Ibbygirl Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 I never imagined that when I asked that question about milk in the other thread that it would turn into such and interesting and informative conversation. It got me thinking about how many other things I don't know about what goes into my (and more importantly) my children's bodies. Since so many of you ladies are so incredibly knowlegeable about these things I thought that I should ask about water as well since this is something that I drink copious amounts of. So what about water? Is it better to drink filtered from the tap, straight from the tap, osmosis, distilled, spring, mineral??? Thank you to all who reply. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 and I chose distilled when buying in the grocery store (when I don't feel like going to the water store). I buy most of my drinking water from a water store....and it is reverse osmosis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 We put a reverse osmosis filter on our sink after my son got cancer, because his docs told us that the bacteria in the tap water can be dangerous for him. That is the best $150 we have ever spent IMO. The bacteria does not sicken most of us, but the immune compromised can have problems with it. I have since learned that we have jet fuel in our water (RO takes that out too), so for us it is a great choice. You can get a copy of the water quality report from your local water supplier and see which system removes the dangers in your tap water. Bottled water is often not any better than tap water (unless it says it has been through RO or carbon filtration), and of course it sits in a plastic bottle before you drink it. Honestly before he got sick I never really thought much of the water, just food, cleaners, and pesticides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 How is osmosis different from other methods of purification? I'm also curious about distilled. In my understanding it is just pure H2O like rain water and nothing else. I've heard some people say it is bad for you because it leaches minerals out of your body and I've heard others say it is the only thing they would drink because it is the most natural. You think something so simple would be apparent, but as I learned on the milk thread, simple things can get complicated real quick. :confused: Has anyone every heard of distilled water being bad for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cillakat Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 R.O. is great....otherswise a 7 stage filtration....lesser filtration....or tap. Distilled isn't great....no time now but the lack of minerals causes it to easily grab minerals from ones body. Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 and I chose distilled when buying in the grocery store (when I don't feel like going to the water store). I buy most of my drinking water from a water store....and it is reverse osmosis. I have never heard of a water store. Where in Florida do you live? I spent 10 years in Broward and Palm Beach Counties and never saw a water store. Is that a new thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 We have our own well and drink ours straight from the tap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 My nutrisionist also recommended reverse osmosis due to my cancer. Her thoughts were that because of the cancer, my body didn't need to deal with the little things that it normally would shrug off without a problem. Spring water was no better than tap water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 The water in our home is supplied from a spring on our property. We drink straight from the tap. We did have the water tested when we first moved in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 We will be investing in a reverse osmosis system soon. I have been trying to convince dh of this for 5 years now and he finally agrees with me. In the meantime, we have spring water delivered because our tap water tastes disgusting even when using a regular filter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 It may depend where you live. We had reverse osmosis in Tucson. I would never, ever drink anything from a tap or brush my teeth in South Florida I purchase bottled water whenever I visit my mother, it is just the horrid. Here in N Alabama we have a filter on our fridge and use that most of the time but I don't mind drinking the tap water if I have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 It may depend where you live. We had reverse osmosis in Tucson. I would never, ever drink anything from a tap or brush my teeth in South Florida I purchase bottled water whenever I visit my mother, it is just the horrid. Here in N Alabama we have a filter on our fridge and use that most of the time but I don't mind drinking the tap water if I have to. hehehe I have to tell you something funny. I live in Broward County and there is a Coca Cola plant not 2 miles from my house where they make Dasani water. They make it from my city water! hehehehehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 I have never heard of a water store. Where in Florida do you live? I spent 10 years in Broward and Palm Beach Counties and never saw a water store. Is that a new thing? I was wondering about that as well. I've never heard of a water store either. Where do you go Tammy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 What are the pros/cons of reverse osmosis?? Is it something that you have to have installed to your house for it to work or are there portable units?? Thanks for all the wonderful replies so far. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Yall are funny, LOL. Well it isn't a 'water store' per se......it is called Atlantic Filter....and they sell RO water. You bring your container....and fill up. They also sell well/softener/pool equipment also. I didn't mean to imply that distilled water was 'better'....but it is the best thing I can find at the grocery store. I think RO water is the best. I can't even find the 'purification process' on most of the water sold in the grocery store....that is why I went with distilled. I don't often buy water from the grocery store....only when I am too lazy to get it al the 'water store', LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 Yall are funny, LOL. Well it isn't a 'water store' per se......it is called Atlantic Filter....and they sell RO water. You bring your container....and fill up. They also sell well/softener/pool equipment also. I didn't mean to imply that distilled water was 'better'....but it is the best thing I can find at the grocery store. I think RO water is the best. I can't even find the 'purification process' on most of the water sold in the grocery store....that is why I went with distilled. I don't often buy water from the grocery store....only when I am too lazy to get it al the 'water store', LOL. hehehehe What kinds of containers do they use and how in the world do you lift them and get them into your