In some parts of the world pure drinking water is unavailable, and many people still die from diseases such as cholera as a result of water pollution. Water becomes polluted when waste matter from sewage systems, chemical plants, bacteria and algae get into the water. Rain water runoff from agricultural lands and mining operations also make their way into lakes and rivers, thus polluting them. Because of this, water is collected in special treatment facilities and treated to purify it and make it potable.
The water that comes into our homes has been specially processed for use by human beings. However, despite purification, tap water may still contain lead and other toxic substances. Drugs and even sewage waste have been found in some metropolitan water supplies. As a result, municipal agencies are warning customers to take steps to purify their drinking water or to buy bottled water for drinking.
Distilled water is a form of purified water from which the minerals have been removed by condensation. This water is bottled and sold for use as drinking water. However, experts claim that this water should not be consumed by humans since all the necessary minerals-calcium, magnesium and potassium-have been removed. Water distillers argue that the water is fine because only 5% of our daily requirement of these minerals comes from water. The rest is taken from the food we eat, therefore if we eat a balanced diet, we should not have a deficiency in these minerals.
In an attempt to supply the public with a more healthy type of water, many companies market water filtration products which are purported to remove impurities by a process of reverse osmosis. This process removes substances such as salts, metals and minerals. It is also said to be successful with asbestos and many taste, color and odor-producing chemicals. Reverse osmosis gets rid of most contaminants and is cost effective, however it is a slow process, and does not eliminate bacteria and viruses. For this, UV filters are needed.
Even distilled water which is supposedly the purest type of water still contains some bacteria. Aquahydrate is a system that uses two cycles of reverse osmosis to remove impurities and special UV light filters to get rid of bacteria. This type of water also boasts of having increased pH and trace minerals to make it the best water for human consumption.
PURE DRINKING WATER
In order to maintain a healthy body, we need to keep it hydrated and observe proper nutrition. Water has undergone many stages of purification since the early days, however in many parts of the world potable water is either unavailable or severely limited. For those of us fortunate enough to have access to clean drinking water, we should try to ensure that the water we drink is the purest we can obtain.