What Kind of Water Should I Drink?

The answer to this question lays the basic foundation of health. When I first asked myself this question, I began a quest that left me frustrated and bewildered. There are too many options! This article serves to demystify what kind of water you should drink.

As a health coach, I’m always asked, “What kind of water should I drink? Is my water filter adequate? Is tap water ok? Should I only drink alkaline water?” This issue has become increasingly complex. It took me months to figure out what kind of water filtration system to buy and what kind of water to drink. I went all over Los Angeles searching for the ‘best’ water, the best filter, my fountain of youth and health. My discoveries may surprise you.

Types of Water

Pure water is a type of “whole food.” Like other whole foods, when it is tampered with, water loses most of its precious healing properties. Water is tampered with any time one adds anything to it, filters it using anything except carbon, spins it, alkalizes it, or does other things to it. All of these manipulations tend to ruin it, rendering it less healthy and hydrating. To clarify all the confusion, I’ve listed many different types of water or ways in which it can be tampered.

Spring Water. Spring water is the only type of water you should drink. It’s okay if you drink other water occasionally, but try to make spring water the majority of the water you drink. Spring water has been filtered by the earth in ways we do not completely understand, but which works better than any invented means of purifying water. Another advantage is that it contains a wide variety of trace minerals that the human body desperately needs. Ideally, drink only spring water from remote places on earth. It will be freer from pollutants. I like Ice Age water from a remote Glacier in Canada for its mineral profile. I love Hawaiian waters that run through mineral-rich volcanic rock (Hawaii is one of the most remote places on earth). I also drink Mountain Valley Spring Water from Arkansas. It’s one of the only spring waters I have found bottled in glass. Other spring water examples include Evian, Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water, Volvic, and Poland brands. You can also cheaply buy safe spring near you at Findaspring.com.

Artesian Water. This is spring water. Artesian water comes from a well that is dug in the earth. When the well is dug, the internal pressure from the hole causes the water to burst forth spontaneously from the well like a fountain. Artesian water comes from a well that taps a confined aquifer – a water-bearing underground layer of rock or sand in which the water level is above the top of the aquifer. Examples include Fiji brand water.

Reverse Osmosis. This method involves passing water at high pressure through a plastic membrane with tiny holes in it. This is a common filtration method in many bottled waters as it produces very pure water. It is used in almost all home and commercial “drinking water” machines such as those in water stores, supermarkets and health food stores. It is also used industrially in bottling plants for soda pop, soups, juices, beer and many other drinks. I bought a reverse osmosis alkaline water system for $1100 before I had done my research. Excited about my new purchase, I drank 10 glasses of water a day. I drank more and more, drinking ten glasses of water a day for weeks. But I was still thirsty! I never felt satiated. Then I read on Dr. L Wilson’s website that reverse osmosis water does not hydrate as well as spring water. I can certainly attest to this. Since then, I have only drunk spring water and feel fully hydrated after 8 glasses a day. Reverse osmosis, sadly, is not good for drinking. In fact, it is terrible. It does not matter if someone has added minerals back to it. These things cannot undo the damage to the water that occurs due to passing it through the plastic membrane. Examples include Dasani.

Alkaline Water. Alkaline water has been ionized to increase its pH to between 8 and 10. Some believe that the health benefits of alkaline water are overstated, and that it has little to do with stabilizing or reducing acidity in the body, but is more of a marketing scam. A major issue with this kind of water is that there is not enough research conclusively showing the benefits actually exist. Even if many of the claims are true, the only people who really would benefit are individuals who have trouble keeping their body alkaline due to a bad diet, or people who have problems with their natural buffering systems.

Alkaline water systems include the Jupiter, I-Water, Kangen, and others. Some devices pass tap water through a carbon filter, which does not remove many toxic metals and often does not even remove too many toxic chemicals because the water must move quickly through the filter. Then the water passes over electrified platinum and titanium plates to alkalinize it. Platinum is a deadly toxic metal, as is titanium. Some people find that they develop extreme platinum or titanium metal toxicity after using these machines. It creates a very toxic, artificially alkaline water that still contains most tap water toxins as well. Because of this problem alone, I do not recommend these filters.

Other water alkalizers begin with reverse osmosis water, to which coral calcium is added to make it more alkaline. This form of calcium contains toxic metals as well. Because of the nature of reverse osmosis water, the toxic metals easily reach the brain and other tissues, where they cause all kinds of health problems.

Some say alkaline water is beneficial because of its alkalinity (High pH-balance) and ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential) that makes it an antioxidant. However, the antioxidant value only lasts 18-24 hours after it’s made. The higher pH will last approximately 1-2 weeks. The smaller molecule cluster size of its water will last about 1-3 months. Given these facts, bottling alkaline water makes no sense, because the health benefits are gone is such a short period. Don’t waste your money.

It is far better to alkalize the body with lots of vegetables, drinking spring water, and targeted supplements. Never drink alkaline water for more than a few weeks.

Tap Water. Tap water contains heavy metals, fluoride, chlorine, medicines like antibiotics and antidepressants and hundreds of chemicals, many of which are not even measured or regulated. Fluoride causes many, many side effects, weakening bones and increasing your chance of developing osteoporosis and cancer, yet it’s added to almost every municipal water supply in the country. Drink it if you dare. Tap water, if unfiltered, often has too many toxic metals and chemicals in it to be good for drinking. If tap water is filtered with only carbon, then it will hydrate the body and can be used for drinking, but is not usually as good as a high quality spring water. Note that carbon can remove some chlorine, but not fluorides. Since city regulators do not monitor or filter for medications, there are hundreds of medications in your tap water. Probably not a good idea to drink tap water.

Drinking water. Drinking water comes from a municipal source, but is better known as tap water. Don’t bother paying for bottled drinking water that you can get out of your tap. Examples include Sahara and Kirkland brands.

