Water, Water All Around

**Camelia** · 12-30-2002, 02:50 AM

Reading one of the Tmag articles this week referring to diet, it mentioned the importance of water (duh) and the limited availability of healthy sources for water. It mentioned that the only good sources of water come from the distilled kind, or water purified from a reverse osmosis filter.

I have read conflicting information regarding the supposed benefits of distilled water, and am much too poor to consider the expenses associated with an osmosis system.

What does everyone else do to minimise the toxins contained in the toxic sludge that passes for a water supply these days? I personally use one of those Britta faucet attachments with the carbon filter, but am unsure whether I am getting sufficient value for my money considering the amount of water I drink per day.

**restless** · 12-30-2002, 04:29 AM

I don't understand how can they recomend distilled water at all.

Personally, I only drink bottled water and rotate brands every month or so.

**stevie** · 12-30-2002, 08:02 AM

i live in london (was born and raised here too) and drink over 2 litres of tap water every day. I have been doing this for many many years. I havent read the article and dont think i will!!!!!! Maybe i will buy a Britta.....but are they no good?

**Aaron_F** · 12-30-2002, 02:37 PM

I dont really care either way, I have a distiller, but hardly use it.

There was other points in that article which were shocking. He was recommending somewhat around 3.5L of WATER per day, on top of all the other fluids you take in. THe thought of not counting water taken in with coffee, diet soda or tea is pure stupidity. While there is chemicals in the fluid, its not as though it isnt water. Caffeine may be a diuretic, but its a pathetic one at best. All fluid should be counted, not just the water intake.

imported_edziu · 12-30-2002, 06:13 PM

Agreed, Aaron. Many mainstream source love to quote that coffee is a diuretic, but none clarify that it's only diuretic RELATIVE to water. It's not like you would die of dehydration if you drank nothing but coffee. (Although doing so would be foolish for other reasons.)

In and around most major cities, the water supply is extremely safe compared to, say, 50 years ago. That having been said, there may occasionally be discoloration, an unpleasant flavor, etc, which is harmless. And, very rarely, an occasional short-term threat because of a treatment or supply incident (they always make the news.)

If you DO go with a Britta or other simple in-line charcoal filter, don't worry about whether it's the greatest. These simple filters will still pull out the major portion of most contaminants. (Somewhere in the ninety-x percent range, depending on the contaminant.) Efficiency doesn't go up awfully much as the price skyrockets for high-end filtration systems.

**Camelia** · 12-30-2002, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (stevie @ Dec. 30 2002,8:02)]Maybe i will buy a Britta.....but are they no good?

My decision to buy a Britta filter (very cheap really) was based on a consumer watchdog magazine's assessment of the various water filtration systems. Though the water tastes 100% better through this simple filter than directly from the tap, I've always wondered if it is doing the job well enough.

Thanks edizu for clarifying that the Britta does the job as good as the higher costing filters.

**brucep** · 01-01-2003, 12:19 AM

I always found the best water in the dam on my uncles property. Muddy as anything and with a few dead Kangaroos and pigs for flavour you couldn't get a better drop on those hot 40 degree days !! Mind you the Sulphur would give you the trots!!

cheers

Bruce

**Spencer** · 01-01-2003, 01:17 PM

Even i, a master at "splitting hairs" has to bow before this thread

.

**RainierWolfcastle** · 01-01-2003, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]I dont really care either way, I have a distiller, but hardly use it.

Maybe you should use it for something else.

Rainier.

**Bryan Haycock** · 01-01-2003, 04:37 PM

With distilled water you lose all the minerals. I would agree, any claims about water sources and health are irrelavent (splitting hairs) beyond infectious organisms, high levels of heavy metals and other inorganic poisons, and radio activity.

Once again, the difficulty of coming up with content each month, or worse yet, weekly for T-Mag, leads to this kind of heair splitting. Hair splitting that causes more confusion than benefit.