Water Treatment

Water treatment is the process of removing unwanted substances , discolouration or tastes from existing supply to make it safer, more palatable or to change its nature to better suite the purpose of domestic or industrial use.

The main categories of water treatment are water treatment for domestic or industrial use plus sewerage water treatment which falls under the category of industrial water treatment .

The water treatment category that Aqua Elite specialises in is the domestic or potable water treatment and industrial water treatments.

Water Treatment for Drinking Water | Potable Drinking Water Treatment

The main sources for drinking water are surface water via rainfall into dams or catchment areas or subterranean water found in aquifers , boreholes or wells. Most domestic homes in developed countries receive their water from local municipalities who have gone to the expense of treating it prior to distribution.

This type of water treatment would include the separation of solid materials , settlement and removal of suspended particles, chemical treatment to remove bacteria and water borne viruses and discolouration. The water is then further sanitised and released to the distribution system via water pipes.

The home owner would then only need to remove smaller quantities of contaminants collected from the distribution channels or unwanted chemical addition or disinfection byproducts. Large municipalities are able to apply at least 7 distinct processes to make the water treatment effective . Domestic users still have the option of using water filters or reverse osmosis water treatment systems to further purify the water they use for food preparation or beverages.

It is the home owner in smaller communities which are at the most risk as these smaller municipalities simply do not have the necessary budget , political will or expertise to fully process the raw water and this partly treated water is then passed on to the owner. It then becomes the home owners responsibility to treat his own water to a higher level that is more acceptable to him.

Water Treatment of Subterranean water by home owners has to equal and better the local municipal steps and its these initia steps that are problematic and sometimes particularly costly as all water supply qualities differ and there is no single water treatment process that is best or financially viable to resolve all water problems. If this were the case we would not have water supply quality problems as it would be resolved by the smallest of municipalities.

 Water treatment is a science and is quite complex with multiple variables and in the Industrial sector this is particularly true. Below is a new technology for removing suspended solids from water and waste water. The baleen filter was developed in Australia and has won many awards . tested in many environments it has far out performed cake presses in terms of power usage and effectiveness.

Water Treatment Video

Water Filter & Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment

Below is a short price guide on the most popular items that we stock.
For everything else please give us a call on 082 599 6613 and chances are that if we dont carry it we can get it for you within 48 hrs.

	Aqua Elite Water Filter Product List 2011 -2012
converter R180	Dispenser converter. Remove the bottle and replace with this 8 liter self filling unit. With the right attachments this unit can fill from a water filter,reverse osmosis system or even the tap. Easy Installation	R 180.00
	50 Gpd Reverse Osmosis membrane with sediment and activated inline water filter cartridges. Designed for fish tanks . Needs as incoming water pressure of 2.8 bars – 5 bars to operate effectively .Free Delivery within Johannesburg Metro	R 765.00
	Polyprop Spun Sediment filters available in 10” Standard ,10” Big Blue, 20 “ Slim Line, 20”Big Blue 30” Slimline .1,5,10,20 & 25 Microns. Starting at R18.00 .Other sizes on Request. Discounts available for purchases of 10 or more. Pleated Filters also available .	R 50.00
	CTO Carbon Blocks available in 10” Standard ,10” Big Blue, 20 “ Slim Line, 20”Big Blue 5 micron. Starting at R42.00 for the 10”. Other sizes on Request.Discounts available for purchases of 10 or more	R 105.00
	Granular Activated Carbon ( GAC ) water filters available in 10” & 20” std and Big Blue. Starting at R42 for the std 10”	R 365.00
	2 Stage under counter water filter. Connects to the feed water line via a self piercing saddle valve or ezee connector with a ball valve. Supplied with all fittings including a lead free faucet.Supplied with 5 micron sediment filter plus activated carbon (GAC) filter.	R 1500.00
3 Stage Under counter water filter	3 Stage under counter water filter. Connects to the feed water line via a self piercing saddle valve or ezee connector with a ball valve. Supplied with all fittings including a lead free faucet.Supplied with 5 micron sediment filter,activated carbon (GAC) filter and 5 micron carbon block.	R 1650.00
	5 stage reverse osmosis water filter supplied with a 12 liter pressurised tank,lead free faucet and all the connectors and fiters. Filters include 5 micron sediment removal filter,GAC filter, CTO carbon Block, 75 gpd membrane and post carbon taste and odour removal inline filter.Free Delivery to any major Center in South Africa via Door to Door Courier. For feed water pressure > 2.8bars but < 5 bars. No Booster Pump	R 2750.00
	Same as above with pressure booster pump	R 3250.00
	Inline pressure reducer to limit pressure to 4 bars for under counter water filters and reverse osmosis systems.To be  Installed on the 1/4” water filter pipe	R 170.00
	14 Liter Mineral Pot Gravity filter with 7 stage filter and magnetic dispenser tap. This is a great quality unit that uses the gravity feed system and can be converted easily with a float valve to take a direct water feed and become a self filling unit. The filters are excellent and the product water is great tasting and very healthy. A Great Buy	R 305.00
	400 gpd high flow reverse osmosis water filter system with booster tanks and is ideal for a coffee shop or commercial use. Supplied with all filters ,lead free faucet and fittings . Filters include 5 micron sediment filter,GAC water filter,5 micron carbon block, 400 gpd membrane and post carbon taste and odour removal filter. Free delivery anywhere in South Africa	R 7200.00
	Replacement filter pack for under counter water filter systems and reverse osmosis systems. Consists of a 5 micron sediment removal filter, GAC water filter, carbon block and post carbon filter .All 10 “	R 385.00
	Whole house filter system attached to the water line between the municipal supply and the house and which can filter up to 1500 liters per day. Includes brackets , filters, pressure gauges and ( optional UV steriliser light add R2305 )	R 3,670.00
	Whole house filter system attached to the water line between the municipal supply and the house and which can filter up to 2600 liters per day. Includes brackets , filters, pressure gauges and ( optional UV steriliser light add R1650 )	R 4,850.00
	We carry hundreds of filters,spares and parts . Please call for any item that is not on this short list.More to follow -watch this space . Aqua Elite 082 599 6613 If we don’t stock the item that you are looking for we can find it for you

