The Truth of Water – Answers

• 30Dec

  Lack of Minerals in Water – Dangerous?

  Drinking Water, health 1 Comment

  Anna from Wyoming Writes:

  Hi, we get our water from a well and we use a water distiller for our drinking water. I am totally confused if this is the best water for us or not, because I am concerned about the water not having any minerals in it. Right now I add colloidal plant minerals to add some minerals, but please let me know if you have any better suggestions, the internet makes me scared with all their claims that distilled water leaches minerals out of your body!

  Hi Anna, thanks for the question.

  Two things happen to water when it passes through an R.O. membrane or a distiller:

  1. The removal of minerals.  Water is the worlds most universal solvent, which is why you find naturally occurring minerals and metals in water.  Once these minerals are removed, it does allow for very fast ion transfer from a source of high ions (the minerals) to low or no ions (the “pure” water).   Think of it like heat – if you have one room at twenty degrees and another room of equal size beside it at ten, eventually both will be fifteen degrees.  This can suck dissolved minerals from your body and pass it into your urine, which can be a problem, assuming you have a major mineral deficiency in the first place.
  2. The formation of carbonic acid.  With the minerals gone, the H2O is free to combine with the carbon dioxide in your water, forming carbonic acid. This will bring the pH of the water down to around 6.

  The real question is will this do any long term damage.  The internet supports a lot of sensationalists that like to do fear mongering.  Fear mongering gets attention, and traffic, which is what webmasters like.  Creating this unfounded fear also drives sales for products that are not needed or just plain do not work, for the profit of these unethical business people.

  I have not run across any sufficient long term studies stating if this lack of minerals is truly harmful or not.  The concept of “pure” water being harmful is a relatively new one and long term study is required.  However, there is no doubt that pure water is in reality an fairly aggressive and effective solvent.  That is scientifically valid.

  My own personal thoughts are that if you are in good health, and have a healthy, balanced diet, there shouldn’t be any problems.  However, if you are very young (infant/toddler), very old, weak, infirm, or have or are at risk of having osteoporosis, than ingesting de-mineralized water might be a risk for you, a risk that you might not want to take.

  Personally, I drink and cook with the municipally treated tap water available from my taps.  As a member of the municipal treatment industry, I am familiar with local and federal regulations as well as industry wide standards and have every confidence that I am getting safe water.

  If you do feel that your distiller is no longer working for you, I would be happy to help point you in the right direction of other effective water treatments for your well water. But for now, happy drinking!

  

  Tags: distilled water, distiller, fear mongering, hype, minerals, pure water

• 27Dec

  Storage of Water – Plastic or Glass?

  Drinking Water No Comments

  Samby from India writes:

  Which are better… Plastic containers or Glass ?? Or is the same? For general day to day home storage.

  Hi Samby, thank you for the question.

  If it relates to long term water storage, than either plastic or glass is ok, provided you are able to properly pasteurize and seal the container. Please read this article from a similar question I got a while ago:

  http://truthofwater.com/answers/2008/12/04/storage-of-distilled-water/

  There is another concern with plastics, as certain plastics contain bisphenol A that can leach out into your drinking water. Studies are ongoing, and the amounts of this chemical leached into drinking water are very small.  If it is a problem, it certainly is a chronic long term issue and not an acute on. Please read this article I wrote a while back on bisphenol A and plastics:

  http://truthofwater.com/answers/2008/09/23/bisphenol-a-and-plastics/

  One final comment on this issue, and it is a personal one.  At home, I most prefer to drink water directly from the tap. However, if I were to store water at home for later use (such as in your refrigerator) I find that water from a glass container has a much better taste than from a plastic container.

  However, if you were to take water with you on the go, glass is not your most friendly option.  Plastic does not shatter like glass does.  Stainless steel bottles are another popular option nowadays, but an expensive one.

  I hope this answers your question.  Please let me know if you need further clarifications or have another question.

  

  Tags: bisphenol A, glass containers, plastic containers, water storage

• 10Dec

  FLOW – The Film

  Conservation, Drinking Water, Other 1 Comment

  Water water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.  It may not feel like it now, to you and me. It may feel like water is cheap, and plentiful, and we’ll never run out. But nothing could be further from the truth.

