreated water.
- Low efficiency, for every gallon produced, three to four are rejected down the drain.
- Most household RO systems are limited to 2-4 gallons of water per day.
- A holding tank is required, which can become contaminated and requires frequent maintenance.
- RO equipment is bulky and takes up most of the under counter storage space.
- RO treatment leaves water with a flat, bland taste.
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| Distillation |
- Distillation is the boiling and recondensation of water. During this process all of the minerals are removed leaving the water with the same flat taste as RO systems.Water devoid of mineral content cannot be absorbed by the body and some studies indicate that it actually leaches minerals from your body.
- Distillation is time consuming, energy intensive and expensive (at least $.30/gallon).
- Mineral and chemical deposits must be cleaned periodically to maintain efficiency.
- Like reverse osmosis, water is left with a flat, bland taste.
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6 months of Hydrogen Rich Water
under normal use and care.
