Activated carbon filtration, distillation, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet water filtration. These are just some of the many ways of purifying the water, that has gained national attention especially in light of recent headlines like "Study Finds Traces of Drugs in Drinking Water in 24 Major US Regions" and "EPA Won't Remove Rocket Fuel From Drinking Water."
It isn't a stretch to imagine that ingesting pharmaceutical drugs and rocket fuel over time via a glass of water won't do your health any favors.
One form of purification that really stands out is distillation via countertop distillers. It stands our because distillers are reputed to provide the purest water possible. By weighing the pros and cons of this system, you can decide if it is worth spending your hard earned money on it.
But First, How Do distillers work?
Simply put, they heat your tap water to boiling point, causing it to turn into steam. The steam is collected in a cooling chamber where it turns back into water but this time, cleaner, healthier distilled water. The contaminants that were originally in the water before distilling remain in the boiling chamber as the process continues.
What Drinking water Contaminants Distillation Remove?
Countertop distillers are great for removing bacteria, lead, minerals, waterborne parasites and heavy metals. This is one reason why it is viewed by many to be superior to reverse osmosis filtration. Reverse osmosis is not effective in removing micro-bacterial organisms.
Of all the contaminants that can potentially be in your tap water, micro bacterial organisms are perhaps the most dangerous. Therefore distillation score big points for its ability to effectively remove these contaminants.
Additionally, using distilled water in your appliances extends the life of those appliances because it prevents mineral build-up in them. Counter top distillers are also very easy to use and requires no installation at all.
Drawbacks
The process of distillation doesn't remove synthetic contaminants like TCE, trihalomethane (THMs), herbicides and pesticide. These contaminants tend to vaporize at temperatures lower than water, therefore they are just transferred into the distiller's cooling chamber along with the steam.
Some home distillation devices solve this problem by placing a carbon either before or after distillation, which is used to eliminate synthetic chemicals. Ideally, the carbon filter should be placed before. This is because any bacteria that forms on the carbon filter and gets into the distillation process can be "distilled out," whereas if the carbon filter is placed after distillation, bacteria may get into your distilled water.
Another drawback is that distillation will remove the minerals from water that are essential to your body's function and give your water a flat taste. The jury is still out as to whether doing without the vital minerals in drinking water (like calcium and magnesium) is harmful to your health. Some medical experts say the minerals humans get from food is more than sufficient. Best to ask your doctor if you are unsure about this.
Distillers Rock
If you decide to get a countertop water distiller that is coupled with a carbon filter, you'd have a device that possibly removes the widest range of contaminants found in your drinking water.
