In the past I believed that the prime choice of drinking water was the uncontaminated (these may be extinct) natural springs or wells of the earth. Especially if this water comes from the area where we live, it puts us in harmony with our environment and often provides important minerals (though it should be checked for abnormally high mineral content). However, because of our current pollution problems, it may be essential for all of us to purify our drinking water adequately now or in the near future.

Most of us who live in cities provided with tap water from treatment plants must take appropriate steps to make our water the best it can be. Bottled water is expensive and may come in polyethylene containers, which raise their own health questions. Besides, the water is often chlorinated and may have been in the containers for months, if not longer.

I now believe that we need to create a cost-effective and water-efficient system to protect us from water pollution. Current technology is advancing, and it seems that the combination of solid carbon and reverse osmosis will be the wave of the future and are currently the best ways we have to obtain clean water. Solid carbon alone can help clear most bacteria, chlorine, and most of the chemical pollutants that infiltrate our water. I personally have a Multi-Pure stainless-steel unit hooked up to our kitchen faucet so that my family can have purified water to use for drinking, cooking, and washing food (including our sprouts). This type of system is the most economical for the quality of water it delivers. Of course, it is more expensive than drinking tap water, so we must decide that it is worth the five to ten dollars a month it costs over time to know that our water is free of bacteria, chlorine, toxic chemicals, and most heavy metals. Solid carbon may actually be the best system for removing chemicals, one of our biggest concerns in drinking water. An added advantage of solid carbon block filters over reverse osmosis and distillation, besides lower cost-per-gallon of water and easier accessibility, is that they leave the natural trace minerals that our bodies can use. However, if nitrate levels are high or if we want fluoride removed, reverse osmosis is necessary. We should remember that solid carbon filters are very different from carbon granule filters (often silver impregnated), which can harbor bacteria and then release them, and chemicals, back into the water in even greater concentrations.

To review, the three common, effective home treatment systems are solid carbon block filters, reverse osmosis, and distillation. Purchasing prebottled water is an