Water Bottling

So many people are looking for additional income streams through selling bottled water and while the entrance requirements are low, this product still falls under the health legislation related to selling food stuffs and hygiene is very important.

Bottled Water

The entry levels into water bottling can be very low and in essence a good source of quality water is required with storage facilities. From the water storage the water is filtered and sanitised then pumped through various sediment filters to a production line.

The Water Bottling production line should comprise of :

Water Bottle & Cap Rinsing System

Water Bottle filling system

Water Bottle Labeling and batch coding system

Packing system to pack bottles in sets of 6′s or 12′s

Pallet Storage facility

Filtration for water bottling has to be of a better quality than used for domestic drinking water and many of the larger companies will use a 7 – 8 step process.

Water Softener, sediment water filters, carbon water filters, reverse osmosis, de-ionising resin or a polishing filter ,   absolute sediment water filters at 0.25 microns, ozonation , Uv and a final absolute filter before the filling line.

Just like a whole house filter system a water analysis is crucial before taking any steps as the results from this will determine the costs of running the filtration as well as the way that the water can be marketed. Mineral,spring, Natural or processed water.

Water Bottle Labeling

Water Bottle labeling is very important and any design must make allowances for legislation related to labeling the product. There are 11 elements that must appear on the label with the description of the process used to filter the water.

In addition a batch code & expiry date added to the bottle in an indelible way such as ink jet printing or laser printing is required. The batch code is more for internal monitoring and quality control. Earlier in the year it was still possible to add a sticky label but that is no longer allowed.

Water Bottle Sterilisation & Pre-washing

Any bottle or closure (cap) that is filled with water or liquid for resale must first be pre-washed or sanitised and the media of choice is ozonation as it far faster and safer than chlorination. UV sterilisation is also used just before the filling machines to ensure that any bacteria residue is eradicated before the product is filled.

Water Bottling Production Line Cleaning

All systems that are used for bottling must adhere to strict hygiene and cleanliness and the use of a C.I.P or Clean in Place System is paramount. Air and water borne bacteria can easily introduced to the product during the many stages in the production process from filtration to rinsing,filling,capping,labeling and packing.

A CIP system flushes water through the system followed by a sanitising medium such as peroxide or perchlorate or caustic acid thereafter the system is once again flushed. Each and every nozzle , tap or filling device must be carefully cleaned, sanitised and rinsed prior to operation. This is equally valid for the small hand bottler and maybe even more so as the standards of smaller bottlers are substantially limited.

In a good filtration system all chemicals, salts and minerals are eradicated from the filling line and along with this goes sanitisation. Over time bacteria will build in any line whether it is supplying ozone or not and cleaning will be required. The water bottler that ignores the crucial CIP process is sitting on a time bomb which will explode – guaranteed!