Distilled Water. Distilled water has gone through a rigorous filtration process to strip it not only of contaminants, but any natural minerals as well. When water is distilled, by boiling it and condensing it, all solid matter is left except chemicals that were in the water.  Most industrial distillers have methods to capture these substances to prevent them from remaining in the water. For this reason, I find that industrially distilled water is the very best. I do not recommend buying a home distiller because they cannot match the purity of industrial distillers. Spring and tap water can supply 30 or 40 trace minerals that the body needs in small quantities, but distilled water is lacking minerals rendering it inferior for this reason. Because it is devoid of minerals, distilled water grabs and holds onto minerals in the body, a process called chelation. Distilled water can be used for a few months to remove toxic metals and toxic chemicals from the body quite effectively. Drinking distilled water for longer than this, however, always results in vital mineral deficiencies. Examples of distilled water include Sparkletts and SmartWater.

Mineral Water. Mineral water contains no less than 250 parts per million total dissolved mineral solids and is defined by its constant level of mineral and trace elements at the point of emergence from the source. No minerals can be added to the water. Examples include Panna from Italy.

Sparkling Mineral Water. Yes, the fizzy kind. But what makes it fizzy? This type of water contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had when it emerged from its source. Sparkling bottled waters may be labeled as sparkling drinking water, sparkling mineral water, sparkling spring water, etc. Examples include Perrier and Pellegrino.

Well Water. Well water can be fine, but often it is contaminated. This is especially the case if one lives in a location that was ever used for industry or agriculture. Even if your location is pristine, wells can easily become contaminated, especially with minerals such as iron and manganese. State testing laboratories cannot or will not test for hundreds of toxic chemicals and they often don’t even test for contaminants such as high levels of manganese. If you have a well, try to check carefully before using it for drinking purposes. Many of my clients that drink from wells usually have manganese toxicity, but usually have others as well. This shows in their hair mineral analysis.

Bottled Water

Bottled water pollutes the environment and is often nothing more than tap water. Always recycle! When you must use bottled water, choose brands with high quality scores on EWG’s Bottled Water Scorecard.

Environmental Working Group, a consumer watchdog, analyzed 173 bottled water products to determine if companies disclose information on where water comes from, how or if their water is treated, and whether the results of purity testing are revealed. The nonprofit also looked at how effective and advanced the water treatment methods were that were used on the bottled waters.

Consumers have the right to know where their water comes from and what’s in it so they can make informed choices that affect the health of themselves and their families. Tap water is regularly tested and consumers can find contaminants in their tap water online. That’s not the case with bottled water, which is not required to disclose that information to consumers. For this reason, bottled water is often no better than tap water.

Find out what’s in your bottled water in EWG’s Bottled Water Scorecard. Results for 173 bottled water brands are included in the report. Filtered tap water received the best grade, A, from EWG because it is purer than bottled water. Here are the scores for the top 10 U.S. brands:

1. Pure Life Purified Water (Nestle), EWG grade = B

2. Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = C

3. Aquafina Purified Drinking Water (Pepsi), EWG grade = D

4. Dasani Purified Water (Coca-Cola), EWG grade = D

5. Deer Park Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

6. Ice Mountain Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

7. Ozarka Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

8. Poland Spring Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

9. Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

10. Crystal Geyser Natural Alpine Spring Water (CG Roxane), EWG grade = F

Functional Water

Slick marketing campaigns have managed to turn an essential part of your diet into a pure disaster. We now have an ever-widening array of flavored water, “zero calories” water, and so-called “enhanced” or “functional” water products on the market. Avoid them all. Typically, they will add artificial sweeteners and artificial coloring. These enhanced water products, if they don’t contain aspartame, contain enormous amounts of sugar and fructose, adding to the many health problems caused by both excessive fructose consumption and genetically engineered ingredients (as most high fructose corn syrup is made from genetically modified corn). Clearly, any type of water other than spring or purified water is not going to improve your health, and should be avoided entirely.

Water Filters

Even though it’s best for you body to drink spring water, it is not always practical. Installation of a home water filter system is wise for drinking, cooking, washing vegetables, and even showering. One of your best bets for clean, pure water is to simply install a high quality water filter for your entire home. A whole house carbon filter will remove contaminants from steamy chemical-laden vapors you and your family inhale while showering and washing dishes. It’s wise to install a house filter because the body absorbs a substantial amount of toxins, including fluoride and chlorine, through the skin during showers and baths.

I’ve compiled a guide for you to figure out the best filtration system for your needs. For more information on why, how, and where to buy a filter, see EWG’s Water Filter Buying Guide. Great filters and live customer service to help you choose the right system for you can be found at APS Water. Follow these steps to find out the filtration system that’s right for you.

1. Consider the style of water filter that will best fit your needs. 

Household water filters generally fall into one of two categories: point-of-entry units, which treat water before it gets distributed throughout the house; and point-of-use units, which include countertop filters (e.g. filter pitchers or countertop water cooler ), faucet filters, and under-the-sink units.

2. Determine what contaminants you need to remove. You may already know what chemical pollutants you want to be sure your water filter removes. But if you don’t, a great place to start is to look at what kinds of contaminants are showing up in your community’s drinking water. Look up your water system on EWG’s tap water database. Can’t find your system? Call your local water utility and ask them to send you a copy of their Consumer Confidence Report, which contains information on its testing of your system’s water.

