Water is the lifeblood of our planet and, as such, our most valuable resource. However, not all water is the same. Water in its most pure form is devoid of any chemicals, dissolved solids, biological components, or even minerals. After all, water is just the molecule H2O.
However, no matter how isolated it is from sources of contamination, water can’t exist naturally as H2O alone. The reason for this is that water is a universal solvent, and it easily dissolves a variety of materials. Some of these materials, such as naturally occurring minerals, are good additions, while others shouldn’t be consumed.
What Are Impurities in Water?
When we talk about impurities found in water, we're typically referring to the negative components dissolved in water. These impurities in water are what we seek to exclude from drinking water. The types of impurities in water can include dust, dirt, harmful chemicals, biological contaminants, radiological contaminants, and total suspended solids (TSS). Total suspended solids are visible particles that can make water appear cloudy or hazy.
What Causes Water Impurity?
Unwanted impurities in water can be caused by a variety of conditions. Water from rainfall, streams, and wells can pick up harmful chemicals in the environment like acid and metallic elements. Biological components in water can include bacteria, algae, organic waste, amino acids, pathogens, viruses, microbes, and parasites. They end up in water because of contact with industrial sewage and wastewater, agricultural waste and runoff, decomposing waste in water bodies, and imbalances in water chemical profiles that promote the proliferation of microbes.
Some methods of removing soluble impurities from water can help. Unfortunately, in many cases the treated water coming from your tap includes added impurities such as chlorine, chloramine, and fluoride.
Is Purer Better?
It’s easy to believe that the more you remove from water, the better it is. The thought of 100% pure water seems ideal at first glance. However, water companies labeling their products as “ultra-pure” water or purer than the rest are generally just selling tap water that's been run through a process to remove chemicals and particles.
And while cleaner water sounds great, during this filtering, elements that are actually good for you are removed. The truth is, water from natural sources has always contained minerals, and filtering it doesn’t mean it’s better.
Necessary Minerals in Water
Water in underground springs and aquifers picks up many beneficial minerals also known as electrolytes. Naturally occurring minerals in spring water such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium are essential for humans. While ultra-purified might seem inviting, you may end up missing out on necessary minerals. In addition, it’s these minerals that give flavor to water. That’s why water from different locations has different tastes.
While it’s important to remove contaminants from drinking water, it’s unnecessary to strip water of all of its minerals and nutrients. Consuming pure H20 deprives your body of necessary minerals. In addition, because water is such an effective solvent, ultra-pure water can actually pull minerals already inside your body’s cells out.
At Eldorado, we’re passionate about water quality, and our natural spring water represents the best of both worlds when it comes to water purity. Our award-winning water doesn’t contain any harmful contaminants but does provide the necessary and naturally occurring minerals your body needs.
This blog was previously published on 1/9/2020