Our website, National Bottled Water Standards covers Water Bottling and requirements in depth. Access to an online library is available for cents and a book is being produced to assist all would be Water bottlers with their business

Whole House Water Filters

Whole house water filters are designed to provide quality water in the entire house and not just at the tap in the kitchen.Having said that , if you get your water from a well or borehole it is imperative that you have a water analysis done to determine what is in the incoming water feed so that the company supplying the filters can take into account all water issues.

Water is a universal solvent and all types of chemicals and nutrients are found in it. Most are beneficial in small quantities but some are a health risk and this may increase depending on the filtration system used. e.g if the water is relatively high in Sodium and a water softener is added then the water softener adds more sodium to the water to remove the hardness. In so doing the Sodium levels can increase dramatically which is a heart risk for people suffering from Hypertension or heart diseases.

Whole house water filters with municipal treated water is much easier as most municipalities treat the water to an acceptable level and the elements that have to be removed are far less problematic than groundwater.

Whole House Water filters

like other systems are designed based on what problem has to be resolved, how fast the water flows and at what pressure. These important factors determine the size and nature of the filters and many options are available to suit most problems.

There are no generic water filters as each media type does a specific job and there are very few filters that can solve every water related problem. But there are some filters that form the basis of most systems.

In municipally treated water the major concerns are removing the chlorine, colour and sediments that may have been introduced in the piping systems and killing any bacteria or water borne diseases that may have got through.

A whole house water filter system to resolve these issues would comprise between 2-4 elements namely a sediment removal water filter cartridge to larger suspended particles such as rust, dirt, mud , leaves etc. The second water filter may be a activated carbon filter with an additive such as nono-silver or KDF-55 to remove chlorine and heavy metals , general herbicides and pesticides. The Third element may be a UV steriliser if the water is prone to e-coli infection or water borne bacteria.

Large Whole House Water Filter System

Smaller Whole House Water Filter systems for a 2 person family. Note the additional piping which allows for back-washing and cleaning in the same way that a swimming pool filter is cleaned

Whole House Water Filter with Backwash

To keep costs down on a whole house water filter system it is important that the water filters be installed on the incoming water supply after it splits off to the garden otherwise the water volume required and therefore the size of the filters and inherent cost of the media in the filter can increase dramatically.

Whole House Water Filter System for Borehole Water

Designing a whole house water filter system for a borehole can be substantially more complicated as the water quality may be seasonal and change in the dry and rainy months. These water quality changes could include hardness, degraded colour , bacteria infestation, chemical seepage from nearby industry and many more so a water analysis is always the starting point and preferably more than 1 test taken over the 2 seasons

Again the factors that will affect the cost are the amount of water required per hour , the current flow rate, the pressure of the incoming water, the type of pipe currently being used and the output water quality desired.

A typical whole house water filter system used on a borehole would comprise a pump at the borehole, chemical dosing of chlorine for bacteria control , a holding tank , feed pump to apply pressure to the outgoing sediment and activated carbon filter and UV steriliser if required . The output water is then pumped into the feed line in the house

Whole House Water Filter System for Borehole

Whole house water filter systems for a home start at around R5 200 ex Vat and installation and those for a borehole around R12 500 depending on what is required.

Call Aqua Elite on 082 599 6613 to discuss your requirements and we will design and install the whole house water filter system that suits your requirements.

Water Treatment – Chlorine | Ozone & UV

Water Treatment is the modification of raw water to meet a standard either for drinking or product creation. All the individual methods of water filtration falls into the genberal category of water treatment including water softeners

The three great water sanitizers or dis-infectants being used today are Chlorine, Ultra Violet lights and ozone . Each has its pros and con’s which should be carefully considered before a choice is made .

Chlorine as a Water Sanitiser or water disinfectant

The tablets below are not the same as chlorine tablets for swimming pools as they are without the cynosuric acid found in swimming pool chlorine tablets . Please do not confuse the 2 products.

To be used effectively with chlorine shock treatment for water systems a dosage of 50 ppm must be used and circulated or pumped through the system then left for some hours after which the system must be thoroughly flushed to remove the chlorine residue. Best handled by a water treatment or purification professional.

chlorine tablets for water purification

Chlorine has been used for decades as a very effective water disinfectant and is still the mainstay of disinfectants used today in municipalities and states around the world  as it is cheap and effective. If dosed correctly into a water system at the correct rate to allow for a 0.2% free chlorine availability at the users tap or faucet then the system is extremely effective in killing most water borne diseases, bacteria and virii.