3. Choose the type of filter that best fits your needs. This list was reprinted from EWG’s site.

  • Carbon/Activated Carbon: Activated carbon chemically bonds with and removes some contaminants in water filtered through it. Carbon filters vary greatly in effectiveness: some just remove chlorine and improve taste and odor, while others remove a wide range of contaminants including asbestos, lead, mercury and VOCs. However, activated carbon cannot effectively remove other common “inorganic” pollutants such as arsenic, fluoride, hexavalent chromium, nitrate and perchlorate. These filters come in two forms, carbon block and granulated activated carbon.
    1. Carbon Block: Carbon block filters contain pulverized activated carbon shaped into blocks under high pressure. They are typically more effective than granulated activated carbon filters because they have more surface area of activated carbon. Their effectiveness depends in part on how quickly water flows through. A proprietary form called “Fibredyne block” claims to have a higher sediment holding capacity relative to other carbon block filters.
    2. Granulated Activated Carbon: These filters contain fine grains of activated carbon. They are typically less effective than carbon block filters because of their smaller surface area. Effectiveness also depends how quickly water flows through.
  • Reverse Osmosis: This process relies on a semi-permeable membrane that retains particles larger than water molecules. Reverse osmosis can remove many contaminants not removed by carbon, including arsenic, fluoride, hexavalent chromium, nitrates and perchlorate. Quality varies, both in terms of the membrane system itself and the carbon filter typically used with it. The filters use 3 times to 20 times more water than they produce, so they are usually used only for drinking and cooking water.
  • Ceramic: Ceramic filters have with very small holes throughout the material that block solid contaminants such as cysts and sediments from passing through. They do not remove chemical contaminants.
  • Deionization: An ion exchange process removes mineral salts and other electrically charged molecules from water. The process cannot remove non-ionic contaminants (including disinfection byproducts and other common volatile organic compounds) or microorganisms. This filtration method makes the water alkaline.
  • Ion Exchange: This technology passes water over a resin that replaces undesirable ions (charged particles) with others that are more desirable. One common application is water softening, replacing calcium and magnesium with sodium. The resin must be periodically “recharged” with replacement ions. Ion exchange filters are occasionally combined with other types of filters and are used in water softeners, described below. This filtration method makes the water alkaline.
  • Ozone: Ozone kills bacteria and other microorganisms and is often used in conjunction with other filtering technologies. It is not effective in reducing levels of chemical contaminants.
  • UV (ultraviolet): These systems use ultraviolet light to kill bacteria and other microorganisms. They cannot remove chemical contaminants.
  • Water Softeners: These devices use ion exchange to lower levels of calcium and magnesium (which can build up in plumbing and fixtures) as well barium and certain forms of radium. They do not remove most other contaminants. Since water softeners usually replace calcium and magnesium with sodium, treated water typically has high sodium content. Some people may be advised by their physicians to avoid softened water. It is also not recommended for watering plants and gardens for the same reason.

No filter will give you good performance over the long-term unless it receives regular maintenance. As contaminants build up, a filter cannot only become less effective, but also make your water worse by releasing harmful bacteria or chemicals back into your filtered water.

The Water Filter I Recommend

In my research, I’ve come across many different products but it was the Ultra-UC Water Filter/Revitalizer made by PureEffect Advanced Filtration that truly stood out from all other water filters. I love that they have so many different models to meet everyone’s needs, including a whole house filter.

It caught my attention because the Ultra-UC Water Filter/Revitalizer made by PureEffect Advanced Filtration is the first filter I’ve seen that removes such a broad spectrum of pollutants, removes radiation, restores water’s natural pH, isn’t made in China, and is affordable for most households. And if you move, you can bring it with you.  It truly is a water filter for every household.

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Water Pollutants Removed

To the best of my knowledge the Ultra-UC Water Filter/Revitalizer is the only All-In-One system of it’s kind that removes:

1. Radioisotopes that get into our water from Leaking Nuclear Plants, Fukushima Fallout, and Uranium/Plutonium Mining. This is the only filter I’ve ever seen that removes radioactive particles.

2. Drug Residues that are not required by law to be removed at water treatment plants. This is the only filter I’ve seen, aside from reverse osmosis, to remove drug residues.

3. Fluoride using an all-natural alumina-free activated carbon bonded with calcium, shown to be 20% more effective at removing fluoride than the commonly used activated alumina. Fluoride blocks thyroid function! You don’t want to drink this toxin added to most tap water sources in the US.

4. Disinfection Chemical Additives including both Chloramines and Chlorine.

5. Disinfection Chemical By-Products such as Trihalomethanes, one of which is Chloroform.

6. Heavy Metals including Lead, Aluminum, Mercury, Barium, Iron & Other Positively Charged metal ions.

7. VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) such as benzene, xylene and other solvents that are byproducts of the petroleum industry.

8. Agricultural Contaminants such as pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides.

9. Microbial Cysts including Giardia & Cryptosporidum, which survive disinfection.

10. Sediment down to ultra-fine size of 0.5 Micron, approximately 50x smaller than a grain of beach sand.

Plastic, Glass, or Stainless Steel?

Plastic chemicals can leach out of plastic bottles and contaminate the water, like phthalates and bisphenol-A (BPA). Then there’s the issue with all that plastic trash being generated, which is wreaking havoc on our environment. Less than 30% of plastic bottles are recycled. Glass is the best option for your drinking water.

Chemicals used to make plastic bottles may leach into the contents, especially when the contents are heated (during transport, storage, or left in your car). One of the primary concerns is bisphenol-A or BPA, a hormone disruptor that mimics estrogen in your body. Research suggests that BPA exposure is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, estrogen dominance syndrome and a whole host of diseases. These plastics get in your body and gum up your metabolic pathways, inhibiting health and weight loss. Time Magazine reported, “BPA is particularly worrisome simply because it is so common. Nearly every American has some amount of BPA in his or her body, in part because plastics are so ubiquitous.”

While many plastic water bottles don’t contain BPA, bottles with resin codes 3 or 7 in the recycle triangle may. However, 95 percent of all plastic products in one study tested positive for estrogenic activity, meaning they can still disrupt your hormones even if they carry a BPA-free label. Even more disconcerting is the finding that BPA-free plastics can be even more harmful than BPA plastics. Rather than BPA, a more harmful plastic hardener, BPS, may be used. BPS is found to be almost 20 times more harmful that BPA, but there is very little research into this substance.

Consumers who switch from plastic water bottles to metal ones in hopes of avoiding the risk that bisphenol-A will leach into their beverages aren’t necessarily any better off, a new study finds. Some metal water bottles leach more BPA than do ones made from the now-pariah plastic due to an epoxy-resin lining based on BPA’s recipe. However, most stainless steel bottles do not have this liner. Stainless steel leaches metal into your water as well. I don’t know about you, but I took one drink and couldn’t stand the metallic taste of water from a stainless steel bottle.

