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Alkaline Water
Machines What do the
Experts Say? Toxins in
Our Water?
News Articles on Water
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All IonWays ionizer cells are manufactured in Emco Tech’s state-of-the-art factory in Japan . Their research department has existed since the early 1980s and employs over 20 Engineers with Doctorates ensuring that Emco Tech ionizers continue to out-perform and out-last the competition. FILTRATION
Your Ion Ways water ionizer is designed to give you decades of optimal performance. To ensure that your ionizer performs up to its true potential, it is important to develop an understanding of water quality in order to get the most out of your ionizer and protect the investment you made in it. This document is designed to give new as well as "experienced" Ion Ways water consumers' solid understanding of how water filtration and ionization can work together to create clean and healthy water.
Water's Amazing Properties
The primary sources of water pollution are generally grouped into two categories based on their point of origin. Point-source pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway through a discrete "point source". Examples of this category include discharges from a wastewater treatment plant, outfalls from a factory, leaking underground tanks, etc. The second primary category, non-point source pollution, refers to contamination that, as its name suggests, does not originate from a single discrete source. Non-point source pollution is often a cumulative effect of small amounts of contaminants gathered from a large area. Nutrient runoff in storm water from flow over an agricultural field, or metals and hydrocarbons from an area with high impervious surfaces and vehicular traffic are examples of non-point source pollution. The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory changes. While many of the chemicals and substances that are regulated may be naturally occurring (iron, manganese, etc) the concentration is often the key in determining what is a natural component of water, and what is a contaminant. Many chemicals undergo reactive decay or chemically change especially over long periods of time in groundwater reservoirs.
Towns and municipalities are also major sources of water pollution. One reason for this is that much groundwater has been contaminated by wastes pumped underground for disposal or by seepage from surface water. When contamination reaches underground water tables, it is more difficult to correct and spreads over wide areas. In addition, many U.S. communities discharge untreated or only partially treated sewage into the waterways, threatening the health of their own and neighboring populations. Along with domestic wastes, sewage carries industrial contaminants and a growing tonnage of paper and plastic refuse (see solid waste). Although thorough sewage treatment would destroy most disease-causing bacteria, the problem of the spread of viruses and viral illness remains. Additionally, most sewage treatment does not remove phosphorus compounds, contributed principally by detergents, which cause eutrophication of lakes and ponds. Excreted drugs and household chemicals also are not removed by present municipal treatment facilities, and can be recycled into the drinking water supply. Rain drainage is another major polluting agent because it carries such substances as highway debris (including oil and chemicals from automobile exhausts), sediments from highway and building construction, and acids and radioactive wastes from mining operations into freshwater systems as well as into the ocean. Also transported by rain runoff and by irrigation return-flow are animal wastes from farms and feedlots, a widespread source of pollutants impairing rivers and streams, groundwater, and even some coastal waters. Antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals used to raise livestock are components of such animal wastes. Pesticide and fertilizer residues from farms also contribute to water pollution via rain drainage.
History
of Filtration Centuries later, Hippocrates, the famed father of medicine, began to conduct his own experiments in water purification. Like those before him, Hippocrates also believed good taste in water meant cleanliness and purity of that water. Hippocrates designed his own crude water filter to "purify" the water he used for his patients. Later known as the "Hippocratic sleeve," this filter was a cloth bag through which water could be poured after being boiled. The cloth would trap any sentiments in the water that were causing bad taste or smell.
The right to clean, pure water began to be associated with these innate rights of all humanity. Such philosophical discussions led the French scientist La Hire to propose that every French household have a sand water filter installed that would provide clean water to that household. Sand filters were the most popular method of water filtration throughout many European towns. About 100 years after La Hire first suggested that all citizens should be given the right to pure water, government officials in the United Kingdom began to wonder, also, if every household in their domain should be provided with some kind of filtered water. In 1804, the first citywide, municipal water treatment plant was installed in Paisley, Scotland (Baker & Taras, 1981). This plant would provide filtered water to every household within the city limits. The Scottish water treatment plant depended upon slow sand filters designed by Robert Thom, an important scientist of the Scottish Enlightenment. In 1827, James Simpson, an English scientist, created a similar design to Thom's, and the Simpson water filter models were soon implemented in municipal water treatment plants throughout England. The slow sand water filters designed by Thom and Simpson were very large and required frequent and extensive cleaning. Because of the growing need for filtered water, scientists in the United States designed a rapid sand filter in the late nineteenth century (Baker & Taras, 1981). The rapid sand filter was cleaned by powerful jet streams of water, greatly increasing the efficiency and capacity of the water filter.
Water Treatment 101
Sediment Removal Sediment filters have a micron rating (1 micron = 1/25,000 of an inch) that specifies the level of filtration. The most common micron rating on sediment filters is 5 and the smaller/lower the micron rating, the greater level of filtration. If present, bacteria and viruses are considered suspended matter and can be removed with filtration. A general rule of thumb in water treatment is that any filter with a rating of .2 microns or less is considered to provide protection from bacteria and cysts, and a .01 micron rating on a filter indicates protection from viruses. Ion Ways offers two different internal filters with a 1 and a .01 micron rating.
