Distilled Water

[spanko]

I contacted Absopure water located here in Michigan to get some information on the TDS of their steam distilled product. I asked them

"Can you tell me if you measure the TDS of your steam distilled water, what are the readings, and do you have a standard level you stay at or below. "

Just thought I would share the info I got back.

 

"Dear Henry,

 

Thank you for your inquiry. Yes we do measure TDS. Please review Absopure Water Quality Report that I have included as an attachment to this email.

 

Regards,

 

Kyn Noble

Absopure Water Company "

ABSOPURE WATER COMPANY

PLYMOUTH, MI 48170

2009 BOTTLED WATER QUALITY REPORT

INTRODUCTION

Absopure bottled water meets federal and state health standards. FDA regulates bottled water as a food product whereas EPA regulates tap water as provided by water utilities. Standards of quality enacted by the FDA for bottled water must be a protective of the public health as the EPA’s standard (known as Maximum Contaminant Level) for tap water. Ensuring the safety of the water is our primary objective in providing our product to the consumer.

OUR SOURCE FOR OUR WATER

Absopure bottling facility in Michigan uses protected boreholes adjacent to the natural springs in southern Michigan. Layers of solid rock and clay provide an impervious (not-passable) protective cover for the aquifer water. Through nature’s own filtration process, our spring water rises to the surface completely safe to drink. We test our sources regularly to verify that they are of extremely high quality.

Distilled water starts with municipal water that is treated with such methods as water softening, carbon filtration and aeration. The water then enters our FDA food grade stills where it is superheated to 212°F and converted to steam. The steam is then condensed and returned to the liquid state.

Purified water begins with municipal water that is passed through carbon filtration. Then it is processed through a reverse osmosis purification unit. Each process strips the minerals and other impurities out of the water, providing clean, clear water that exceeds the standards set forth in the United States Pharmacopeia as referenced by the FDA standards for distilled and purified water.

HOW ABSOPURE BOTTLED WATER IS PREPARED

Bottled water is protected by a multi-barrier approach, which includes steps such as source protection and monitoring, one-micron absolute filtration, distillation, ozonation, particulate filtration, and the application of ultraviolet light or other appropriate processing measures.

Our spring water is conveyed through multiple stages of filtration that include micron filtration and particulate filtration to remove sediment and suspended particles. Before the water is bottled, each water passes through one or less than one-micron absolute filters, an ultraviolet disinfection unit and an ozonator.

Our distilled water is pretreated and then heated to produce steam. The minerals are left behind and the steam is condensed for a pure, mineral-free product. The water is passed through one or less than one micron absolute filters and ozonated before filled into a bottle.

Our purified water is initially carbon filtered and then processed by reverse osmosis purification unit. The water is passed through one or less than one-micron absolute filters and ozonated before filled into a bottle.

All of our non-carbonated bottled water products are ozonated. We use ozone instead of chlorine because it leaves no residual and it does not cause taste and odor problem. Ozone is oxygen (O3 to be exact), which is bubbled through the water just before it goes into a clean bottle. Within a few hours after the bottle has been filled and capped, the ozone dissipates or converts back to the same form of oxygen that we breathe (O2).

 

 

OUR COMPANY’S WATER TESTING

Our company regularly tests for 33 organic chemicals and 63 inorganic chemicals that are regulated by the FDA. As an extra safeguard, we also test for 63 unregulated contaminants. No contaminate was detected above the FDA’s limits in our testing. There have been no violations of any FDA’s Standard of Quality.

 

Regulatory Requirements

 

All bottled water plants approved as an Absopure supplier shall meet all FDA Standards of Quality and shall operate in accordance with the Good Manufacturing Practice of 21 CFR Section 110, Production and Process Controls of 21 CFR Section 129.80. All bottled water plants approved as Absopure supplier shall also adhere to the requirements of the International Bottled Water Association, as well as any state or local requirements. IBWA members are required to undergo an annual, unannounced plant inspection and the plant shall comply with the IBWA Model Code.

 

Raw Material/ Component Specifications

All bottled water shall be from an approved source and shall meet the standard of quality prescribed by the FDA in 21 CFR Section 165.110(.

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

Tamper Evidence:

Breakaway cap with neck ring

 

Expected Shelf Life:

2 years

 

Storage Requirements:

Preferred conditions are cool, dry, and protected from heat, direct sunlight, and chemical contaminants that could adversely impact taste, odor, or appearance of package.