Not only is it effective in water but in a whole range of products for the water treatment market and forms the basis of many home cleaning substances.

The major downside is its long term exposure effect on tissues and particularly human tissue as it cannot tell the difference between a bacteria and healthy living tissue and simply kills everything in comes into contact with. Studies in the USA have linked chlorine usage in water as a major cause of rectal and general cancers.

Fortunately it is fairly easily removed from water systems by the use of carbon filters or KDF/carbon filters and better still reverse osmosis in conjunction with the former.

Water Treatment – UV Water Sanitisation

Much better than chlorine as it does not add to the water but irradiates bacteria in clear water killing them when exposed to the UV wavelength. UV for water sanitisation is designed according to flow rates and volumes but requires that electricity be available and that the water be clear and the outer glass covering be clean .

Ultra Violet Light Sanitisation Systems

Power failures , variable water clarity and dirt affect the ability of the UV system to function efficiently under all conditions and in many cases the UV is used in conjunction with other water sanitisation systems and particularly in the water bottling industry.

Most systems pass the water in front of the UV light just once and this is fine for clear water or smaller quantities but for systems with larger volumes such as koi ponds the water needs to be continuously circulated past the UV light system.

Ozone Water Purification

One of the latest additions to water treatment and air purification is the introduction of ozonation. Not only is it 31 000 times faster than chlorination it does not produce the side effects such as THM’s created as a byproduct of chlorination and the filtration thereof.

Ozone does have some down sides in that it can produce bromate which is an unhealthy by product with life threatening side effects rarely advertised and almost always present in the product water.

3 gr/h Ozone Generator

In addition adequate air flow must be present in the area to balance the side effects of over dosing or excessive ozonation. The live time of ozone is approximately 20 mins after which it dissipates . Used extensively in the water bottling industry as both a CIP mechanism , pre sterilisation method and air purifier this method is very effective but it is still resistant to some forms of bacteria .

Ozone is introduced to the water either by a venturi system , ( most effective method ) , whereby a bypass valve is installed which sucks the water into the flow of water thus saturating the water with ozone.Water is then circulated within the container to maximise the saturation of ozone and therefore its effectiveness.

Venturi 50 mm for Ozone

A blanket bubbler method is often used where a ozone bubbler is suspended below the surface of a container and any water enetering the vessel must pass through the layer of ozone created .Water is then circulated within the container to maximise the saturation of ozone and therefore its effectiveness.

The blanket bubbler unit has a big negative in that it relies on the power of the ozone generator pump plus the angle of the piping and the temperature of the water to effectively saturate the water with ozone.Because of it’s unstable nature the ozone will eventually attack the piping and in a bubbler situation that can happen sooner than later.

Aqua Elite runs an advice service with qualified professionals on standby to assist with water treatment or sanitisation problems. Call Michael on 082 599 6613 for assistance.

Rain Water Harvesting

Rain water harvesting is all the rage at present with the emphasis on greening homes and saving on utility costs. Bear in mind that rain or the water gathered from a roof may not be as pristine as we like to think as it can be contaminated with bird droppings, dust and wind born contaminants, scrapings from the roof etc

In it’s essence is simply gathering of the water to a storage facility, filtering this water and pumping it back into the home and or garden. Most people use the water rather for the garden and washing or toilet usages rather than bathing and drinking . For the same reason that municipal water needs to be filtered and treated so does rainwater.

Rain water is harvested by saving the run-off from a roof into a tank, filtering this through a sand filter and in some cases more sophisticated methods such as carbon filters and then pumped out through a UV system to kill bacteria into the house or garden.

Image below from Wikipedia on Rainwater Harvesting

Rain Water Harvesting

The municipality keeps the water clean by chlorinating and this sanitising method protects the piping in the home keeping it free of bacteria and slime build-ups but when you pump water through a harvesting system the water does not contain any form of sanitisation so the protection level is not there and that water is best served for non-drinking purposes unless the harvested and treated water is very close to the point of use. Like the municipality dosing the rainwater to sterilise it then removing the chlorine may be a safer option

In its simplest form the items needed would be piping from the roof to the storage unit which could be a Jojo tank of 2500 – 5000 liters capacity, sand and carbon filter plus UV ( size dependant on the water flow required ) and 3 bar pump with pressure stabilisation kit . The pump is used to circulate the water in the storage tank and pump the cleaned water into the house or wherever it is required. Total cost not more than R9000 ex vat and installation

Many design options are available and best is to call us and let us check what it is that you want to do and advise accordingly

Distillers

Distillation

Small quantity distillers are available for home use but they tend to be more expensive than reverse osmosis systems and is still second only to reverse osmosis water for health.

