#65 - Clean fresh water

This week we will talk about a freshwater. We should take care of chemical containment as well as the molecular side of the water. As we are made mostly from water, the way we treat this element before and while we drink it is important.

Scientific studies have shown that water not only has memory, but its structure is affected by emotions and even thoughts! So the way you treat water will be remembered, because memory will remain for a long period. Treat with Love and Respect, like everything!

Ayurveda has always advised to drink water stored in copper or silver vessels. The water stored in these vessels has the ability to balance energies in the body and it does positively change the water. That is why in traditional homes, they perform some rituals, prayers to code a molecular structure of water.

Filtered water, pour it into a copper container, and let it rest for the night. Before you drink, you can also add some oxygen into it by simply pouring from one cup to another.

Before we will take care of the molecular improvement of the water, purify it with available options such as filters.

I did a deep research on the best filters to purify and improve the quality of drinkable tap water. There are special types of filters for this purpose like pitcher or pour-through, faucet-mounted, countertop, under-sink, whole-house, water bottles, portable water filter "straw".

If you decide on some option - sometimes it might be cheaper to contact manufacturer directly.

Water filters come in many shapes and sizes. Depending on your filtration needs, lifestyle preferences, and of course, a budget.

More filtration stages - better, usually bigger cartridge filter, slow stream of water, and higher filtration when choosing a water filter for your home.

Why?

Filtering tap water is a great way to save the planet, by reducing plastic bottle production, and in most cases, it would be great long-term savings.

It's crucial to be aware of the water crisis.

In fact, by 2040 majority of the world won't have enough water to meet the demand!

Many sources claim that 97% of the available water is salty and only 2% is trapped at the poles, so all of humankind relies on just 1% of water to survive! That 1% is mostly underground, so it's difficult and expensive to get to.

That's why humans have mostly settled close to surface water like rivers and lakes, and they are getting more polluted each day.

#dayzero, depends very much on the place you live, as water sources are not distributed equally. That's why, when deciding to move somewhere permanently, maybe it would be worth considering water resources per capita?

More people on earth equals more consumption of water.

• Personal Usage - 8% each year

• Agriculture Usage - 70 % each year

• Industry Usage - 22% each year

All of the above is out of available 1% of freshwater.

To produce a piece of cotton shirt requires around 2500 litres of water! The same goes for your favourite beverages, which surprisingly, is never 1:1. Nothing needs as much water as meat - 15 000 litres per kilogram to make traditional hamburgers.

The more you get into this topic, the more you would be surprised at how we pointlessly waste our water supplies. Primitive farming methods, bad maintenance of water system and so on.

Become more conscious consumer, save the water. If you have a house, consider doing researches about smarter ways of water recycling. Or using less when possible.

I hope technology to extract fresh water from the sea will become more vivid, because we are really facing times where not everybody in developed countries would be able to afford a glass of water.

You can actually do a lot to decrease your water usage! Go through the list and apply all or at least some of them:

• Check your toilet for leaks. Put a few drops of food colouring into the toilet tank. If without flushing, colouring will appear in the bowl you might be loosing a lot of water throughout the day.

• Look for other pipe leaks, check faucets.

• Be reasonable when it comes to the times you flush water.

• Put plastic bottles filled with sand, or simply water into the toilet tank. It will reduce the amount of water flushed each time without reducing efficiency.

• Take shorter showers. Rinse some water on your body, stop the stream, use soap, wash down everything.

• Turn off the water while brushing teeth, shaving.

• Use dishwasher and washing machine for only a full load.

• Clean vegetables in a bowl of water instead of a running faucet.

• Keep a bottle of water in the fridge, so you won't be tempted to run the water so it can be cooled.

• Save water while washing your dishes.

• Collect rainwater: water garden and lawn, clean tools, wash vehicles, wash windows and terraces, flush toilet, fill swimming pools.

• Check on permaculture, forest gardening, and arrange your land accordingly.

• Consider using energy-saving devices.

What are other ways which can reduce freshwater usage? Write about them on our Facebook group.

There were a phenomenal amount of researches on this interesting, indeed magical substance - water. One of the interesting ones is the discovery that water carries memory.

Thanks to modern technology, scientists were able to magnify individual drops of water, observing each individual microscopic pattern. As it turned out, each drop had a distinguishable and unique pattern.

Subsequently, a group of students was asked to obtain one drop of water from the same container at the same time. Through close observation of each individual droplet, it produced different images.

