Having answered most of the questions we come to the choice of the optimal solutions for having clean drinking water in your home.
As for purifying drinking water, currently, the best combination appears to be one that has a granular activated carbon filter (GAC) or carbonblock filter and an impregnated ion exchange membrane.
A granular filter is cleaner than a block filter but must be regularly changed. Carbon filters remove cryptosporidium and giardia. Anything that filters between 0.45 and 1.0 microns is considered safe for removing these organisms and between 0.01 and 0.45 as sterilizing.
The ion exchange filters out herbicides, pesticides and industrial solvents and produces alkaline water, claimed to be healthy.
Reverse Osmosis does not remove volatile organic compounds and uses large quantities of water.
Distilled water lacks valuable minerals.
If there is a question mark around a high rate of infection in the water, use of UV light or ozone sterilization is an added caution.
The next step is to install a stainless steel or safe plastic rainwater tank which has a gutter mesh, to prevent leaves and debris from blocking gutters, gutter outlets that prevent obstruction to water flow, leaf beater rain heads on downpipes to further prevent blocking and keep mosquitoes out of pipes that hold water, a water diverter to prevent the first flush of rainwater from entering the tank, a tank screen, flap valves and if cost is not a limiting factor, a pump system, rainwater filter and water purification system.
Banding together with one’s neighbors and forming a roster for members of the cooperative to take turns in having the rainwater tested, is a great way to share the load of finding local solutions. We can live approximately 30 days without food but seldom more than 3 without water. The theory that water crystals respond to the mood you project onto themis fascinating but yet unproven, but treating the earth and the water that flows on it with respect and love, is the best way to make it not only healthy, but a sheer delight to swallow.
Adopting the simple measures recommended in the MamaEarth water blogs will take you many steps closer to healthy people on a healthy planet.
See references below:
References for the Water series:
Diagram: Wetec brochure
DWA (Department of Water Affairs and Forestry)
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/index.cfm#List
Agency for toxic substances and disease registry.
Environment Working Group
Water filters
http://heartspring.net/water_filters_guide.html
Science of ionizers
Office of Environmental Health Hazard PROP 65 list
Selected articles
Rainwater harvesting info.
Comparisons
www.Home-water-purifiers-and-filters.com
In Search of the Worlds Best Water by Bill Sardi.