Adsorption/Carbon Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) is the form of carbon that has been processed to make it extremely porous and thus to have a very large surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions. GAC can be compressed into blocks for enhanced performance. Last but not least are Impregnated Carbons with the most prevalent being silver. Carbon does such an excellent job at removing chlorine, which makes it susceptible to bacterial grown inside the media, especially when left in service for too long. Silver impregnation is performed to prevent this from happening. Ion Ways has gone the extra mile and included silver impregnation in its filters. In some areas across the US, chloramines (chlorine and ammonia) are used instead of free chlorine. In this case, traditional GAC will not work as effectively as it does on free chlorine, so a special type of carbon is needed where 100% removal is desired.
Specialty Resins
Reverse Osmosis R/O and Water Ionization are often thought of as polar opposites in terms of their effect on the water. R/O water is typically acidic and virtually mineral free while ionized water is high in pH and rich in alkalizing minerals. The negative impacts of more acid in the body are obvious and R/O does not help with this delicate alkaline balance. Furthermore, some health experts feel that mineral-free water can be harmful and actually lead to de-mineralization of the body or force it to function at a mineral deficit. Pure water molecules attach to anything they contact and flush them from the body. The flushing that occurs could include beneficial alkaline minerals, which is detrimental to the alkaline balance. Add to this the concept that your body needs a source of available alkaline minerals to help balance its pH. Water from nature contains these minerals. The concept then follows if we drink pure water (devoid of minerals) we are much more likely to force our body to rob them from other places like the bones, teeth and cardiac system. The good news with R/O is the fact that virtually all dangerous contaminants are removed so you get virtually pure water. There are however some very difficult issues with R/O - especially when you attempt to mate it with an ionizer. First, in addition to removing all the contaminants, R/O removes all the naturally occurring minerals from the water. Ionization needs the minerals to work, so an ionizer will not work on RO treated water. Secondly, R/O membranes process a very small volume of water and need a storage tank for the water so it is available when you need it - limiting the amount of water available to you. Annual replacement of the filters ($150 retail) and bi-annual replacement of the R/O membrane (is recommended.
Ion Ways Filtration Products
WATER QUALITY
Most people think water is just plain old H2O and is the same regardless of where it comes from - whether from a bottle, tap or well. The truth is water quality varies widely throughout North America and this variation has a significant impact on the performance and longevity of your ionizer. The variation in water depends on many factors. There are two basic causes of variation - natural environmental factors and contaminants caused by man. Contaminants are usually man-made, but not in all cases, as there are also naturally occurring contaminants. A main influence on the type and concentration of contaminants is how close the water is to population centers, industry, livestock and/or agricultural operations etc. Natural causes of changes in water quality are mainly due to the source of the water supply. Some examples of common water sources are aquifers, rivers, reservoirs, run-off, wells, springs etc. These variations in source contribute to the difference of the mineral content in water. These variables cause water to have very different properties, such as taste and smell or to "behave" or perform differently around the house, especially in an ionizing unit. As the popularity of ionizers continues to dramatically expand, we at IonWays are gaining experience in dealing with the wide variability of water quality. IonWays is committed to work with our customers to provide the solutions required before and after the sale.
The
Scaling Effect of Hard and Soft Water If you live in a hard water area you know it is more difficult to form lather with soap while bathing or performing ordinary household chores. Perhaps you have on occasion noticed mineral deposits on your cooking dishes, or rings of insoluble soap scum in your bathtub. These are not necessarily signs of poor housekeeping, but are rather signs of hard water. Hard water is water that contains high levels of calcium, iron or magnesium mineral ions. These minerals do not pose any health threat, unless in very high amounts, but they can engage in reactions that leave insoluble mineral deposits. Hard water mineral deposits or "scaling", is the precipitation of minerals which form lime scale. Scale can clog pipes and can decrease the life of virtually all appliances in the home, especially those that use hot water. It can coat the inside of tea and coffee pots, and clog and ruin water heaters - and of course do the same thing to your ionizer decreasing performance and longevity caused by the build up of scale on the plates inside the ionization chamber and internal tubing. As scale builds up inside the chamber, the strength of ionization is diminished. Clogged tubing can lead to decreased water flow. Very soft water (which is acidic) can corrode the metal pipes in which it is carried and as a result the water may contain elevated levels of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc.
Hard
and Soft Water and Ionizer Performance The more mineral content your water has, the more easily your ionizer will alter the water and the better performance measurements you see. The less mineral content, the harder it is for your ionizer to create alteration in your water and the weaker performance you will see. In simple terms an ionizer will perform better with mineral rich or hard water and will have a harder time with softer water, or water low in mineral content. Ionizers are designed to perform optimally within certain water quality parameters; too many minerals may damage any ionizer, too few you may experience decreased performance.
Hard
water in the US
The softest water occurs in parts of New England, South Atlantic-Gulf, Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii regions. It is important to note that these are generalities; you can find well water sources in soft water areas that have very hard water and conversely, you can find soft water in hard water areas.
Water
Quality Requirements
Extreme
Hardness
Note: some reports will show "ppm" some will show "mg/l" - they are the same. Knowingly operating your ionizer above these levels may void your warranty and/or decrease your ionizer's performance. Pre- treatment options are:
Softeners
Reverse Osmosis (RO) and Distillers
In areas with extremely soft water (or if using a rainwater catchment system), it may not be possible to achieve optimal performance of your Ion Ways system. In this situation, a Remineralization Cartridge is recommended. IonWays has incorporated a proprietary blend of organic and inorganic minerals into its Remineralizer. Well Water
Chloramine Important Notes:
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