Glass bottles, however, also leach chemicals, including aluminum, explains a study by Clemens Reimann of the Norges Geologiske Undersøkelse in Norway. Aluminum is sometimes added to soda-lime glass to make bottles more durable. Soda-lime glass is used for everyday items such as bottles for beverages, jars for food, and drinking glasses. However, it’s much safer than plastic. It’s the best and safest option for your drinking water. This is why I drink Mountain Valley Spring Water from Arkansas. It’s one of the only spring waters I have found bottled in glass.

Have you started drinking water yet? When I began writing this article, I started chugging water immediately and don’t plan to stop! Do your health a favor. Reduce your coffee, skip the sodas, drink the crappy water you have in your house and don’t ever buy it again, start drinking pure spring water by the gallon and invest in an Ultra-UC Water Filter/Revitalizer filter or whole house filter.

Did you buy a water filter and later regretted it? Do you have a story like mine about drinking tons of purified water and not feeling hydrated? Get ripped off buying an expensive, gimmicky water filtration system? Tell me your story by leaving a comment below.

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Click Here for References+

1. Batmanghelidj, Fereydoon, MD. Water for Health, for Healing, for Life: You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty! Warner Books, 2005.
2. Environmental Working Group. EWG’s Water Filter Buying Guide.
http://www.ewg.org/tap-water/getawaterfilter#step4
3. Environmental Working Group. Pharmaceuticals Pollute U.S. Tap Water. March 2008.
http://www.ewg.org/news/testimony-official-correspondence/pharmaceuticals-pollute-us-tap-water
4. Environmental Working Group. Tips for Drinking Safe Water.
http://www.ewg.org/bottled-water-2011-tips-drinking-water
5. Health Alkaline. Should you Buy Bottled Alkaline Water?
http://www.healthalkaline.com/alkalinewater/should-you-buy-bottled-alkaline-water/
6. Mercola, Joseph. Even ‘BPA-Free’ Plastics Leach Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals.
March 25, 2011
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/25/even-bpafree-plastics-leach-endrocrinedisrupting-chemicals.aspx
7. My Spring Water. Are You Drinking What You Think You are Drinking http://www.myspringwater.com/SpringWaterInformation/TypesOfWater.aspx
8. Raloff, Janet. Metal Water Bottles May Leach BPA. July 11, 2011.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/332291/description/Metal_water_bottles_may_leach_BPA
9. Reimann, Clemens, Manfred Birke, Peter Filzmoser. Applied Geochemistry: Bottled Drinking Water: Water Contamination from Bottle Materials (Glass, Hard PET, Soft PET), the Influence of Colour and Acidification.
http://www.statistik.tuwien.ac.at/public/filz/papers/10APGEO.pdf
10. Rosenthal, Joshua. Integrative Nutrition. Integrative Nutrition Publishing, 2008.
11. Wilson, Lawrence, MD. Water for Health and Longevity. January, 2013.
http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/water.htm

in Articles/Detox/Diet/Myers Detox/Myers Detox Protocol Articles/Nutrition

Dr Wendy Myers, ND is a detox expert, functional diagnostic nutritionist, NES Bioenergetic Practitioner, and founder of Myersdetox.com. She is the #1 bestselling author of Limitless Energy: How to Detox Toxic Metals to End Exhaustion and Chronic Fatigue . Additionally, Wendy is the host of The Heavy Metals Summit, the Myers Detox Podcast, and the Supercharged Podcast. Passionate about the importance of detox to live a long and healthy life, she created the revolutionary Myers Detox Protocol , and Mitochondria Detox kit after working with thousands of clients, as well as a range of supplements to help you detox from everyday living and maintain a healthy lifestyle!

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weight loss tips
10 years ago

Have you ever considered creating an ebook or guest authoring on other sites?
I have a blog based on the same subjects you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information.
I know my audience would enjoy your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e mail.

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10 years ago

whoah this blog is great i love studying your posts. Keep up the good work!

You realize, lots of persons are searching round for this info, you could
aid them greatly.

Holly Davis
Holly Davis
10 years ago

Hi Wendy, Thank you for your informative article. I’ve been using the Melody Jupiter Ionizer and Water Filter (counter top) for about 5 years and am having multiple health issues that I’m trying to get to the cause of and correct. I’m meeting my chiropractor tomorrow for the final analysis of the blood work and hair analysis but he did call to tell me of the extremely high amount of titanium in my body. As I’m super health conscious and very careful what comes on and in my body the only way titanium got into my system was from the titanium plates in the Melody Jupiter Ionizer. The ionizer part made me feel bad so I was only using the purified water button yet I still received titanium toxicity. At this point I’m fearful of any information coming from a source that is selling something–they have a stake in the results of any testing. I did trust Dr. Joseph Mercola til I realized he’s selling water purifying systems. I’ve opted for bottled spring water…for now til I get more concrete information. After all your research I thought you’d be interested in my story. Holly

Angela
Angela
10 years ago

Excellent info!! I’ve been searching and scouring for reliable information on what kind of water to provide for my family.
Thankfully, we haven’t spent thousands on a filter system, but we are still buying gallons of water from the store.
I knew about the municipal water systems not being much better than tap, (& our store bought, bottled water comes from Ft. Worth Municipal. Ugh!!) that the plastic jugs are bad for the environmemt and they leech toxins, but it’s the lesser of the evils for us right now.
We live in an oil field area and fracking is done all around us, so I simply do not trust the tap or even a well ~ eventhough we are forced to bathe in it, for now.
So, spring water, in glass bottles, huh? Wow. Sounds nearly impossible to obtain. (we live in the middle of nowhere)
Any suggestions?
Thank you again for the valuable info!!

