FAQ

Soft water is surface water that is low in ions of calcium and magnesium. Soft water naturally occurs where rainfall and the drainage basin of rivers are formed by hard, impervious and calcium poor rocks.

Drinking eight glasses of water daily can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50% and it can potentially even reduce the risk of breast cancer. Considering the major role that water plays in the function of our brain and nervous system, its purity is possibly the most basic and essential key to healthy longevity. Proper digestion and nutrient absorption depend on a healthy intake of water.

Greywater is all waste water generated in households or office buildings from streams without faecal contamination, i.e. all streams except for the waste water from toilets. Sources of greywater include, sinks, showers, baths, clothes washing machines or dishwashers.

Use filtered tap water for your baby’s formula. If your water is not fluoridated, you can use a carbon filter. If it is, use a reverse osmosis filter to remove the fluoride, because fluoridated water can damage an infant’s developing teeth. Learn more at www.ewg.org/babysafe

Test your water. Identify potential problems close to home. Identify potential problems in your community. Consider common sources of potential groundwater contamination.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. People with severely compromised immune systems, such as people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, people who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should test their drinking water.

A contaminant can be anything that isn’t a water molecule. So if it’s not H2O, it’s technically a contaminant. This means that not every contaminant is unsafe to consume. However, minerals like calcium and magnesium can cause hard water problems. There are many other water contaminants that could lead to health problems. The Water Quality Association (WQA) provides a list of common water contaminants and documents their potential health risks. The EPA says water contaminants can be: Physical: sediment or organic material that changes water’s physical properties. Chemical: either naturally-occurring or man-made. Biological: microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Radiological: chemical elements that emit radiation such as cesium, plutonium, and uranium.

Groundwater is an important resource, but it can become easily contaminated and polluted. As the experts at The Groundwater Foundation explain, “Groundwater contamination occurs when man-made products such as gasoline, oil, road salts and chemicals get into the groundwater and cause it to become unsafe and unfit for human use. Materials from the land’s surface can move through the soil and end up in the groundwater.” Those materials also include pesticides, fertilizers and other agricultural runoff like manure, as well as toxic material from hazardous waste sites and leaky landfills.

Lead (as well as copper) typically enters the public supply by leaching into water from corroded fixtures and outdated plumbing. Lead can cause serious negative health effects, especially in children. The challenge is that it is undetectable by human senses. You can check with your local water authority for information about lead levels, but it’s important to note that the CDC and EPA state that there’s no level of lead recognized as safe for consumption. If you have concerns about the presence of lead in your water, you can have it tested in a laboratory.

Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with "soft water"). Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of limestone and chalk which are largely made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates.

Your municipality tests water at the source but is not necessarily the same water that reaches your home. Over time, pipes age and erode and often water treatment or distribution systems are breached by unforeseen occurrences that result in boil water alerts. Most municipalities address the issue by treating water with chlorine to kill bacteria but, unfortunately, the byproducts of chlorine can cause serious health problems.

One can go weeks without food but only days without water. The positive effects of drinking plenty of quality water can be seen in all aspects of our health and appearance. In a typical day, you lose 2 to 3 liters of water. If you don’t replace it, your body will naturally pull the water away from your skin, nails and hair – the fundamentals of good looks – to the critical systems that need it for basic good health. Fruit, vegetables and juices all contribute well to water replacement; however, they also contain calories that, for a growing segment of the population, are a problem. Water, on the other hand, is totally calorie free. This is why it is recommended that we drink 8 to 10 glasses of water each day. It is the most sensible way to meet our fundamental water needs.

Standards for bottled water are no stricter than standards for tap water but there are issues to consider such as cost, convenience and usability. It is a lot less expensive to have your own Trust Your Water Drinking Water Station when you consider the time and costs associated with bottled water. Treating your own water at home will eliminate the need for storing bulky plastic bottles and supply you with unlimited water, right on tap, at prices per litre that are considerably less than buying bottled water.

Studies have found that minerals in your drinking water make essentially no contribution to your health and may even be present in forms your body cannot assimilate.

When chlorine breaks down organic material, it creates byproducts that can damage the heart, kidneys, nervous system and lungs. These byproducts also increase the incidents of certain types of cancer. Many articles have been written about THM’s (trihalomethanes) and their impact on our health. This is well worth your investigation. Data showing these results prompted the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States to respond with limits to the amount of chlorine byproducts permissible in drinking water. Eliminating the byproducts of chlorine should be a primary objective in any personal water treatment plan.

There are a number of things you can do to reduce the risk of lead in your drinking water. Some sources suggest running your tap water for a couple of minutes before filling a glass to flush any accumulated lead from the water line. However, this is not a foolproof solution, as there is no way of knowing whether all of the lead has been removed and since lead can still dissolve into running water. So, make sure to have an efficient filtration system installed at your home.

A whole home water treatment system will pay for itself in many ways. Treated water helps your water heater run more efficiently, reducing energy bills. Treated water is easier on your pipes, plumbing fixtures and your water-related appliances resulting in fewer repairs and related costs. Additionally, treated water requires less detergent to wash clothes and dishes. It also saves on the amount of shampoo and conditioners you use. Also, a drinking water system is much more economical than purchasing bottled water for your home.

Bottles of water cost more than 3.00 AED per liter, which translates into 800 to 4800 times the cost of tap water. Second, they’re cumbersome to have, and you have to go to the store to purchase them. Third, all of those plastic containers must be recycled, or they’ll crowd landfills.

Did you know that your hot water tank is the second largest energy user in your home? According to a study commissioned by the Water Quality Research Council and conducted at New Mexico State University, water heaters work 22-30 percent less efficiently with hard water, driving up utility bills unnecessarily.

Once you know what is in your water, then you can better determine what you want to remove. This is accomplished through water analysis. Next, investigate and learn about what type of systems are available that address your specific needs. There are a number of resources that you can use to make a good buying decision.

Chlorine itself does not appear to be a problem other than the aesthetic concerns of undesirable taste and odor it creates. There has been a lot of research on the effects of chlorine with evidence showing that the biggest concern being its reaction with natural organic materials like leaves and humus forming disinfection by-products, which are considered carcinogens. Installing a point-of-use water treatment system that incorporates the use of carbon filtration can be very effective in correcting this problem.

Carbon used in filtration applications is produced by grinding a carbon source - like bituminous coal, peat or coconut shells and heating the material in the absence of oxygen to 1000 degrees to bake off impurities. The material is then subjected to 1600-degree steam to “activate” the carbon. The steam leaves carbon granules filled with cracks and pores, enabling them to store large amounts of chemicals. One pound of activated carbon (the amount in a standard ten-inch filter cartridge) has the equivalent surface area of a 160 acre farm. Carbon removes contaminants in two ways: through adsorption , contaminants are attracted to the surface of the activated carbon and held to it in much the same way a magnet attracts and holds iron filings; and by acting as a catalyst to change the chemical composition of some contaminants. Activated carbon is ideal for removing chlorine, organic chemicals such as many kinds of pesticides, THMs like chloroform and many VOCs that are components of gasoline, solvents and industrial cleaners.