Point of Use Systems (Drinking)

Point of use systems range in cost from $100.00 to $2,000.00 and include counter top filters, under counter filters, reverse osmosis units, and distillers.

A portable filter for personal use is easy to use: Just fill & drink. It should improve taste & eliminate odours, remove colour, reduce lead and other heavy metals, remove Giardia & Cryptosporidium and be great for the office, school, travel or recreation. (Click pictures for more info)
Because of their size, counter top filters have limited applications and are generally used to remove chlorine. They are connected directly to the kitchen faucet. The better quality units will remove chlorine, cysts, and be certified to remove e-coli bacteria.
A good under counter filter system will have a 5 stage filtration and purification system. It should have a bacteriostatic media to prevent bacterial growth. It will also improve taste, eliminate odours, remove objectionable colour.
The most popular filtration unit on the market today is the 5 stage reverse osmosis (RO) unit. It is installed under the counter and utilizes advanced filtration and NASA developed membrane technology to purify water. An RO system will remove virtually all pollutants from water including chemicals, cysts, herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, etc. An RO unit is connected to a separate pure water faucet, and can be piped to more than one outlet including ice makers, and refrigerators. Water is passed through a pre-filter (5 microns) to remove particulates and sediment, then applied under pressure to a semipermeable membrane. The membrane will remove up to 98% of TDS including bacteria and cysts, but allows small molecules of water and soluble chemicals to pass. The impurities collected on the membrane must be flushed from the system. Water then goes through an absorption filter to improve taste, odor and color and to reduce chemical contaminants. These units produce from 10 to 100 gallons of pure water per day. Water is stored in a sealed container. A final filter is used to reduce tastes and odors which can be introduced by the storage unit. Often a UV sterilizer is then added to insure bacteriological free water.

 
Another method of purification is distillation. Distillers operate by boiling the water and collecting the condensed steam droplets to provide pure water. Distillers are normally counter top models and collect 2 to 5 gallons per day of pure water in a reservoir. The output from a distiller cannot be piped to a faucet or fridge. The costs of producing a gallon of distilled water ranges anywhere from 20 - 40 cents per gallon because they use about 3 kilowatt hours of electricity for one gallon. Distillation also produces "flat" tasting water.

Excerpts from A SECRET OF ANTI-AGING By Stephanie Relfe B.Sc.(Syd.)

Kinesiologist

In addition, frequent drinks of good water are crucial. We believe the best water is water that has been filtered by reverse osmosis. Next best would be spring water. Tap water is not as good because of the chlorine and the fluoride (although it is better than nothing). Distilled water is not as good for you, its energy has been altered. In Europe distilled water is labeled "not for human consumption."

Dr. Zoltan Rona's MD MSc states

"Distillation is the process in which water is boiled, evaporated and the vapour condensed. Distilled water is free of dissolved minerals and, because of this, has the special property of being able to actively absorb toxic substances from the body and eliminate them. Studies validate the benefits of drinking distilled water when one is seeking to cleanse or detoxify the system for short periods of time (a few weeks at a time). Fasting using distilled water can be dangerous because of the rapid loss of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) and trace minerals like magnesium, deficiencies of which can cause heart beat irregularities and high blood pressure. Cooking foods in distilled water pulls the minerals out of them and lowers their nutrient value."

Summary

A complete home water purification system will include a point of entry system to remove chlorine and asbestos fibers and for rural users remove minerals and bacteria, with a point of use system such as a reverse osmosis unit to assure removal of toxic chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, and parasitic cysts. Though slower than a water filter, RO systems can typically purify more water per day than distillers. A good home water treatment system, including both point of entry and point of use will generally cost less than $3,000.00 The installation of a home water purification system is an investment that will assure health and prevent exposure to potentially hazardous bacteria, chemicals, and cysts.