Distillers all work on the principle of vaporizing water and then condensing the vapor. In the process, dissolved solids such as salt, metals, minerals, asbestos fibers, and other particles are removed. Some organic chemicals are also removed, but those that are move volatile are often vaporized and condensed with the product water. Distillers are effective in killing all micro-organisms.

The principal disadvantage with a distiller is that a small unit can produce only 6 -11 liters day and the power cost for operation will be substantially higher than the operating cost of other types of treatment devices.

Small Distiller

Water Distillers have a high energy cost and use as much electricity as a kettle but They must be also have pre filtration in the form of a carbon filter after the distillation process to remove volatile chemicals.

Distilled water is considered “dead” water because the process removes all extra oxygen and energy and has no taste at all. A diet should be rich in electrolytes as the aggressive nature of distilled water can “leech” electrolytes from the body but only if excessive quantities are drunk and the “drinker” is lacking in nourishment.

(650W/240V) 6lt capacity air cooler style, stainless steel body (suitable for seawater) distiller with 2 x 6lt containers. 12 Month Warranty R3950 vat Inc

Fridge Filters

Modern fridges today have their own water supply and built-in carbon block water fridge filter and the idea is great but the practicality is that it is very expensive to replace, the life cycle is very short and if the feed water quality is bad the filter blocks very quickly. At the agent pricing of R400 – R600 per 4 months that is no joke !

Example of an Inline Sediment & Post carbon Wall Mounted Fridge Kit costing less than R450 and lasts 12 to 18 months
with replacement parts readily available.

Dual Fridge Filter Kit R450

This version can also be used for Free Standing Dispensers with a Float Valve Modification Kit

dispenser converter R180

Fridge Filter Kits can be mounted on the back of the fridge or on the wall as in this picture and can consist of up to 3 different filters depending on your feed water quality

By simply bypassing the originally supplied filter in the fridge and installing a Crushed Coconut Post Carbon water filter not only do you get much longer life cycle ( up to 18 months) at a fraction of the cost but it is also a cinch to do.

The fridge filter Kit  consists of 3 m of food quality tubing, Ezee feed adapter plus steel ball Valve for the water mains attachment , 1 x Crushed Coconut Post Carbon Filter , Attachment Clip Set and 2 x Elbows.

In addition , existing water filter systems that may already be installed in the kitchen can be attached to these fridges by means of a t-piece and some piping. (Fridge Kit XT 1/4 )

Fridge Filter Kit XT 1/4 consists of either 5 m of 1/4″ tubing and 1/4 ” to 1/4 ” t-piece and is designed for existing systems whose pressure is better than 1.5 bars at the output and who wish to attach the fridge / ice maker to the existing filter system

Fridge Filter Kit XT 3/8 also known as the fast flow system and is great for modern fridges fed by standard Reverse Osmosis systems without Booster pumps. Fridge manufacturers state that a minimum of 1.5 bars continuous pressure is required on the dispenser and ice maker supply line.

A standard Reverse Osmosis System cannot do this and that’s where this unit works really well. Or if the water feed pressure is already low to the under counter filter system.The fast flow piping for fridge filters works really well

The kit consists of 5 m of 3/8″ food quality tubing, 3/8″ to 3/8″ T-piece , 2 x in-line 1/4″ to 3/8″ reducing connectors . Please remember , if you have an R.O system, to ask for the 3/8″ tank ball valve as well

It is best to contact technical support first so that they can assist you in choosing the correct kit for your requirements.

Iron Removal from Water

Iron may be found in both surface and ground waters, but is more commonly a problem in the latter ( Wells, Wellpoints and Boreholes). In water exposed to the atmosphere, ferrous iron (Fe++) is readily oxidized to ferric iron (Fe+++) by oxygen, and various relatively insoluble precipitates are formed.
Surface waters containing sufficient soluble iron to cause significant problems are fairly rare in the uSA but common in South Africa.In an environment like this molecular oxygen is not readily available and insoluble ferric iron may be reduced to the soluble ferrous form.

Fe +++ is is much less soluble and tends to form precipitates that vary in color from yellow to brown to red. These particles make the water unsightly and can cause staining of plumbing fixtures, interfere with cleaning and washing activities, and impart an unpleasant taste to the water.