Janelle
10 years ago

For someone who can’t afford to buy a water filter would you say it is ok to just put grapefruit seed extract in your water as a purifier? I heard of Adya Clarity Black Mica Extract purifies your drinking water naturally, and restores its natural healing properties and amazing health bennefits. Removes fluoride, heavy metals, harsh chemicals, insidious bacteria, and other pollutants from your water. Converts your tap water (and even bottled water, which is dead water) into the best water on this planet by infusing it with life-giving and health promoting minerals. . . It is clinically tested and proven to remove accumulated carcinogenic heavy metals and toxins from your body by as much as 40 percent cancer causing contaminants such as mercury,lead,arsenic,aluminum, and more! Use 5-8 drops for an 8 ounce glass of water. 3 tsps for a 3 gallon bucket if the gallon is particularly dirty, put 5 to 8 drops. The water is good for up to 8 months or forever as long as you don’t swim in it or contaminate it. About 5 tbls to purify an entire bathtub full of water. Can clean greens with it. 32-oz supply- 6 month supply normally cost ($150-$200). Drinking the right spring water like you said and buying a good filter may be best, but I am still unsure of if the Adya Clarity Black Mica Extract is ok to use. Have you heard of it? What are your thoughts? I don’t know if it is safe or does all it says it does.

Janelle
9 years ago

Thank you for your advice Wendy. I won’t buy grapefruit seed extract to at least get some of the bad stuff out of water and won’t spend a bunch on Adya Clarity Black Mica Extract. I hope to be able to get spring water as soon as possible. I been drinking Fiji water lately. Was getting sharp pains in stomach in the middle of the night in the beginning of when I started drinking it, which was last Friday. I normally would drink tap water. I am trying not to. I’ll just make green tea until the Fiji runs out. At least it combats cancer, kills bacteria, and protects your heart. I really want spring water. I have to order. A carbon block filter be great if could afford it. I did go out and buy 3 big bottles of Alkaline and two 6 packs of Fiji water before seeing this website. I was researching about the waters, because I want healthy as can be uncontaminated water and thankfully found your site. You are a great helper to the world, since water is a big part of what we need to survive. Thank you so much!

Beth
Beth
9 years ago

Wendy, what are your thoughts about the gravity filters like Berkey?

Irene
Irene
9 years ago

Wendy, what are your thoughts about the ZeroWater filters?

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  Irene

Not a fan. They don’t remove fluoride and likely don’t remove chlorine. These are big concerns in drinking water that interfere with thyroid function. They also don’t remove some concerning chemicals. http://www.zerowater.com/faqs.aspx. You’re just better off drinking spring water. But these filters are probably better than Brita or Pur, so if you have no choice or can’t afford spring water, the zeroWater filters may be your best bet.

MT
MT
9 years ago

I have an autoimmune disease and am trying to find the best water. For years, i’ve been drinking reverse osmosis water and am now realizing–upon my doc’s suggestion and your informed words–that I will begin drinking spring water. So, here’s the question: Does Mountain Valley Spring Water from Arkansas score higher than Arrowhead Spring Water, for example? Mountain Valley Spring costs $24 for a 5 gal bottle and Alhambra Spring Water and other similar waters cost $10 for a 5 gal bottle. You seem to have high praise for Mountain Valley Spring Water. In your opinion, does it rank with the top waters?

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  MT

Mountain Valley is much better than Arrowhead. I like that it’s in glass bottles, which is always a plus. I mostly drink Hawaiian water and Ice Age, personally. I try to get water in glass when I can like Acqua Panna. But really any spring water is fine. If you’re going for the 5 gallon bottles your choices are more limited, but really any water is fine. just drink spring water!!

barbieP
barbieP
9 years ago

So, which Spring Water is best? What about Crystal Geyser?

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  barbieP

I prefer Ice Age and waters from remote areas like Hawaii, canada and new zealand, fiji, etc. Crystal Geyser is fine.

frogpants
frogpants
9 years ago
Reply to  Wendy Myers

I never noticed a difference in the taste of water from different sources until my mom pointed it out…. and then I found out that our water softener wasn’t good drinking water. I turned to bottled water and been drinking Ozarka for awhile now but it’s spring water so I guess it’s ok? I’ll look for Ice Age and as for the others you mention, I guess it’s a matter of going and reading the labels at the store?

Pati
Pati
9 years ago
Reply to  Wendy Myers

Crystal Geyser rated as an “F” on the EWG.

Gloria
Gloria
9 years ago

Wendy what are your thoughts on Premium Artesian Water (7.6 ph) made by Fresh Finds I found a good price $1.50 for 33.8 fl oz bottle (alkaline water) but if its not good for me then the price don’t matter right!!!

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  Gloria

Artesian water is just a fancy name for Spring water so go for it!! Sounds good! Any spring, artesian water is fine with me. I mean there are better brands or ones that are from more remote areas, but drinking any spring water is going to be must better for you than other waters.

Joe conner
Joe conner
9 years ago

Wendy, I would like to comment on ozone. You stated that ozone doesn’t eliminate chemicals in water. However, ozone is the only product that oxidized chemicals such as endocrine disrupting chemicals…pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceutical etc. Ozone should be your first choice for water purification methods. Of course a media filter is used to take out particulates. Contact me for more information

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  Joe conner

You know, I just interviewed Dr. Garry Gordon about ozone therapy. it sounds like the holy grail!! I based that comment on ozone the work of Dr. Lawrence Wilson. But I do stand by it as not ideal for filtering water for medications, heavy metals and other issues. However, I do think ozone water is amazing to drink! I am going to start drinking it to oxygenate my body. But I find it very interesting that you say it oxidizes chemicals. I would love more information about that!

Wendy Myers
9 years ago

It did rate an F, but it’s better than drinking carbon filtered water or any other kind of water. If you’re on a budget, Crystal geyser is fine. It’s not what I would drink, but it’s better than most of what’s out there as far as drinking water.

Wendy Myers
9 years ago

EWG does a good job as there’s no one else rating spring waters out there to my knowledge. I would go for doing as much spring water as you can that you can afford and get the rest from your Berkey filter. Ive done a little research on them and they seem like a great filter!

