World Water Day 2012  – “The World Is Thirsty Because We Are Hungry.”

Happy World Water Day!  Today, people around the globe are focusing their attention on the vital urgency for clean, accessible water.  The sad fact is although 70 % of the Earth’s surface area is water-covered, one out of every eight people worldwide does not have safe drinking water and two out of every five individuals are lacking access to adequate sanitation.   In 1993 the first World Water Day was held,  after the United Nations recognized the crisis and adopted a resolution to bring about awareness  in December 1992,  declaring March 22 to be the World Day for Water each year.  Nineteen years later the world still faces a global water, sanitation , and hygiene crisis and today is a reminder it is our obligation to help find a solution and employ new strategies for bringing fresh water to communities that are suffering the most.  Over the years, each World Water Day has centered on a unique issue within the context of water sustainability, such as transboundary waters, water scarcity, and sanitation.  This year World Water Day 2012 theme targets the importance of  water and  food scarcity, “The World Is Thirsty Because We Are Hungry.”

ZeroWater’s Patented 5-stage Water Filter System

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I guess it’s extremely fitting I’m celebrating Water World Day by helping spread the word about  ZeroWater, an affordable and effective water filter system that turns your tap water into pure, fresh, and  great tasting water.  ZeroWater is the only pitcher on the market that uses a patented five-level dual ion exchange and carbon filtration process to filter water. The innovative Water Filtration Pitcher will remove virtually all dissolved solids from water without the hassles of  having to tap into your plumbing line, the need to purchase expensive bulky water coolers, or   throw your money away on costly bottled water.  As your tap water flows through the comprehensive 5 stage filter, by means of gravity, total dissolved solids such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, bicarbonates, chlorides and sulfates are removed and lead plus chromium are reduced.  The easy to use device produces the only filtered water that meets the FDA definition for TDS (Total Dissolved Solids).

Quick look at the 5-stage Dual-Ion Exchange Filtration System

Stage 1 : Activated carbon-infused micron cloth,

Stage 2 : Multi-layer system using activated carbon and oxidation reduction allow.

Stage 3 : Distributor to maximize contact.

Stage 4:  Comprehensive ion exchange exchange exchange array

Stage 5:  Non-woven membrane to help remove fine particles.

ZeroWater Pitcher

The single-chamber pitcher is available in a 25, 10, or 8 cup reservoir and features a sleek, patent-pending design that allows for easy storage in your refrigerator door.  It can be used by pouring the filtered water out of the spout located on top of the lid or the water can be poured effortlessly from the handy push-button dispenser located at the bottom of the pitcher’s handle,  which allows you to access water without the need of removing the pitcher from the fridge.   The pitchers are made of styrene and are BPA free, so there is no worries of the plastic breaking down and leaching into your water.

TDS Meter

The ZeroWater filter-pitcher is equipped with a laboratory grade tester, so you can measure your tap water before and after it’s filtered.  The meter should read 000 which signifies all TDS have been removed from the filtered drinking water.  It is extremely easy to use!  All you have to do is press the “on” button, take off the cap and place about an inch deep into the water. Wait for the numbers to stabilize and then determine your final reading. As soon as you take out the TDS meter from the water the reading will go back to 000. Don’t position the TDS meter in water in excess of an inch or two as the water may dampen the electronics and affect your readings.

My Current Water Conditions

I gave up bottled water several years ago and have been purifying my tap water using a PUR faucet mount.  The existing condition of water in my area tastes terrible without purification and I could only imagine what may very well be lurking inside it.  The PUR initially seemed like a good solution, however I began to discover white particles floating around in the bottom of my glass each and every time I dispensed any water from the mount.  In the beginning we assumed the system may have been faulty and promptly swapped it for a completely new one.  Nonetheless, the white floaters still continued to be within the water after using the new system and filter.

The moment I received my ZeroWater Pitcher equipped with the battery operated TDS meter I tested my tap and current PUR filtered drinking water.  And this is what I found out. The tap water had a reading of 447 and the PUR filtered read 579!  WOW, I was stunned to discover the filtered water actually had a greater reading of Total Dissolved Solids compared to the unfiltered water.  When I checked the TDS reading for my area using the free TDS look-up on zerowater.com it said 217! For some reason it is DOUBLE that!  I’m sickened at the idea my family has been drinking it for such a long time! YUCK!

My Experience and Thoughts About ZeroWater

I promptly washed the ZeroWater Pitcher and entirely dried it to be certain to not leave some of the unfiltered water lingering behind, which could impact the TDS readings.  Next I attached the filter in position per the instructions and filled the reservoir ensuring to not over fill it leaking any regular faucet water down beyond the filtration system.  It took about 15 minutes to completely fill the pitcher with water.  When I poured a glass and took a reading using the TDS meter here is what I saw…

The water tastes clean, crisp, and as delicious as water could possibly be!  My whole family loves the new filtering system!

This is what I like about ZeroWater

1. I can test my drinking water on each and every use.
2. The water comes out crystal clear and tastes clean.
3. ZeroWater is great for the environment!  It eliminates the need of bottled water and uses gravity to filter the water,  compared to distillation which requires electricity and takes hours to treat water. Additionally, the filters are recycled with 95% of the material in them being reused.
4. The ZeroWater pitcher fits nicely into my refrigerator and I can dispense cold water with a push of a button.
5. The ZeroWater Pitcher helps me keep tract of how much water I’m drinking per day and encourages me to drink more.
6. The ZeroWater  Pitcher and filters are certified by NSF International and the Water Quality Association.
7. The ZeroWater system contains specific materials which inhibit the growth of bacteria within the cartridge.
8. The type of plastic is used in ZeroWater products are made from food grade AS and ABS plastics.
9. All ZeroWater products are BPA-free,
10. The ZeroWater system can be easily packed and taken on trips!
11. One filter will treat about 30 gallons of water before seeing a reading of 006 on the TDS meter, however this depends greatly upon the conditions of your municipal water supply.
12. The ZeroWater system is superior to other home filtration methods I have used in the past.

 

What I don’t like about the ZeroWater system.

1. The water takes a while to pass through the large filter.  A remedy to always having fresh water on hand is to fill another clean pitcher with the filtered water and refill the ZeroWater Pitcher.  This way there is no wait for clean drinking water.
2. I believe the ZeroWater TDS meter can give a false reassurance the water is free of all contaminants.
3. The filters can become costly ($18 for replacement) and may need to be replaced frequently depending upon the quality of your tap water.
4. ZeroWater filters are not certified for the reduction of fluoride,  However, fluoride is an inorganic compound which shows up on the TDS meter.  So when filtered water reads 000 it is not likely that fluoride is present in water.
5. The ZeroWater system is not certified to reduce cryptosporidium (microbiological cysts) or bacteria.

SAVE!

Save 30% off a 10 Cup ZeroWater pitcher when you apply the coupon code MC30 during checkout at ZeroWater.com

Buy It!

ZeroWater products are available online at ZeroWater.com, Amazon.com and many other national retailers, including Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Home Depot, Meijer and Fry’s.

ZeroWater Pitcher System Giveaway ($75 Value)!

Two lucky readers who will receive a ZeroWater pitcher system including:

• Pitcher
•  one filter
•  and one TDS meter.

To enter the giveaway for the chance to win leave a comment using the Rafflecopter form telling me your TDS reading after using the free TDS look-up on zerowater.com.

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*Sources-

http://www.water-research.net/totaldissolvedsolids.html

http://waterday.org

FTC Disclosure: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of ZeroWater and received a water pitcher to facilitate my review, two pitchers to giveaway, and extra filters to thank me for taking the time to participate.”