 

Shipping Requirements:

Preferred conditions are cool, dry, and protected from heat, direct sunlight, and chemical contaminants that could adversely impact taste, odor, or appearance of package.

TERMS

 

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water.

 

Nephelometric Turbidity Level (NTU): Measure of turbidity in water.

 

Pci/L: Pico-curies per liter (a measure of radioactivity).

 

ppb: Parts per billion or micrograms per liter (ug/L).

 

ppm: Parts per million or milligrams per liter (mg/L).

 

Turbidity: A measure of the clarity of drinking water.

 

SOQ: Standard of Quality

 

 

And for those of you that caught the Copper level in the distilled water test of 0.004 remember;

 

Copper (Cu++)

Natural Seawater Value: 0.030 mg/L

Acceptable Range: 0.000 to 0.030 mg/L

Copper is fatal to marine invertebrates at levels as low as 0.05 mg/L for many species.

[jeremai]

so basically, we know what we already knew: distilled water is perfectly fine to use.

[spanko]

Yup what you and I and some others already knew. There are those that have doubts though and have been adamant about using nothing but RO/DI so I thought I would at least share some info. I have also written back and asked why with the steam distillation process there is still the trace of copper in there. I will post answer here if\when I get one.

[farkwar]

so basically, we know what we already knew: distilled water is perfectly fine to use.

Well, it should be a sticky somewhere nonetheless.

Then add the params/data sheets of other sources of water vendors of distilled water. When they become available.

 

Good work and thanks to Spanko for chasing that down.

[farkwar]

I have also written back and asked why with the steam distillation process there is still the trace of copper in there.

 

Because most likely the cause is that distilled water is 'looking' to get dirty again.

And copper pipes are used in the collection process. Layman's terms, the clean clean water 'pulls' Cu ions out of the pipes after the distillation occurs.

Some vendors use glass tubes and pipes for condensation/collection.

[spanko]

Well the glass or even stainless would be what I would have thought was used. The report says that they use the municipal water supply for the steam distilled water, not the spring water source they use in the other products. So I wonder if that copper just cannot be removed from the water coming from the water treatment plants through

[Arkayology]

I have used distilled water with no problems before. I just kinda just "hoped" that they did not use any copper in the process. With .004 cu (ppm or ppb?) in the water, would that have enough of an effect if I used only distilled water for say, a year straight? I would expect that this very low amount of copper would be absorbed fairly quickly by any carbon in the tank?

[spanko]

Yeah my initial fill was with distilled water and I use it now for top off. I use about 2 gallons per week in topping off. I do 20% water changes every week with Nutrisea Natural seawater and Would thin that all of this combined would result in a diluted concentration far below Natural Seawater parameters.

[spanko]

Oh bother!

 

I wrote;

 

"Kyn,

 

I guess one more question if I might. The test you provided shows copper at 0.004. Not really a concern here as natural seawater contains 0.03. Copper at levels at or above 0.05 can be a concern for some of the invertebrate life in our tanks.

 

Can you tell me why the steam distillation process leaves that trace amount in there though?"

 

The answer;

 

"I do not know the answer to that"

[hahaximmaxfish]

So im fine to use distilled water in my tank?

[drakkor]

While the copper content caught my eye, I'm not concerned about it because as you said it's way below normal sea water levels. What else caught my eye was the pH of distilled water. I never really thought about it before but I wonder if using distilled or RO/DI (with pH of 4.8 and 5.4) for top-offs would pull the tank pH down a little? I suspect not as the alk isn't evaporating but just a thought.

[farkwar]

If that number is 0.004 mg/liter I'm not going to worry about it if that is typical.

 

The detectable level for most of the elements or molecules was listed as 0.002. 0.002 less and it would have been undectable.

[AZDesertRat]

Distilled water like RO/DI cannot have its pH measured accurately since there are to few ions to measure. Its basically neutral and will adjust itself to whatever you presently have without altering it significantly.

[drakkor]

Distilled water like RO/DI cannot have its pH measured accurately since there are to few ions to measure. Its basically neutral and will adjust itself to whatever you presently have without altering it significantly.

 

Good to know, thanks for the reply on that.

 

For those interested, I dug up Arrowhead's report (that's the brand I'm using and is popular in CA at least). Mineral report starts on page 19.

 

http://www.nestle-watersna.com/pdf/AH_BWQR.pdf