Wendy Myers
9 years ago

I didn’t recommend Poland as one of the best. I think i mentioned that it’s acceptable. Any spring water is better than drinking water, reverse osmosis or well water. Water in plastic bottles is not the best option, but if you cannot do glass bottles for your kids, then water in stainless steel bottles are great. I give these to my daughter. The stainless steel bottles are fine, but they impart a metal taste, which doesn’t seem to bother kids that much. I love FIJI water. I drink it myself at times. I drink the plastic bottled water because I know I will detox the plastics in my sauna. the plastics are an issue as they can be estrogenic, but it’s more important to drink quality spring water than it is to avoid plastic.

Wendy Myers
9 years ago

That may be true, but any spring water is still better than filtered water or reverse osmosis water.

Amanda
Amanda
9 years ago

I have recently learned about structured water, do you know anything about this?

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  Amanda

I think structured water is interesting. There does seem to be something to it, however you must being with clean water. I have a structured water filter and run my water through it, but I start with spring water.

alana
alana
9 years ago

Hi Wendy,
I was wondering if the filter that you recommend from PureEffects is certified by NSF.
Thank you.

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  alana

Yes it is. I found this on their website at http://www.pureeffectfilters.com/filter-units/the-pure-effect-compact.html. The filter unit body is NSF Certified and made of BPA-Free & Phthalate-Free, Precision-Machined High-Strength Plastics, the Spout is 100% Stainless Steel (non-corrosive) and all metal parts are Lead-Free.

alana
alana
9 years ago
Reply to  Wendy Myers

Thank you Wendy for getting back to me. And so quicly too!

I was hoping that they would have the filter’s performance certified as well. It is nice that the filter is made out of good materials but the performance was not certified which makes me suspicious. Maybe it is because their unit does not remove what it claims to remove? What do you think?
Without the certification we do not really know what the filter removes. According to NSF the only filter certified to remove chloramines and fluoride (they are in my water) is reverse osmosis. I know that RO is not great but at least it removes the things I am concerned about.
Thank you.

Wendy Myers
9 years ago

Hi There!
I don’t think the goal is avoiding all fluoride. Fluoride is naturally occurring in spring water as it should be. It’s only when the industrial waste product fluoride is added in large quantities to municipal waters sources is it a problem. Don’t worry about fluoride in spring water.

As far as the reverse osmosis filter system you’re talking about I would avoid RO water. It damages the water and does not hydrate you as well. I spent over $1000 in a RO filter system that ‘remineralied’ the water and I could not get hydrated. I don’t like RO systems for this reason. I stick with spring water, but still use the RO water for cooking or a cup of tea.

Wendy Myers
9 years ago

I will have to ask the company about this performance certification. They have reports on their site about what is removed from the water. Fluoride is removed. If your water is fluoridated, I would stick with drinking spring water, but get a whole house filter for cooking and showering. I don’t care what kind of filtration system I have in my house. I’m drinking spring water. Nothing can replicate the purity and mineral content. Nothing.

Wendy Myers
9 years ago

HI Regina!
I am not into metal drinking containers. The metal taste they impart instinctively tell me to avoid them. I don’t need metals with my water. Thank you.

The Poland was added as rating high per the info on EWG at the time of writing. I will update the ratings. I drink from plastic bottles, frankly. They may not be ideal , but clean drinking water is the foundation of health. I believe the benefits of spring water outweigh any issues with the plastics. I find it much worse to drink improperly filtered tap water. And no filter option is ideal. If you’re really worried about the plastics, phthalates, etc are shown to be eliminated with infrared sauna use. So, drink your plastic fiji water while sitting in a sauna. You should really be doing this anyways. You can find more info on saunas at https://myersdetox.com/sauna

Wendy Myers
9 years ago

I think the environmental impact can be somewhat overcome by recycling the bottles. I’m an avid, obsessed recycler. So, NOT ONE bottle I drink goes in the trash. So, the question is do you care more about environmental health or your own health. I have weighed the options and care more about my own health, keeping the environment in mind as much as I can. I believe spring water to be FAR better for your health than filtered tap water of any kind so that’s what I drink. If you have to filter, get a pure effects filter.

Wendy Myers
9 years ago

Nestle pure life is “premium” drinking water (lol) according to their website – whatever that means. It’s likely reverse osmosis filtered. I can’t tell from their website how it’s filtered as they clearly are not interested in revealing this. I would not personally drink “drinking water” of any kind. It’s either bottled tap water or Reverse osmosis filtered, with of which are not desirable.

Marty Vidnovic
Marty Vidnovic
9 years ago

OK, I’ll try this again …

Yes, Ms. Meyers, I’ve read that Mountain Valley Spring Water is the purest, most alkaline spring water in the US, and is protected by acres and acres … and even ACRES … of forest land in Arkansas. I like to get my water delivered in 5 gallon bottles with a cooler. I’m currently getting Poland Spring Water bottled in Maine. A friend of mine said that it’s practically like drinking tap water (but I don’t know where she heard that) and it does come in plastic bottles, unlike Mountain Valley which uses glass bottles. One survey I read placed Mountain Valley 6th in the top 10 spring waters in the world, but there are many opinions.

I would be grateful for yours, and anyone who feels like chiming in!

Thanks,

Marty from NYC

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  Marty Vidnovic

HI Marty!
I find that the best spring waters are not available in the 5 gallon bottles. They tend to be more ’boutique’ and available only by the 1-2 liter bottle. You can read more about Poland spring water and it’s rating on http://ewg.org. They rate most of the bottled waters.

I think Mountain Vally Spring Water is amazing – and it’s available in glass. I’m a fan!

Marty Vidnovic
Marty Vidnovic
9 years ago
Reply to  Wendy Myers

Yeah, thanks, Wendy. I went ahead and ordered delivery of Mountain Valley. Tastes great!

proxy
proxy
9 years ago

I work as a flight attendant for a large international airline. I’m often away from home for up to four days at a time. Obviously I cannot carry enough water for that amount of time, and so often have to rely on drinking water from the plane. Issue is, we serve Dasani, and I am definitely not a fan of the added ingredients. Is there some kind of travel filter I can use to filter this stuff out of Disani water? Thanks!

