Bottled Water
Bottled water use has exploded over the last several decades and continues to increase. Bottled water companies make huge profits. They get their water for next to nothing from wells by way of very inexpensive permits, and are able to filter it and bottle it cheaply too. Many people have found purchasing bottled water to be a habit. You can purchase bottled water cases, use a refill station, or receive regular deliveries. This can be inconvenient, have a fluctuating cost, or use a truck which uses fuel, rubber and brake material which pollutes the environment.
Bottled water which has major environmental and health concerns. It is produced with crude oil (25% by bottle volume) and the vast majority goes to a landfill taking 1,000 years to breakdown and releases toxins. Also less than 20% is recycled. BPAs (and other variants) used to make plastics and microplastics found in the water are also a health concern. Cheap bottled water can be acidic (below 7 pH). Those with acid reflux may notice this type of water will exacerbate it and it is not safe for your teeth. Of course there is Alkaline water (above 7pH) available for purchase as well. These will have certain minerals added to increase pH, and provide good hydration. These are certainly not cheap to buy regularly and you still are using plastic bottles.
Bottled water is regulated by the FDA and tap water by the EPA. The EPA has tighter restrictions and inspection regimens, while the FDA has less stringent requirements for disclosures to the public. Overall as long as you are bathing and cooking with tap water you might as draw from it to filter your own water. It’s more convenient, super cheap, and way better for our environment.
Filtration Types
Most people like to use some type of filtration. Many may be satisfied with using 1 or 2 filters from a Brita filter, Berkey filter or a fridge filter for example. The carbon will remove chlorine, mercury, cadmium, copper and organic matter.
There are some substances these type of single filters of course aren’t effective at removing. A few can remove lead but can’t remove, fluoride, arsenic, nitrates, dissolved solids, viruses, chloramine, barium, coliform bacteria, or bromate. Some are better than others of course. Some just list a ton of different substances and say they remove 99.99% of it which is a stretch. Doing the research on numerous filters and different types of contaminates can be dizzying trust me! The best type of filtration will use multiple carbon filters and a reverse osmosis membrane. This will remove the widest spectrum of contaminates from your drinking water, not to mention give delicious pure tasting water!
A reverse osmosis membrane filters down to .001 microns to only allow a water molecule to pass through filtering out what’s left after the pre-carbon filter. Bacteria and viruses are also blocked. Almost all minerals are now removed. Another filter called a pH carbon filter, provides further filtration. Then minerals; sodium, magnesium, and potassium are re-added in modest amounts to give the best taste, hydration and electrolytes. It also provides an alkaline pH. Lastly a TCR filter (Total Contaminant Removal) ensures adsorption of any organic contaminates that might have escaped the reverse osmosis process. It also ensures removal of any unwanted taste or odors.
Note that with RO a small drain line would also be used to carry away “concentrate”, which is how the dissolved solids are removed that can’t pass through the RO membrane. If you’re someone that wants to retain those existing minerals & dissolved solids an Ultra Filtration filter could be used in place of reverse osmosis. UF is a .01 micron filtration level.
Water Treatment Facilities
Ardico Water can remove the guess work from water filtration. I am familiar with the area, and possible contaminates that may arise in your tap water. I actually read the water quality reports from the water treatment facilities. They are available online for anyone to look at. Some treatment facilities can try to cover up test results or not test at all for certain substances. This will result in an EPA violation which will be public information. But most city treatment facilities do their best, but they have a ton of water to treat, and mistakes can be made. All treated water will have a very small level of heavy metals, contaminates, or toxins. They are required to keep them under a legal limit. Should a substance go above what they call a set “Action Level” they must take certain actions to address the issue. Also they don’t have control over what happens between the treatment plant and your faucet. All they can do is add chlorine or chloramine for the long trip through all the pipes. We don’t want any mistakes made with the water you drink! Which is why point of use filtration for drinking water is a great idea.
Water Testing
You can send a water sample off for testing, which can be pricey and take over a month to get back. This really makes sense before doing whole house filtration, but for point of use systems not as much. There are test strips you can order that can tell you about a limited amount of substances. If you are using well water (instead of city) sending off a sample is a good idea as there is a higher risk of contaminates or other toxins. I do always have a TDS meter, (total dissolved solids) to gauge how hard the water is and give an idea of its purity. Again I will always use Reverse Osmosis (and carbon filters) to remove the widest spectrum of contaminates and substances, unless you want to use Ultra Filtration. The main attraction of UF is no concentrate running to your drain and faster filtration speed.
Producing Your Own Purified Water
How can you get purified water from Ardico? Please take a look at the “equipment” and “installation” section of this site to see what I offer as well as how it’s installed. My service is offered as a subscription, which includes free installation, no equipment to purchase, a never ending full warranty, and annual filters changes. So all you have to do is enjoy your delicious and safe water! You may purchase equipment as well. Contact me for a quote.
Thank you for considering Ardico Water as your drinking water provider. Don’t take chances! Make the right choice for your health and for our environment as well!
Ardico Water - Owner 