We are all concerned about drinking water. All but a few have installed some type of water purification system in their home. Even so, many people still buy bottled water because they don’t really trust their system. It was probably installed when the home was built, and who knows what it is or if it even works.
I have discussed various methods of drinking water purification. We already know that reverse osmosis systems remove beneficial minerals, producing acidic water, and require changing membranes and filters as needed. Of course, the biggest negative of a reverse osmosis system is that they waste so much water. For every gallon they produce, 3 to 5 gallons go down the drain. It is ecologically irresponsible to waste that much water in a desert. You could flush your toilet two times with the water you waste making one gallon of R/O drinking water.
Ultra-Violet (UV) systems work great when they are new; however, they require a yearly lamp change along with filters as well. If they do not have a water-softening device before the UV lens, they become quite ineffective, and I wouldn’t drink that water either.
Filtration systems are a good solution. There are many different kinds to suit your needs and your wallet. Some require no filter change for years. Filtration does not strip your drinking water of essential minerals and removes most contaminants. Recent technology has given us ultra-filtration as small as 0.015 microns. This is so small that it can filter out bacteria, viruses, cysts, etc. It can even filter out anthrax. There are systems that can filter your whole house. These systems can get a little pricey, but you pay for what you get.
There is one thing that none of these systems can do. Can you guess what it is? They cannot provide disinfection all the way to your faucet. When your water leaves your typical purification system, that’s the end of disinfection. Any bugs that make their home in your pipes live on some of the dead or semi-dead carcasses that pass by on the way to your sink or toothbrush.
And as clichés go, the best is yet to come! In September of 2001, the FDA approved the application of ozone for disinfecting and sanitizing food and food processing environments. The applications can be in the air or dissolved in water. We are most interested in the ozone in water.
Most people think of ozone as in smog or the ozone layer. Ozone occurs naturally on our planet. The most common source comes from lightning. We all have smelled the fresh sweet odor after a lightning storm. That’s ozone. Ozone also is formed by oxygen reacting with UV rays from the sun. That is responsible for the ozone layer. The ozone layer decreases during the winter and near our two poles because cloud cover blocks the sun’s UV rays. There is some evidence of ozone destruction by fluorocarbons, but my research shows it is still debatable. In any event, don’t stop using your sunscreen, just in case!
Ozone is the most powerful and effective microbiological control and disinfecting agent available next to fluorine. It kills bacteria 3125 times faster than chlorine. Unlike chlorine, ozone does not leave any chemicals that need to be removed after it disinfects. Ozone breaks down into oxygen.
The list of what ozone can treat is very long. But basically, that list consists of bacteria, protozoa, fungi, mold, all known viruses, and more. When you combine a good quality filter and an ozone generator, you get a very effective water system that meets the FDA range for bottled water. I would challenge that there is better-tasting water.
Another advantage is that ozone water has a distinct smell, so you know your ozone unit is working. Show me another system that can do that! No more worrying if your filter system is functioning. But not to fret, the ozone breaks down very quickly into oxygen, which you cannot smell.
We adapted a state-of-the-art under-the-sink ozone system especially for use in Mexico. It is designed to remove or reduce microscopic particulate matter, chlorine, bacteria, fungi, heavy metals, and other inorganic compounds. It also removes musty smells, stale and metallic tastes and odors, and then adds activated oxygen (ozone) as the final step of the process.
As a bonus application, the microbiological killing power of ozone will allow the user to minimize bacterial and viral counts on kitchen sponges, countertops, dishes, fruits, fish, vegetables, etc. It will even remove the smell from your fingers after chopping garlic or onions.
Making your own bottled water helps you become a better person by slowing down the filling of our landfills, streets, and beaches with plastic bottles. Aren’t you sick of seeing plastic bottles everywhere you go?
Ozone has been protecting our planet long before man came along. It is not just beneficial to our lives; it is essential to our existence. Be sure to Google ozone water and see what is happening in the world of ozone as it relates to health and medicine. It is quite amazing.
Bill Bugg
H2o Baja Water Products
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