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| What is Purified Water? |
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| By Jon M. Stout |
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The majority of the human body is comprised of water and human beings can live only a very short time without water.
Water is a chemical substance that is essential to all known forms of
life. It covers 71% of Earth's surface. It is found in the oceans
(saltwater) and polar ice caps, but it is also present as clouds, rain
water, rivers, freshwater aquifers, lakes, airborne vapor and sea ice.
Water in these bodies perpetually moves through a cycle of evaporation,
precipitation, and runoff to the sea. Clean water is essential to human
life. In many parts of the world, it is in short supply. (Source:
Wikipedia)
Of all the water in the world, only about 3% is drinkable by human
beings. Of this small percentage, the majority is either wholly or
partially polluted by natural or man made contaminants. The body
requires H2O to survive but not the contaminants found in most drinking
water.
What Are Your Choices For Drinking Water?
Most people in the United States face limited choices of drinking
water. They can either drink tap water provided by the municipalities
they live in or well water on their own land. Neither of these choices
provides pure drinking water.
What Are the Different Types of Drinking Water?
Generally speaking there are three choices for drinking water available to the consumer:
* Tap Water (provided by local municipal water suppliers)
* Well Water (found in more rural areas of the country)
* Bottled Water (sold commercially throughout the country)
Tap Water:
Tap water comes from local rivers and streams and very often plants
that recycle raw sewerage and other waste water. Because many rivers,
streams and other groundwater sources are polluted by natural runoff
and man made contaminants, and all waste water and raw sewerage contain
high levels of bacteria, increasing levels of chlorine are required to
kill bacterial and other harmful organisms.
Tap water is regulated by The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
an agency of the Federal Government but EPA regulations in no way
require the elimination of contaminants. The EPA only sets minimum
levels of contaminants (including chlorine) and the long term effects
of these poisons on the human body are largely unknown. In addition
chlorine adds unpleasant odors and taste to tap water.
Well Water:
Well water is subject to the same types of natural and man made
pollution as tap water but it is unregulated. The Commonwealth of
Virginia, for example, strongly recommends chlorination and
dechlorination of owner’s individual wells but mandatory compliance is
not required. Well water is particularly subject to ground bacteria
pollution through the wellhead itself. The use of chlorine adds
unpleasant odors and taste to the well supplied drinking water.
Bottled Water:
Repackaged bottled water:
There are many types of bottled drinking water on the market today
with the result that some are good, some are bad and some are useless
when it comes to providing pure drinking water.
Some unethical suppliers merely take tap water and bottle the water
in small packages. These bottlers are able to charge a premium for tap
water but the levels of contaminants are the same as in tap water.
Spring water:
The source of some bottled water is spring water and this term
implies a fresh mountain spring of wholesome drinking water. Springs
however, are subject to the same types and levels of natural and man
made contaminants as tap and well water and the consumer does not get
the benefit of pure water.
Purified water:
Purified water is the only water that that one should drink for
their health and the health of their family. There are two processes
used in order to purify water: distillation and reverse osmosis.
Distillation is a process whereby water is turned to steam and
condensed leaving behind all contaminants and bacteria. Many countries
without natural source water and the Department of Defense use
distillation to provide pure drinking water.
Reverse osmosis is a process where by water is filtered through a
very small filter and contaminants are removed but bacteria and trace
elements are left in the water.
Distillation removes the water from the contaminants while reverse
osmosis merely filters the water without removing all bacteria and
other material.
Many experts believe that distillation is the best way to create pure water.
Conclusion:
If you are an individual interested in maintaining a healthy
lifestyle or a parent that is concerned about the health of your
family, you should consider adding purified water to your diet.
No other water source provides the purity your body needs.
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About The Author
Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Board of
Element H2O. For more information about bottled water, private label
bottled water and bottled water delivery go to http://www.elementh2o.com
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