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  proxy

You can look at the filters from the experts at aspwater.com. You can also check out the handheld device that I use for filtration and revitalization at
http://bit.ly/wellnesswaterfilter

EnrichdOrg
EnrichdOrg
7 years ago
Reply to  proxy

Hey, I’ve been traveling with carbon sticks to filter water….. you can see them in this photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/BFY6MxxNrkD/?taken-by=enrichdorg

They not the perfect solution but very easy for traveling and you can just put them in a jug at the beginning of the flight with your Dassani water

proxy
proxy
9 years ago

What kind of travel water filter would filter out trace amounts of salt, magnesium sulfate, and potassium chloride?

katrina
9 years ago

what is the best water for my 8 month old baby to drink with her formula – why do some say to give your baby water with fluoride in them?

Meah
Meah
9 years ago

Hi, thanks for your article. What’s your opinion on drinking rain water? Thanks in advance.

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  Meah

Hm. That’s a tough one! I think rain water would need to be filtered. It would have acid in it potentially and any pollutants that are in the air. I would be cautious.

Mark
Mark
9 years ago

I think this is a very selfish discussion. It’s not ok to keep drinking water from plastic bottles, recycling unfortunately is not the answer. You said you care about yourself over the environment. What about your future generations to come? I’m trying to figure out a way to avoid fluoride without using plastic bottles. It’s actually rather difficult. Any suggestions?

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  Mark

The other option is to get a filter the filters fluoride like the Pure Effects filters I recommend in the article.

poop
poop
9 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Who cares about future generations. Nobody here now will be around then so screw it.

EnrichdOrg
EnrichdOrg
7 years ago
Reply to  Mark

FindASpring.com is a great site for finding your local spring, you can get 5 or 3 gallon glass bottles and get the best water local to you. It still may need filtering…

Ali
Ali
9 years ago

Hi Wendy,
Why does drinking Evian make me feel a little queezy?

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  Ali

It’s hard to say. everyone is different. Perhaps the mineral content does not agree with your body.

Mr Mckenzie
Mr Mckenzie
9 years ago

Hi Wendy

I live in North London which is in London over in England (UK).

I am very fascinated with the subject of water and very skeptical of which one i should drink.

you have mentioned spring as the first thing to make sure, second thing would be in a glass bottle right?

I only see Mountain valley spring water as the only spring with a lot of history which is served up in a glass bottle, what is your expertise on my assumption?

What water do you personally drink?

Because i live in England would i find it difficult to obtain the best drinking water? as i will have to get it shipped especially if it is not in this country.

I know your a busy women but i would really appreciate your message back as last year i became a vegan and water is all i drink and i recently had a new born so i would like her to be drinking the best water available as a pose to this inconsistent water they call good for you.

I hope to here from you soon Wendy

Take care

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  Mr Mckenzie

Hi there!
I’m sure they have wonderful spring water bottled in water in England. Any spring water in fine. The one we have here is Mountain Valley. We also have Acua de Panna from Italy. I drink that a lot. I also drink Ice Age water mostly. I’d find a good brand in your country that is in glass. And if you can’t find that, get a filter that filters out fluoride if your water is fluoridated.

EnrichdOrg
EnrichdOrg
7 years ago
Reply to  Mr Mckenzie

Have you tried highland spring in a glass bottle? @EnrichdOrg

Mr Mckenzie
Mr Mckenzie
9 years ago

Oh and another question sorry, as well as the best in your opinion that is without fluoride right? as fluoride is not good for you and i don’t wish to indulge in any water containing fluoride..

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  Mr Mckenzie

water naturally contains some fluoride. It’s not about avoiding fluoride completely, but about avoiding fluoridated water where fluoride is added.

Taylor
Taylor
9 years ago

Hi Wendy, I was wondering what your thoughts of this spring that i found from your find a spring link. This is close to my home and my next day off I’m planning on making a pit stop to load up on some fresh spring water. Its gotta be better then anything you can buy, right?

Wendy Myers
9 years ago
Reply to  Taylor

I say go for it. If you like the taste, then drink it! i personally prefer to get water from remote areas of the world to avoid contamination. Clean water is of paramount importance to your health. And a lot of chemicals can seep into ground water. I just worry that some springs may not be tested for purity.

Taylor
Taylor
9 years ago

Boston Clear Water Company

Taylor
Taylor
9 years ago

I could not find a website but they are on Facebook and it is open to the public. located in
165 Lowell St. Lynnfield, Massachusetts

Wendy Myers
8 years ago

I do not have any studies that show this. I am just going by the fact that when I have drank out of stainless steel containers it tastes like metal! And for me, it’s really strong. It would not taste like that if metal had not leaked into the water. Stainless steel is made from a metal alloy consisting of mostly iron and chromium along with differing percentages of molybdenum, nickel, titanium, copper and vanadium. Stainless steel allows other metals to leach into the water. The principal elements in stainless that have negative effects on our health are iron, chromium and nickel. The only stainless steel vessel I would use is surgical stainless steel that has titanium added to reduce leakage. Same goes for stainless steell cookware. You get what you pay for.

Internet guy
Internet guy
7 years ago
Reply to  Wendy Myers

surgical stainless steel is a general and non-regulated term that any manufacturer can use to describe their alloy by the way

Wendy Myers
8 years ago

YES!! You need to filter that iron. It will build up in your body and cause major inflammation. I see this with clients and their hair tests all the time. You can do a hair mineral analysis and see if the iron is affecting you.

I suggest Pure effects well filter to remove all the iron and other metals. Wells tend to have uranium as well. https://myersdetox.com/best-water-filter-on-the-market/

Wendy Myers
8 years ago

Yes, i think drinking RO water is a bad idea. It does not hydrate your cells as well. The RO membrane slightly damages the water. I can’t seem to get hydrated when I drink RO, but when I drink spring I feel hydrated with FAR less water.. You can learn more about the Issues with RO water in this podcast. https://myersdetox.com/?s=water

Bryant Scott Perkins
Bryant Scott Perkins
8 years ago

Your really a blessing!! There’s so many victims to pollution!! it’s really sad because people remain ignorant and most of there awful thinking and actions are because of pollution!! Wish more people can have access to these topic’s!! The awareness is rising though!!

