What You Should Know about Water

Water is an incredibly importance aspect of our daily lives. Every day we drink water, cook with water, bathe in water, and participate in many other activities involving water.

However, even with all of the importance water holds in our lives, many of us know very little about the water we use each day. We drink tap water, enjoying the convenience and cost-effectiveness of this practice, yet, we fail to recognize the serious threat this water may pose to our health. Those who are willing to forgo the convenience of tap water and indulge in bottled water often know very little about the contents of that water , often know little about the many home water treatment option now available.

In this age of information, with so many resources immediately available, there is no reason why anyone should remain so ill informed about water. It is the goal of this site to offer comprehensive yet accessible information about the water with which we live and work every day, including a brief summary of water treatment alternatives, an expose on the truth about bottled water, and a fact listing about drinking water and water filtration products. Read, learn and enjoy!

Topics

•          Water Treatment Alternatives
•          The Truth about Bottled Water
•          How much do you known About Water?

Water Filters

•          Aquasana
•          Brita
•          PUR

Water Treatment Alternatives – How Do They Compare?

There are several popular modes of water treatment and purification currently available, Infect, the market has become so overwhelmed with water treatment products that it can be difficult for a consumer to know which option best suits his or her needs. Each mode of rater treatment has its strengths and weaknesses, and each has particular situation for which it is ideal.

In the following paragraphs, you can read a brief overview of three common methods of water purification: reverse osmosis, distillation, and water filtration.

Included in the overview is an explanation of the process each water treatment method uses, as well as a listing of the contaminants that each method will remove from drinking water. We hope that as you peruse this overview. You will become more educated about water treatment alternatives and will be able to choose the most appropriate method for your specific needs.

Reverse Osmosis 

Reverse osmosis was developed as a water treatment method more than 40 years ago. The process first arose as a technique of desalinating sea water. Once the method’s decontaminating capabilities were recognized, reverse osmosis systems began to be commercially produced for home water purification purposes. Such systems were installed in homes as early as the 1970s. Reverse osmosis systems seemed a viable option to the more costly and energy-wasteful distillation units.

The Process

The reverse osmosis process depends upon a semi-permeable through which pressurized water is forced. Reverse osmosis, simply stated, is the opposite of the natural osmosis process of water. Osmosis is the name for the tendency of water to migrate from weaker saline solution to a stronger saline solution, gradually equalizing the saline composition of each solution when a semi-permeable membrane separates the two solutions in reverse osmosis, water is forced to move from a stronger saline solution to a weaker solution, again through a semi-permeable membrane. Because molecules of salt are physically larger than water molecules, the membrane blocks the passage of salt particles. The end result id desalinated water on one side of the membrane and a highly concentrated, saline solution of water on the other side, In addition to salt particles, this process will remove a select number of drinking water contaminants depending upon the physical size of the contaminances. For the reason, reverse osmosis had been touted as an effective drinking water purification method.

Porn and Cons:

Reverse osmosis is a valuable water purification process when mineral – free water is the desired end product. Most mineral constituents of water are physically large than water molecules. Thus, they are trapped by the semi-permeable membrane and removed from drinking water when filtered through a reverse osmosis system. Such minerals include salt, lead, manganese, iron, and calcium. Reverse osmosis will also remove some chemical components of drinking water, including the dangerous municipal additive fluoride.

Although reverse osmosis does extract several contaminants from drinking water, its removal capabilities are not ideally suited to the challenges of the municipally treated water that the overwhelming majority of people receive. Municipal water contains such contaminants as chlorine and volatile organic chemical (VOCs). Because these contaminants are physically smaller in size than water, the semi-permeable membrane cannot prohibit them from passing through with the water. Thus, they remain in drinking water.

Reverse osmosis, also, by removing alkaline mineral constituents of water, produces acidic water Acidic water can be dangerous to the body system, causing calcium and other essential minerals to be stripped from bones and teeth in order to neutralize its acidity. Trace elements of minerals were intended to be in water, their removal leaves tasteless, unhealthy drinking water.

Reverse osmosis, although it is less wasteful than distillation, is still an incredibly inefficient process. On average, the reverse osmosis process wastes three gallons of water for every one gallon of purified water it produces.