house from "the water store"?? ;) :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 I just use it for drinking water....so I have the 3 gallon water jugs. I used to have the 5 gallon....but since I am getting so OLD....I have a hard time carrying those now, LOL. I have 3-3gallon jugs....and they have a cart for you to use to carry them out to your car. I have a water cooler at home.... I don't think I could drink water all day if it wasn't cold, LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeslieP Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Reverse osmosis is what I've heard is best. At our home, anything has to be better than the tap. We are constantly receiving notices from our water company that their water didn't meet standards when tested, but they are doing blah, blah, blah to fix it. And even on 2 occasions we found out after the fact that we were under boil order! When I called to complain that we hadn't been notified they said that they didn't have any way of contacting all their customers personally and that is why they just post it on the 5 o'clock news. We don't watch the 5 o'clock news!! My MIL who lives an hour away saw it on the news and mentioned it 2 days after the fact to us. So for us, anything is better than the tap water here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 What are the pros/cons of reverse osmosis?? Is it something that you have to have installed to your house for it to work or are there portable units?? Thanks for all the wonderful replies so far. :) You can install a unit under your sink for only drinking water or do a whole house installation. A storage tank is needed to hold the treated water, because treatment takes time. A plumber I spoke with recommended the sink istallation because of the time required to treat the water can cause problems when all you want to do is flush your toilet or mop the floor. I don't remember if there is a portable RO unit for the home. I know that many health stores or organic food stores have these machines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 I just use it for drinking water....so I have the 3 gallon water jugs. I used to have the 5 gallon....but since I am getting so OLD....I have a hard time carrying those now, LOL. I have 3-3gallon jugs....and they have a cart for you to use to carry them out to your car. I have a water cooler at home.... I don't think I could drink water all day if it wasn't cold, LOL. The bottles are made of plastic, no?? Is that a concern?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 Reverse osmosis is what I've heard is best. At our home, anything has to be better than the tap. We are constantly receiving notices from our water company that their water didn't meet standards when tested, but they are doing blah, blah, blah to fix it. And even on 2 occasions we found out after the fact that we were under boil order! When I called to complain that we hadn't been notified they said that they didn't have any way of contacting all their customers personally and that is why they just post it on the 5 o'clock news. We don't watch the 5 o'clock news!! My MIL who lives an hour away saw it on the news and mentioned it 2 days after the fact to us. So for us, anything is better than the tap water here. Oh my!! where do you live? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 You can install a unit under your sink for only drinking water or do a whole house installation. A storage tank is needed to hold the treated water, because treatment takes time. A plumber I spoke with recommended the sink istallation because of the time required to treat the water can cause problems when all you want to do is flush your toilet or mop the floor. I don't remember if there is a portable RO unit for the home. I know that many health stores or organic food stores have these machines. How much does it typically cost to get a unit installed under the sink?? Thanks. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 Another thing I wanted to ask about the reverse osmosis. Does it remove the trace things in the water?? I remember hearing a report last year about all of these pharmaceuticals that are in the water... would reverse osmosis rid the water of these things as well? Thanks. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 What are the pros/cons of reverse osmosis?? Is it something that you have to have installed to your house for it to work or are there portable units?? Thanks for all the wonderful replies so far. :) We bought a whirlpool RO system at home depot for about $150. There are three cartridges that need replacing every 6 months at a cost of $99 for the set. You can install it yourself with an hour or so of your time or call a plumber. Someone asked about trace minerals and such, and I would like to know this as well. It is unclear from what I have read exactly what all is taken out of the water, but I know it takes out bacteria and jet fuel which were my two main concerns. Anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 No...I can't worry about everything that will kill me. I figure....nothing can be worse than the air I breathe everyday, LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 For instance, if a chemical that is more volatile than water is distilled with water, that chemical can be more concentrated in the distilled water than in the original water source. Those kinds of chemicals sometimes appear in ground water near computer hardware manufacturing facilities, and they are really not very nice to imbibe! So in addition to the mineral depletion issue, distillation does not necessarily purify water completely. I don't think that distilled water is good as a main source of drinking water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 I drink water straight out of the tap. it comes from the water tank behind the house. which gets the water from the rain. the tank is concrete, with a lid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 The bottles are made of plastic, no?? Is that a concern?? I was told to get the hard blue, food grade plastic bottles that are generally sold next to the water machine. they don't have the easily leached chemicals of other plastics. I'd also try to avoid lettig them overheat and I'd also replace within a couple of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 It's been several years since I've spoke to the nutrictionist about RO vs distilled water so I've forgotten the details. I remember that RO is best followed by distilled, but not distilled that comes out of a milk jug. Water is usually stored in un-cooled warehouses and that allows the chemicals to leach from the milk jug. Because milk MUST be kept cool, the chemicals don't leach into the milk. Because we thought we'd be moving, and RO machines were located in nearby stores, we never installed an under the sink unit. So I donn't have installation costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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