Another experiment was carried out where the live flower was placed in a water container for each sample droplet to be examined afterwards. The result was that all of the droplets of this water looked very similar. The same experiment was done with different species of flowers, and the magnified droplet looked completely different from the previous one.

These discoveries suggest that water has memory which picks and stores from all the places that it has traveled through.

Since the human body is made up 70% of water, the conclusion could be drawn that human tears hold a unique memory of individual beings.

Worth mentioning is an experiment conducted by researcher Masaru Emoto. He spent many years to see if human consciousness could affect the molecular structure of the water. In his research, he exposed water to different words, music, pictures and then froze the water to examine it microscopic photography.

The water exposed to positive emotions and speech resulted in mesmerizing crystal formations. Whereas the water exposed to negative speech and thoughts gave ugly crystal formations.

Have you heard about The Rice Experiment? You can even try it at home and find out if it's actually true + check other people's youtube videos.

• Cook rice in water, so the rice absorbs the water (around 20 min)

• Place rice in three separated glass containers, ideally with a tight lid.

• Cover them with water.

• Every day for a month speak "Thank you" or "I love you" to one, "You are an idiot" or "I hate you" to the second, and ignore the third one completely.

What to expect:

Rice 1: The rice should ferment with a strong pleasant aroma.

Rice 2: The rice should turn black.

Rice 3: The rice should begin to rot.

The rice experiment suggests that thoughts, emotions, sound - affect the molecular structure of the water.

You will find many more experiments done which prove that water has memory. I believe that we are still at the beginning of the journey to discover all the miracles of water.

So the question is, now how we can practically take care of the molecular side of the water?

Now it's time to talk about water filtration systems. My choice in the house in Poland is the highest quality of under sink filter with extra mineralization. I also spend a lot of the time living in Iceland, where tap water is crystal clear, and there is no need for additional filtration. Many sources suggest contacting state-certified labs for water examination, and based on that choose the right filter.

The ideal setup in terms of cost and performance perspective is 4 stage filtration system. If you are looking for a home water filter, you are likely to come across some of these terms:

• Particulate/mechanical filter: These are simple screens that block large particles. They often function as “pre-filters” in a multiple-step water filter.

• Adsorption/Activated Carbon: Adsorption refers to a physical process where particles in water are removed because they stick to the surface of the material in the filter. These filters are usually made of carbon, often in granulated or powdered form. They are the most common filters on the market. They are generally effective for reducing the most typical worrisome compounds that can be found in municipal water: chlorine, chlorine byproducts, and dissolved volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) such as pesticides and herbicides. Carbon adsorption filters generally work well for reducing bad odors and tastes.

• Softeners/Ion Exchange Units: Water softeners use a process called ion exchange to reduce hard metals — including lead — in water. When water passes through an ion exchange unit, hard metal ions are replaced by sodium ions, leaving the water “softer” as a result — but also saltier. Potassium chloride water softeners work in a similar way to sodium chloride softeners, but without increasing levels of salt in the water. This makes potassium chloride softeners a better choice for some uses, such as watering plants.

• Ultraviolet (UV) Treatment: This treatment uses UV light to kill germs that may be present in the water. UV treatment is certified by the National Sanitation Foundation International to reduce bacteria. A very simple and effective way is to leave water in a transparent plastic container so the sun can shine through it.

• Reverse Osmosis: Reverse osmosis is a process where water is forced through a membrane that filters out molecules physically larger than the water molecules. It is not effective for chlorine or volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are more likely to be concerned in municipal tap water. However, many reverse-osmosis units are combined with pre-filters and carbon filters to address this concern.

• Distillation: Water distillers heat water so that it turns into steam, which is then collected and returned to its liquid form. Contaminants are left behind when the water evaporates.

• Pitcher, or “pour-through,” filters are the simplest water filters to use.

The filter fits inside a pitcher that you can keep in your refrigerator. Carafes are inexpensive and easy to use. However, the filters have a short lifetime and can only filter a limited amount of water at a time.

I would personally choose at least 5 stages of purifying systems, as they make work done.

Pros: Inexpensive to purchase, no installation, easy to use.

Cons: Filters must be replaced regularly, slow filtering.

• A faucet-mounted filter is exactly what it sounds like — a filter that is screwed directly onto your faucet.

These filters require minimal installation, but they slow the flow of water and can’t be used on all faucets. Faucet-mounted filtration systems attach to a standard faucet and can be switched on and off between filtered and unfiltered water flow. Before you buy, check its fit to your faucet. There are some adapters as well.

Pros: Easily switch between filtered and unfiltered water, relatively inexpensive, majority are easy to install.