In most natural waters, the ferrous form is readily oxidized to the ferric form by contact with molecular oxygen. Certain attached filamentous bacteria (Crenothrix and Leptothrix) derive energy by oxidizing iron and storing the oxidized form in their structure. These organisms are especially troublesome to water systems because they take up residence in piping systems. Occasionally clumps of organisms, in the form of gelatinous masses, break away and are entrained in the flow.

Periodic severe iron problems may result. The diversity of iron problems are such that control techniques must be tailored to fit specific situations. An important first step is to determine what form the iron is in and what concentration is present. ( Water Test is imperitive)
Secondly, the possibility that the iron is present in the water  as a result of corrosion should be investigated if applicable. It is generally better to control the corrosion process than remove the iron after corrosion occurs.

Iron can be sequestered / chelated by various “corrosion inhibitors” such as polyphosphates, or may be removed from water by ion exchange/adsorption or by a combination of oxidation, sedimentation, and filtration. The latter process is widely used, with oxygen, chlorine, and potassium permanganate all finding substantial usage as the oxidant.

Iron Removal Technology

Iron removal from water and the technology used is specified according to the iron concentration , required flow rate and pressure. For low pressure systems below 2 bars swimming pool filters can be used with Birm Sand or Greensand.

Birm sand for Iron Removal

For higher pressure , above 2.5 bars to 8 bars , vertical 25, 50 or 75 liter fiber tanks with manual or autobackwash facilities are usually the norm.

Polyphosphates. When the iron is in the ferrous ( Fe++ dissolved, colorless) state and the concentration is no more than about 3 mg/L, the most convenient approach may be to simply mask the problem by adding polyphosphates such as sodium hexamethaphosphate. ( Clarophos, Microphos and Siliphos )

These compounds act as chelating agents to sequester the iron prior to precipitation.
Therefore, they should be applied before oxidation occurs. The sequestering process may be thought of simply as preventing the iron from entering into the reactions that produce precipitates but the iron is not removed from the water.

Total Dissolved Solids – TDS

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) are the total amount of mobile charged ions, including minerals, salts or metals dissolved in a given volume of water, expressed in units of mg per unit volume of water (mg/L), also referred to as parts per million (ppm). TDS is directly related to the purity and quality of water and water purification systems and affects everything that consumes, lives in, or uses water, whether organic or inorganic.

1. “Dissolved solids” refer to any minerals, salts, metals, cations or anions dissolved in water. This includes anything present in water other than the pure water (H20) molecule and suspended solids. (Suspended solids are any particles/substances that are neither dissolved nor settled in the water, such as wood pulp.)

2. In general, the total dissolved solids concentration is the sum of the cations (positively charged) and anions (negatively charged) ions in the water.

3. Parts per Million (ppm) is the weight-to-weight ratio of any ion to water.
4. TDS is based on the electrical conductivity (EC) of water. Pure H20 has virtually zero conductivity. Conductivity is usually about 100 times the total cations or anions expressed as equivalents. TDS is calculated by converting the EC by a factor of 0.5 to 1.0 times the EC, depending upon the levels. Typically, the higher the level of EC, the higher the conversion factor to determine the TDS.

The EPA advise a maximum contamination level(MCL) of 500mg/liter (500 parts per million (ppm)) for TDS. Numerous water supplies exceed this level. When TDS levels exceed 1000mg/L it is generally considered unfit for human consumption. A high level of TDS is an indicator of potential concerns, and warrants further investigation. Most often, high levels of TDS are caused by the presence of potassium, chlorides and sodium. These ions have little or no short-term effects, but toxic ions (lead arsenic, cadmium, nitrate and others) may also be dissolved in the water.

YOU WANT WATER WITH A LOW TDS
‘Water – The Shocking Truth by Paul C. Bragg (N.D.Ph.D) and Patricia Bragg (N.D.Ph.D)
Page 138 ‘TDS and chronic disease’
“In his study, “Relationship of Water to the Risk of Dying”, Dr. Sauer chronicled the relationship of Total Dissolved Solids to heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases (Total Dissolved Solids or TDS is the term for all the elements present in any water supply). It had been thought for centuries that the European mineral waters so very high in TDS were beneficial to health. But Dr. Sauer’s study found that as TDS increases in a water supply, so does the number of chronic diseases in the population using that supply.

(Author’s note: “At our home in Desert Hot Springs, one of California’s renowned hot mineral water resorts, our water pipes had to be replaced after only a few years due to mineral build up in the pipes. What this inorganic mineral-laced water does to the plumbing on buildings it also does to human pipes!)