  Water is the planets most precious resource, and we are running out of fresh water faster than the planet can replenish it.  As such, more and more people with power and authority are tightening their grip on this most precious recourse, at the cost of the people.

  Nobody knows this better than Irina Salina, who produced an award winning documentary on the topic. From the website:

  Irena Salina’s award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century – The World Water Crisis.

  Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world’s dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.

  Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab, while begging the question “CAN ANYONE REALLY OWN WATER?”

  Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround. – Source

  I urge all of you who are reading this to watch this movie. Check out Irina’s website, participate in her blog, and take action.

  People like Irina and others who speak out on the water crisis are speaking the truth. We all must take action to protect the resource for ourselves and future generations.  Please check out this movie, and do your part to help.

  

  

  Tags: Conservation, Flow the Film, water

• 05Dec

  Air in Your Water Supply

  Drinking Water, aesthetics, health No Comments

  Ais from Sydney, Australia writes:

  I have been living in a building which was built in the 20′s o r 30′s. Our tap water is sometimes very milky/cloudy looking when it is first poured and then settles down to normal appearance when left to sit in a glass for awhile. My partner seems to think that it is just air bubbles, but I am concerned that it may be something else as we live in such an old building.

  Any advice you may have would be greatly appreciated.

  Hi Ais, thank you for your question.

  Your partner is correct. This is indeed air.

  There could be many reasons for a milky/cloudy appearance to water, but if it disappears without leaving any sediment than air is the reason.  This milky appearance is caused by extremely tiny air bubbles and lots of them.

  Many people don’t know this but air plays a very important part in the complex dynamics of a water distribution system. It is impossible to keep air out of water mains, and without the appropriate air vent/intake valves placed along that main, the main would constantly break or collapse.

  It is possible that your building is located at a high point along the main where air can collect, introducing air into the apartmant buildings service lines on occasion.

  But more likely the air in your water is due to occasional changes in water pressure due to increased demands else where in the distribution system.

  Water naturally contains 2%-3% air by volume, being held in the water.  The higher the pressure you put in the water, the more air it can hold.  When the pressure is lowered, water can no longer dissolve as much air and the air is released from the water, forming air bubbles.  The same is true for temperature. Changes in temperature can effect how much air water can hold.

  You may want to pay attention to when this is happening. Perhaps it’s first thing in the morning, when most people are taking showers and getting ready for work. Or maybe it’s later in the evening, when some industry ramps up it’s use of water, filling storage tanks for the next day’s processes. It could be seasonal, or the water pipes in the building could run parallel to heating/cooling duct work, changing the temperature.

  Regardless, air in your water is normal and will not cause you any harm.

  I hope I’ve helped answer your question. If you have any other questions or require further clarifications, please don’t hesitate to write in again.

  

  Tags: air, milky water appearance, water

• 04Dec

  Storage of Distilled Water

  Drinking Water, disinfection, microorganisms 4 Comments

  Karen Writes:

  I have a home water distiller. How long is the water stored in glass bottles, safe for drinking?

  Hi Karen, thanks for writing in.

  Distillation of water is an effective way to ensure most chemical and biological contaminants are left behind.  It is an easy and fast way to treat water in your own home for drinking and cooking.

  When purchasing store bought bottled water, a reputable manufacturer will ensure that the water is completely disinfected before bottling.  Most will add a disinfectant like ozone to the process, because it is a powerful disinfectant. The bottle is then sealed and any remaining ozone quickly converts to oxygen shortly after that.  It’s this disinfection/sealing process that allows bottled water to be stored indefinately.

  The process you describe will allow for some interaction with the environment in the glass bottle.  Because there is no trace disinfectant left in your water, it could leave it open for propagation of bacteria.  In this case, you water should be consumed within the same amount of time that food can last in the fridge, within a week or two. Any longer and it could turn stagnant.

  If you would like to produce water that would last longer for storage, you could follow a pasteurization technique as you would with producing home canned goods.  Using heat on a sealed bottle in the proper technique would ensure any bacteria allowed to enter the bottle is killed, and would allow you for longer storage of your water.

  I hope this answered your question. If you would like further clarification or want to ask another question, please do not hesitate to write in again.

  

  Tags: distilled water, home water bottling

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