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The Benefits of Filtering your Drinking Water

Water is a main function to our body's health. It acts much like a radiator in a car keeping the body temperature regulated through perspiration and keeps the blood freely flowing through out the body. Although it's not a nutrient in itself, it does deliver oxygen and nutrients (minerals) to the different parts of the body. It removes toxins and waste from the body, aids in the digestion of food and prevents constipation. It lubricates, reduces friction, cushions the joints and organs of the body. Water acts as a moisturizer for the skin. It helps to generate the electrical potential in the body cells (polarity) and eliminates bad by products of the body's metabolism.

Drinking water is defined as Potable Water that is tasteless, odorless and colorless, suitable for human consumption.

Purified water is defined as water produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis etc. meeting the definition of purified water in the most recent edition of the United States Pharmacopoeia.

Treated Water:
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Plumbing Code 248 CMR 10.03, page 93, dated 3/11/05, defines treated water as potable water that has passed through a system for the purpose of purification, aeration, filtration, disinfection, softening, conditioning, fluoridation, stabilization, or corrosion correction and/or has had chemicals added which may alter its physical, chemical or radiological quality.

This definition is a lot to swallow. (No pun intended). Basically, all the above refers to is drinking water/water filtration systems that are fit for human consumption.

In Massachusetts, our tap water (from the faucet) meets the standards of (USEPA) National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. This regulation states, no bacteria in drinking water. Therefore, Massachusetts meets the biologically safe drinking water regulation. No bacteria in the drinking water.

In most cases, our drinking water comes to us from the local Water Treatment Plant that uses one or more of the Treated Water Systems making it biologically good safe drinking water. Unfortunatelty most of the time it may give off a possible bad taste, due to the chemicals used to disinfect the water. But, it is still good, safe drinking water. No bacteria in the water.

Our goal is to make the good water the most excellent, tasteless, colorless, odorless, water you can drink with less expense than bottled water.

The biggest problem people seem to have is with the taste of the water. Much of the other time it's just (good promotion/advertisement) in their mind, or it's the trend of the times. Many think because the taste of the water is bad, then the water itself is bad, so they will drink bottled water. If they were to look into the bottle of water they are drinking, they would find it to be the same or maybe not as safe (test the water) as the tap water from the faucet. Also, look at all the money they are spending needlessly for bottled water.

In some instances due to severe weather or a possible problem with the local Water Treatment Plant (which is rare), you are instructed by the local city or town to boil the water, or use bottle water. Because of this emergency of contamination, if you were to use bottle water, we recommend you notice the date of when it was bottled and stored. Use a known brand. We assume it may be all right to drink.

If you were using filtration systems at that time, it is recommended that all filters be changed.

All filter manufacturers label their filters with a statement or similar statement of "This filter shall be installed only into biologically safe water".

No Bottle Water Cooler Filtration Systems

What kind of water filtration is needed for your location?
All water treatment systems have their limitations. Most often, it requires a combination of systems to treat the water effectively. There are different types of filters performing different functions - the No Bottle Water Cooler Company will recommend the best filtration system based on your location.

The following describes some of the most common filters used in a Bottleless Water Cooler:

Carbon Filters (the most common filters used)
Each has it's own characteristic use. Sometimes, manufacturers patent their own formulas (resin, media) when making their filters.

Some of the resins used in making a filter cartridge are coconut, bituminous coal, coke coal, charcoal etc. Classifications of these filters are Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) and Carbon Block. GAC filters are loosely packed in their cartridges whereas Carbon Blocks are packed solid. These types of filters are used many times in conjunction with other filtration systems.

Carbon filtration is very effective in removing odor, chlorine (taste), volatile organic compounds (VOC) such as pesticides and herbicides, trihalomethane compounds (THM), solvents and other man made chemicals in tap water.

The measurement (rating) that is used is in microns. Usually starting with .05 micron, or more commonly 1 micron (takes lead out) and becomes higher (not as fine) in number depending upon the need of filtration. Carbon Block Filters are the preferred filter when removing lead. A main reason is that it is packed very tight (solid) whereas the GAC is loosely packed.

A most important factor when using carbon filtration is the contact time it has with water. The longer the water stays in contact with the filter media the more efficient the filtration becomes. As the GAC filter is loosely packed, the water goes through it fairly quick. With the carbon block filter the water is much slower going through because of it being packed tight. Therefore, the water stays in contact with the media longer and the filtration becomes more effective.

Sediment Filters
This type of filtration is used to remove suspended solids in water. Some of the matter that could be reduced would be the flaking of metal from the pipes, sand, silt, small pieces of organic material, rust or any other small particles that may be in the water.

This type of filter is also measured (rated) in microns with the most commonly being 5 microns. The use of these filters would depend upon the type of filtration (rated in microns) that is needed for the suspended matter that is in the water.

Sediment Filters are made of different types of materials such as spun wound string, ceramic, polypropylene, cellulose, cotton etc. They are not used to reduce chemicals or heavy metals. They do not alter the taste or smell to make the water taste better and most commonly are used as a prefilter to a filtration system.

Mixed Bed Filters (two stage, three stage, four stage etc. filtration)
This filter has different type(s) of media packed in its cartridge. Example, the first stage has some type of sediment media and the second stage some type of carbon media. This would be referred to as a two stage mixed bed cartridge filtration system. Most of the time after the first stage of sediment media, the rest of the stages of different type media follows, many times duplicating itself usually after the third stage. The more stages to a mixed bed cartridge the finer the filtration becomes until it reaches its filtration limitation.

Reverse Osmosis (R/O or purified water)
Water is forced through (with pressure) a semi-permeable membrane in a reverse directional flow of osmosis. This may relieve from 80 to as much as 98 percent of good and bad minerals in the water. It's made up in 3, 4 or 5+ stages. Each stage using it's own filtration such as (example, 3 stage) a sediment filter, R/O membrane and carbon filter. Four and five etc. stages would increase the type of filtration it would produce. It also requires some type of storage vessel to store the purified water. Our larger reservoir cooler (sealed reservoir) usually needs no storage tank. Total dissolved solids (TDS) ppm is considered the reading used for measurement. R/O water takes out all the dissolved solids and heavy metals (salts), calcium, magnesium, potassium, lead etc. It is ideal for a person that is on a low salt diet or has a medical problem such as dialysis etc. and recommended to be used in conjunction with well water. Sometimes, good things do have their limitations. We have had some statements made that it tastes different? It does send to waste two to three gallons of water (slowly) to make one gallon of R/O water. Purified water is very aggressive and tends to dissolve substances that it comes in contact with. When it comes in contact with the air it becomes absorbing making the water acidic, that may cause problems with the body's functions. There are many articles written on purified water. Suggested reading, Zoltan P. Rona MD. MSc has authored and co-authored quite a few books on Health Guide and Health.

We use the standards of the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) for our filtration systems. The NSF International was founded in 1944 as a non-profit, non-governmental organization. They are a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food Safety and for Drinking Water Safety and Treatment. They make the standards and do the testing as well for drinking water treatment and systems all over the world. They are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Plumbers requires third party testing to NSF standards for product approval.

Serving the Greater Boston, Massachusetts Area for 17 years, North to Gloucester, West to Framingham & South to Fall River

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