Safe Drinking Water
(Page 5 of 6)
June/July 2003
By Lynn Keiley
The main disadvantage of these filters is that they waste from 3 to 10 gallons of water for every gallon of filtered drinking water produced. "Reverse osmosis filters suffer from the same problem that all the other systems suffer from," says Daughton. "Without proper maintenance, the system will eventually fail, and sometimes this eludes the user's notice." Expect to pay about $200 to $400 for a reverse-osmosis unit, which must be professionally installed.
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Distillation . Although distilled water has long enjoyed the reputation of being the purest of pure among waters (although Daughton says distillation units cannot rival reverse osmosis for effectiveness in removing volatile chemicals), achieving proper distillation at home can be somewhat trickier than it is in a large commercial setting. Distillation is great for removing nitrates, bacteria and microorganisms, and metals such as iron and lead.
During the purification process, water is boiled in a chamber and vaporized. Then, the vapor is condensed onto coils. The condensed liquid water flows to a separate storage chamber.
Although distillation removes a wide variety of contaminants, certain compounds such as benzene and toluene have a lower boiling point than water and will vaporize right along with it. If these products are not removed before condensation occurs, their levels may actually increase.
Small countertop electric distillers cost from about $150 to $350, but because so much energy is required to heat the water, distillers can be among the most expensive water-treatment systems to operate.
To find out how you can utilize the sun's energy to radically reduce these costs, see our article on solar distillers in the August/September 2002 issue, online in MOTHER'S new Archive at http://www.motherearthnews.com. Expect to pay about $400 to $800 for a solar water distiller.
Common Water Contaminants
Lead
One of the most commonly occurring inorganic contaminants, lead typically finds its way into drinking water from sources inside the home. Until their ban in 1991, lead pipes and solder commonly were used in home plumbing systems. If your home was built before the ban and the water pipes have not been replaced, it's likely that lead could be dissolving into your drinking water. Lead is particularly dangerous for young children, and has been associated with behavioral disorders, brain damage and lowered IQ. In adults, long-term exposure has been linked to strokes, cancer and elevated blood pressure.
Lead tends to accumulate as water sits in pipes overnight. You can decrease the risk of lead exposure by simply allowing water to run through faucets for a couple of minutes each morning, before filling any drinking containers. A simple blood test, taken annually, will tell if you are consuming too much lead from water or other sources.
Nitrates
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