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TECHNOLOGY AND YOU

Water filters options for safe drinking water

Q: Our neighbor has a kitchen water filter and her water tastes better. I wonder what all is in our water that might harm my children. What types of water filters are best for flavor and safety and do they cost much to operate? - Ann T.

A: Even if your water is from a public supply, it may still contain contaminants that may be harmful, particularly to children and the elderly. By the time water gets to your house, the chlorine level may have often dropped to the point where it may have gotten reinfected in route to your home. It may not be a bad idea to have your water tested.

Although there are many specific models, brands and trade names of water filters, the basic options can be broken down into distillation, reverse osmosis (RO), ozone, ultraviolet light (UV) and carbon. Each type has its advantages for improving various water problems.

Many types of effective water purifier/filters

Countertop electric distillers are effective for improving most common water problems and removing most contaminants. Since water boils during the distillation process, it's also disinfected. The water vapor condenses and drips into a gallon jug. Once the jug is filled, slip it out and store it in your refrigerator.

I have used a small countertop distiller for years at my own home. It has a replaceable carbon filter bag that fits into the water outlet spout. This removes some volatile chemicals that vaporize and condense with the water and improves the taste. The only drawback that I ever found is that it takes about four hours to produce one gallon of pure water.

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems are also effective for most common drinking water problems and they produce filtered water as you use it. This eliminates the chances of recontamination when the filtered water is stored.

These units use an RO membrane that acts like a super-sieve to filter out almost everything in the water.

James Dulley is a mechanical engineer who writes on a wide variety of energy and utility topics. His column appears in a large number of daily newspapers.
Copyright 1999 James Dulley

18 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING NOVEMBER 2000

Most units also have pre- and post-carbon filter cartridges to remove chemicals. The only drawback to these units is that they use more water than is actually purified, so some is wasted and lost down the drain. This is a consideration in water-scarce areas.

Ozone gas purifiers are extremely effective and leave no residual chemicals in the water. Many municipal water plants now treat all their water with ozone gas. In addition to killing bacteria, cysts and virus, it improves the taste. Ozone quickly dissipates from the water, so there is no harmful health effects from it. Ultraviolet (UV) purifiers pass an intense light beam through the flow of water inside the unit.

Small portable ozone purifiers are also ideal for camping or during emergencies. Hang the tube and bubbler stone into a jug of water and switch it on. Another good use is to purify and clean fresh fruits and vegetables. Fill your sink with water. Place the food and bubble stone in for a few minutes.

Carbon filters improve flavor and remove some chemicals. To filter out impurities, a solid carbon block is better than a granular carbon filter. Granular ones are often used as post-filters for other types of filters. Some new kitchen faucets have a carbon filter element built into the neck. So that you remember to replace the element, they have reminder lights. Consider a mini-RO unit (quick-disconnect aerator) for use on most faucets.

The cost to operate a water filter depends on the specific design. Distillers, since they use electricity to boil the water, will push up your electric bills the most - about 25 cents per gallon. In the winter, this electricity ends up as heat in your house, so the net cost is much lower. In the summer, use it in your garage or other unconditioned space.

Ozone generator units use a small corona discharge ozone generator. To purify one gallon of water, it's recommended to run it for 15 minutes. At only 24 watts, this costs less than a penny per gallon. Ultraviolet water purifiers also use only about 30 watts of electricity. Many replacement carbon filter elements are priced in the $20 range.

If you are a biker or runner, there are now special filtering water bottles to remove impurities, cysts, bad flavor, etc. They fit most bottle holders.

Write for (instantly download - www.dulley.com) Update Bulletin No. 415 - buyer's guide of 15 water purifier/filtermanufacturers, filtration types, styles, features, prices, illustrations and recommended filter selector charts for hazardous contaminants. Please include $3.00 and a business-size SASE and send to: James Dulley, Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 54987, Cincinnati, OH 45254.

NOVEMBER 2000 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING 19