Cons: Do not work with all faucets, may slow water flow, often don't provide full purify spectrum.

• Countertop filters are best for filtering large quantities of water without modifying plumbing.

They’re less likely to clog than carafe or faucet-mounted filters, but can clutter countertops and can’t be used with all types of faucets. They tend to be a little bit more expensive. Some countertop drinking water systems not only improve the taste and odour of water, but also reduce the presence of heavy metals, volatile organic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, PFOAs, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and even bacteria and viruses.

Pros: Can easily switch between filtered and unfiltered water.

Cons: Often expensive, require installation.

• Plumbed-in filters are installed directly into an existing water pipe.

Often, they are installed under the sink (and are sometimes referred to as "under sink"). They can be placed also in the basement, or attached garage with water routed to the sink for easy dispensing with the included faucet. They can be plumbed into the existing sink faucet, which may require drilling a hole in the countertop, or they can dispense water through a separate tap. These filters are best for filtering large amounts of water, However, they take up cabinet space and require plumbing modifications.

If you live in one place like you have your own house or apartment. I personally went for this solution in my home, as in my opinion, this system is highly efficient and also price attractive. Under-sink filtration systems are installed under a sink and send water through a pipe to the filter’s own specially installed faucet.

Pros: Filter large amounts of water, do not take up countertop space.

Cons: Often expensive, may require modifications to plumbing.

• Point-of-entry, or “whole-house,” filters are installed directly in the main water pipe.

Filter all the water in a house, including water for the kitchen, laundry room, and bathrooms. These filters have a long lifetime and can remove sediment, rust, and, in some cases, chlorine from household water. They require professional installation.

Whole-house water treatment devices treat all water entering the house, not just the water used for drinking.

Pros: Treatment is applied to all water entering your home, which may be important for hard water and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Cons: Often expensive, require modifications to plumbing, may require professional maintenance, filtering that removes chlorine might increase the growth of germs in all the pipes in your house.

• Water bottles can also filter water and thus be certified by the NSF and ANSI.

They can filter water as you fill the water bottle, or when you drink it. Water bottles can be a great option if you want to drink filtered water on the go, and they're a great alternative to buying water bottles. They are good for water. If you want a water filter for hiking or getting water from sources like creeks and rivers, you’ll need to be extra sure that the filtration system you're buying can remove bacteria and other organisms found in nature.

Pros: Easy to carry around to filter tap water.

Cons: Most of the filters (with few exceptions) provide poor filtration.

• Portable water filter "straw".

The best water filter for hikers and other adventurers. Compact personal filter which will allow you to remove bacteria, parasites, microplastics, dirt, sand, cloudiness. Using a micro-filtration membrane. Often light and compact, a great choice for travelers.

Pros: Lightweight, easy to transport, inexpensive, perfect for minimalists.

Cons: Doesn't remove viruses which are not recommended for less developed countries, must drink directly from the water source.

• Shower mounted filter.

Most of them are to purify water from chlorine, chloramine which might dry and irritate the skin. As we all know skin has the ability to absorb. Many sources suggest that during hot shower within 10 minutes you are going to consume as much chlorine and disinfection by-products if drinking one halon of water.

Pros: Often removes chlorine, bacteria, and heavy metals, durable.

Cons: Some of them have an average design.

• Faucet-integrated filtration systems.

These are faucets designed with built-in filters (instead of an attached filter, like a faucet-mounted system) and require installation.

Pros: Can easily switch between filtered and unfiltered water.

Cons: Often expensive, require installation.

Build awareness if it comes to future water shortages. You can look for online maps where you can check if your area is exposed to this problem. Especially if you decide to stay in that place, you can slowly change your habits on how you treat the water, all being an example to people close to you. Read also about Cape Town #dayzero.

You know that filtrating tap water is a simple way to take care of the planet (reduce plastic) and save your wallet. You can start with simple filtering solutions such as high-quality water filer bottles, of high-quality pitchers - if you are not willing to spend a bigger amount of money for the proper filtration system. Read more about the quality of tap water and apply solutions for yourself.

After finding out about the molecular side of the water bring appreciation to this element. While drinking it, think about the positive, healing impact of this element on your body. Read more about copper vessels Ayurvedic storage ways for water.

Teach your kids and younger siblings about the importance of treating water well, without wasting or at least minimizing the impact. The best is to serve as an example.

Deep in my heart, I hope that we as a community will transform our daily habits. So we won't get into this terrifying possible future where people won't be able to afford this basic need which is clean drinkable water. It's all in your hands.