BETTER FILTERS, BETTER WATER

I started with a 2 stage camping filter that works much like a bicycle pump. When I went looking for system for my house not one person in any store that I went to knew anything more than which shelf the R/O systems were on and how much they cost, I wanted more info. That was Two years ago ...I am now a distributor of a wide variety of water systems and there are many things I have learned about the water we drink and consider safe.

For instance: We absorb more chlorine through our skin in the shower than we do from what we drink (assuming you still drink tap water)

Pictured is a typical 5 stage R/O system these are capable of supplying 200 L per day of Purified water. It Reduces a wide range of contaminants including Arsenic V, Cysts, Lead, PCBs, MTBE, Mercury, Asbestos, Chlorine, Chloramines, VOCs and many more contaminants of health concern. ( see details on VOC's scrooldown)
Brita seems to be the most popular form of water filter; in fact it is not a filter at all. It is a single stage granular activated carbon system that absorbs some impurities and changes the flavor of water. It has no way of removing any of the solid particles that are found in all water supplies. Worst of all after just 1 month Brita is down to 66% efficiency

A Reverse Osmosis system can out perform a Brita with just one stage, a solid carbon filter. PLUS with the addition of a PH balance filter as the final stage you can eliminate the acidity that is naturally found in water. An R/O system consistently filters water for up to 3 years depending on water quality and removes 99% of ALL impurities.

As for bottled water: There is no government legislation that controls what goes into bottled water..??? For real. Most brands I tested for TDS (total dissolved solids) came up higher than Ottawa tap water. Mainly because they use sodium (Salt) to improve the taste of their water.

"According to recent news and reports, most tap and well water in the U.S. are not safe for drinking due to heavy industrial and environmental pollution. Toxic bacteria, chemicals and heavy metals routinely penetrate and pollute our natural water sources making people sick while exposing them to long term health consequences such as liver damage, cancer and other serious conditions. We have reached the point where all sources of our drinking water, including municipal water systems, wells, lakes, rivers, and even glaciers, contain some level of contamination. Even some brands of bottled water have been found to contain high levels of contaminants in addition to plastics chemical leaching from the bottle. "

"A good water filtration system installed in your home is the only way to proactively monitor and ensure the quality and safety of your drinking water. Reverse osmosis water purification systems can remove 90-99% of all contaminants from city and well water to deliver healthy drinking water for you and your family."

My company is Artesian Quality Water
Quite simply we just want to supply the best quality of water based on customer needs. We are dedicated to educating our customers on the care and maintenance of their water system. To our customers with more complex water problems we have the technical expertise to recommend filter solutions based on water content. In the process we hope to reduce the number of plastic bottles that end up in land fill.

What are Total Dissolved Solids?
Think back to High school science class electrically charged particles called ions came in positive or negative charge. This is what a TDS meter measures in parts per million (PPM) but it is not an indication of how clean or safe your water is. However the lower the electrical content of your water the easier it is for your body to absorb. For instance club soda hits about 400 ppm it is very refreshing because of the carbonation but it is not what your body needs to hydrate properly. At 500 ppm water is still not considered to be unsafe but because the electrical content is so high your body absorbs very little of what you drink.

MTBE is a volatile, flammable and colorless liquid that is immiscible with water. MTBE has a minty odor vaguely reminiscent of diethyl ether, leading to unpleasant taste and odor in water. MTBE is a gasoline additive, used as an oxygenate and to raise the octane number, although its use has declined in the United States in response to environmental and health concerns. It has been found to easily pollute large quantities of groundwater when gasoline with MTBE is spilled or leaked at gas stations. MTBE is also used in organic chemistry as a relatively inexpensive solvent with properties comparable to diethyl ether but with a higher boiling point and lower solubility in water. It is also used medically to dissolve gallstones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_tert-butyl_ether

Chlorine in drinking water mingles and combines with other organic compounds to form Trihalomethane, many other VOCs are human-made chemicals that are used and produced in the manufacture of paints, adhesives, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, and refrigerants. They often are compounds of fuels, solvents, hydraulic fluids, paint thinners, and dry-cleaning agents commonly used in urban settings. VOC contamination of drinking water supplies is a human-health concern because many are toxic and are known or suspected human carcinogens." -

PCB's are a group of manufactured organic chemicals that contain 209 individual chlorinated chemicals (known as congeners).
Concentrated PCBs are either oily liquids or solids and are colorless to light yellow in color. They have no known smell or taste. There are no known natural sources of PCBs. Some commercial PCB mixtures are known in the United States by their industrial trade name, Aroclor.
PCBs don't burn easily and are good insulating material. They have been used widely as coolants and lubricants in transformers, capacitors, and other electrical equipment. The manufacture of PCBs stopped in the United States in 1977 because of evidence that they build up in the environment and cause harmful health effects. Products containing PCBs are old fluorescent lighting fixtures, electrical appliances containing PCB capacitors, old microscope oil, and hydraulic fluids.
During the time that PCBs were manufactured, there were often no effective controls on disposal. Because they do not break down easily, PCBs are now found widely distributed in our environment. Generally their concentrations in the environment are quite low. However, the chemical properties of PCBs cause them to be concentrate up the food chain.