Ritesh Sharma
Ritesh Sharma
8 years ago

Hello Wendy Myers, i am Ritesh Master of pharmacy in pharmacology from India. I impress with your artical and i try my best to inform the nation about drinking water. Thanks a lot.

Lisa
Lisa
9 years ago

This water issue is very time consuming. I got the Mountain Valley Spring Water and now 1 month later I realize that it is unaffordable. I live in a city apartment and the tap water is gross. I was using Doulton for the kitchen sink and Berkey for drinking. Looking for an affordable spring water that isn’t unethical (Poland Springs) or full of junk. The documentary “Tapped” is enlightening. I haven’t been able to find a website with a breakdown of Spring Water companies. EWG’s information is limited also on filter systems, too. Any suggestions?

Regina
Regina
9 years ago

Wendy, thank you for such detailed info! I have a question for you. In my quest for The right drinking water for the family, I can’t seem to find a right answer. I have small kids, so glass bottles are not an option ( to take along/school/etc.) so far We’ve been using Poland spring bottled , but according to EWP , they rate terrible. So my options are BPA- free plastic or metal bottles , for some reason metal doesn’t seem right ( but that’s without any scientific backup, jus intuitively :). So which ones are the better option?
And also, you mentioned Poland spring as one of the best spring water, yet Poland spring bottled is rated as one of the worst. So are you referring to Poland spring gallon jars?
And last but not least, we do also drink lots of FIGI bottled water, and once again, the question is how good is it for you if it’s packaged in plastic?
I’m still confused lol
Maybe you ll be able to help me sort things out 🙂
Thanks!

dpk8325
dpk8325
9 years ago

Wendy,
I just came across your site for the first time. It’s great! So far I’ve only read through this water post and the osteoporosis post. I am young and found out I have fairly advanced osteopenia so I’m doing everything natural I can to reverse it. Your post is basically what I’ve been doing so hopefully I’m on the right track.
As for the water, I’ve been going crazy trying to 1) Find the best fluoride free (or very low flouride) bottled water to drink on the go that also has minerals and 2) Find the best water filtration system for my house to remove fluoride while keeping the minerals
1) I’d been drinking Fiji and Evian. Today I saw that Fiji has 0.29 mg/l of fluoride which looks to be too high. I like it’s PH and Silica though. Evian has a slightly lower PH but looks to be about 0.1 mg/l of fluoride. I’m going to look into the Mountain Valley Spring water… but do you have a suggestion for fluoride free bottled water that you can find at most stores? I like that most gas stations even have Evian/Fiji…
2) I had almost committed to buy a Wellness Series 5 Pro Reverse Osmosis flouride free system plus 5 stage remineralization. They are based in Australia and pretty expensive but say it removes 99.95% of fluoride. It then gets remineralized with calcium, silica, magnesium, and “volcanic minerals.” After your recommendation for the Pure Effects and after just talking to them I am torn!
Are you at all concerned about the Pure Effects removing a lot of fluoride initially but then not being effective after a few months? That’s the knock I’ve read about those types of units. Pure Effects looks like it reduces 80% fluoride at most, is that enough? I’m talking with them about adding an additional fluoride cartridge under the sink as well as the whole home unit.
If you take a look at the Wellness.com.au one I’d be curious how you think it compares to the Pure Effects.
Many thanks!

Tess
Tess
9 years ago

Is it better to drink filtered tap water over glassed spring water because of environmental impact?

missy
missy
9 years ago

According to the EWG, Nestlé pure life water got a “B”. Is this considered spring water?

Maggie
Maggie
8 years ago

“Stainless steel leaches metal into your water as well” – do you have any scientific research links for this one? I’d be very interested to find out more! many thanks

Kathy
Kathy
8 years ago

I live on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska with a glacier fed River in our backyard and we have non-treated naturally soft water from our well with a low reading 128 in EC micro-siemens using a Conductivity Meter. PH testing is normally at 6.8

My question is in regard to type of Iron and we may have in our well? We do use a mechanical only filter to remove sandy sediment and when it is changed the media is very reddish. Our tub has a yellowish stain as well. Laundry is fine so it is light but wonder if this Iron should be filtered out?

Thank you!

DavidTri
DavidTri
8 years ago

Hi Wendy – I drink lots of water training for triathlons. Usually any bottled water. The city water where I live is full of bad things so I bought a reverse osmosis system for under the sink. I have read tons of articles about how RO is good to drink and how RO demineralizes water. I eat super healthy and take a multiple vitamin daily. Do you think drinking from RO is bad idea?

Thanks,

David

Heather
Heather
8 years ago

Thanks for such a detailed info! I would just like to add that plastic bottles can be different, since they’re made of different types, so some of them are presumably not so bad, while others are really dangerous. It’s strongly recommended to look at the mark at the bottles bottoms before purchasing them. Plastic types used for bottles can be found here: http://buymeapie.com/blog/beware-toxic-water-bottles/

But in general I agree that glass bottles are a better option.

Trinity Trinh
Trinity Trinh
7 years ago

Hello! What is your thought on Arrowhead water? (I just bought 4 cases). I usually drink Nestle but read in the comments about it being RO. I saw that in 2 different list of water with Fluoride and to stay away from, One had Arrowhead as good and the other list was bad. I didn’t realize how much goes into choosing waters. THANKS for all your information!

Wendy Myers
7 years ago
Reply to  Trinity Trinh

Yes, I like Arrowhead. I think there are better waters, but I will drink it in a pinch! I try to do glass bottled water as much as I can if I”m not drinking water from my pure effects water filter.

Michelle
Michelle
7 years ago

I drink deer park alot what kind of water is that considered to be?

Wendy Myers
7 years ago
Reply to  Michelle

You would have to go on EWG.org and find their water rating. It will tell you it got a good score. It should say on the bottle if it’s spring water, drinking water or filtered water.