How do you get your drinking water?

Rossymeister

Enlightened
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
881
Location
U.S.A.
I got a new qcro reverse osmosis system installed yesterday. The lines where the water comes in and goes to the faucet seem to be sweating. Anybody ever seen this before?
 

Monocrom

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
20,175
Location
NYC
Still relying on a couple of Brita pitchers with the filters changed every couple of months. Yeah, I know.... But Brita filters are easy to find in my neck of the woods. Practically common as dirt. Every other brand requires either a special trip by car or ordering online. I order most stuff online but ordering water filters online seems silly to me.

Plus if things get really bad, you can easily drink the tap water in New York City. No chlorine after-taste either.
 

TPA

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 26, 2005
Messages
417
Location
Florida
I've not played with reverse osmosis systems forever... what's the clean water: waste water ratio these days on them? It was pretty high back when I used one.
 

BrightestBulb

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 28, 2018
Messages
77
Have always had a water distiller with a carbon pre filter and post filter. Pharmaceuticals use triple distilled water so my single distilled is pretty good. I get my minerals from fruits and vegetables.
 

raggie33

*the raggedier*
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Messages
13,564
life is risky i trully drink water out of the hose still and im over a half century old lol but im kind of a idiot lol but always let the water runa few seconds incase a lizard tried to hide in the hose don t ask me how i know this
 

Guitar Guy

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 23, 2016
Messages
590
Location
West Virginia
The tap water in our small local towns is HORRIBLE. It's very hard, corrodes faucets, stains tubs & commodes, and tastes terrible. If you make a cup of tea, it looks like a rainbow colored oil slick floating on top. It regularly fails the required tests.

There are several springs nearby where water comes out of the hillside, and lots of folks go to them. I've tried several different ones. Some were good, and some not so great. I was getting well water from my friend's house for a while, but if I didn't use it up after a week or two, green algae would start growing in the jug.

Then I found a local spring that a fellow inherited from his father. It's only about 20 minutes away. They have a little A-frame kiosk where you put in 50 cents and get a gallon of water. You can also fill 5 gallon jugs.

I've talked to the owner, and there is a state of the art filtering system in the spring house, as well as an ultra violet light system to kill any spores, algae, etc. I've been getting it for 8 to 10 years now, and it's the best water I've ever drank. I get 12 to 20 gallons at a time, and it never turns green, no matter how long I keep it. The month of May is always 1/2 price.

The owner used to fill large tanks and take them to festivals / events where he would sell water. He said he went to use one after it had been sitting for 2 years with some water in it, and the water was still crystal clear, and tasted fine.

I hope that place never goes out of business. It's great water, and out on a back road that is a nice drive. The owner has 2 free roaming dogs that stay there alongside his little office trailer, so I always take them sandwiches and milk bones. I take my Mom along sometimes, and she enjoys the ride out in the country. In the springtime, the hillsides are covered with wildflowers. The owner is a real nice guy, and has hiking trails and camping available on the large plot of acreage that is there.

I'll probably be making a water trip this weekend, as I have about 15 empty jugs in my truck. It's amazing sweet & cold water.
 
Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
10,390
Location
Pacific N.W.
WOW! The things some of us can take for granted. 😳

When we were showing our friends our new house, one of them asked me how the water tasted. I said - "Good, I guess. I haven't had any." He was incredulous that I hadn't checked it before purchasing the house.

I mentioned that I had lived seven blocks away for the past 20 years so I was sure it was good. It was and has been for 39 years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TPA

TPA

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 26, 2005
Messages
417
Location
Florida
Have always had a water distiller with a carbon pre filter and post filter. Pharmaceuticals use triple distilled water so my single distilled is pretty good. I get my minerals from fruits and vegetables.
I have a distiller as well, but it's not been used since a few months after the hurricane. FWIW, in the labs I worked in we had a continuous distiller setup. It's been 15 or so years so I don't remember the details, but the system was bolted onto the wall near the ceiling and had pipe running down the wall to a spigot above the sink. We never touched it. It just sat up there and did its thing.
 

mrfixitman

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 16, 2023
Messages
425
Location
San Francisco
I've not played with reverse osmosis systems forever... what's the clean water: waste water ratio these days on them? It was pretty high back when I used one.
There is some waste and it is known as dead water because there is little minerals in it. 8 parts per million. I add a quarter teaspoon of real salt to it. Pink salt works too.
 

KITROBASKIN

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 28, 2013
Messages
5,448
Location
New Mexico, USA
...it is known as dead water because there is little minerals in it...
This sounds like something a first grader would say.

Seriously doubt people reference Reverse Osmosis pure water 'as dead water' except by the mineral water companies and their acolytes.

A service person years ago told us that as it ages with use, an RO system starts letting pass more mineral content.

If anyone suggests adding salt to water, it would sound more competent if the specific amount added is in relation to a specific quantity of water.
 

Rossymeister

Enlightened
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
881
Location
U.S.A.
On the qcro unit that i got installed, heres some tds readings that im getting:

Raw Water: 131
Filtered: 7

Im removing 95% of the solids (7 divided by 131 equals .95 or 95%.

I like good, clean tasting water. And im pretty happy with what this unit accomplishes.
 

mrfixitman

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 16, 2023
Messages
425
Location
San Francisco
I've not played with reverse osmosis systems forever... what's the clean water: waste water ratio these days on them? It was pretty high back when I used one.
I will have to add to my statement. The Japanese make this claim. Due to the removal of all minerals, both good and bad, commercial RO plant water is referred to as dead water (also known as neutral water). It produces water that is neither hazardous nor beneficial as a result. May 3, 2023 I use Real Salt or Pink Salt 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. This is done for the trace minerals beneficial to humans. Many sources claim you should use more. I err on the side of less salt.
 

KITROBASKIN

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 28, 2013
Messages
5,448
Location
New Mexico, USA
'is referred to as dead water' where and by who?

Most first world citizens seem like they get way more salt than needed. Thinking trace minerals are not found in the food we eat?... Someone working daily on a hot sweaty job would do well to listen to bykfixer.
 

Kestrel

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
7,372
Location
Willamette Valley, OR
For those who missed it the first time around;

Written by a person who /knew/ what he was talking about. 🕯️
 

TPA

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 26, 2005
Messages
417
Location
Florida
For those who missed it the first time around;

Written by a person who /knew/ what he was talking about. 🕯️
Sound advice. I'll add my story to it:

I actually was rather blasé about getting water for a hurricane. I've been through numerous hurricanes over the years, including many Cat 4 hurricanes. We'd never lost water service in any of them.

I always have a 30-40 bottle Costco pack of water at home at any given time. Many of them are kept in the freezer or fridge and cycled through. I also have a couple of Sawyer water filters I travel with, even to civilised areas. I also have a 110v distiller. Right before a storm hit, we'd flush the water heater and fill the tubs and any containers with water, although this was always a fruitless exercise and acted more as a security blanket.

...that was until Cat 5 Hurricane Ian showed up and stalled over my home.

The hurricane's 15-20' storm surge absolutely scraped buildings clean off their pilings and foundations. Each building ripped off the foundation also ripped the water lines wide open. Pipes in the ground also were shifted and broke by the surge and the weight of the water above. When that happens 10+ thousand times, there isn't enough water in the system. Some of the potable water pumps also were damaged by flooding.

By the first full day after the hurricane, water distribution sites were starting to pop up from various organizations. By the second full day there was more water being handed out than you could use. (not a bad thing) There was never a shortage of places to get water and most of the time it was free.

It would be 16 days before all of the areas (minus the islands) had potable water again. Having the Sawyer filters and distiller made this process so much easier... although many times I just drank tap water. What was being pumped out of the water plants was clean. It was just the distribution system that was damaged.

Due to our HOA making all the wrong decisions, it was nearly 8 months before our water pumps were replaced. The bathtub and other water stored actually lasted 4 months out there. We'd throw more bleach in the water every time we were out there. We weren't living out there though. We abandoned ship after a week, realizing that the HOA was in waay over their heads and we wouldn't be going back anytime soon. We'd go out multiple times a week to try to salvage what we could and to clean up the place. It's been 517 days and we're still not back home yet.... they're saying "maybe" July. I suspect it'll be October.
 
Top