These documents were compiled by MK Hydrotek, Inc. to shed some light on the issues of water purification
utilizing the advance technology of reverse osmosis. We hope you find
this informative and helpful. For additional details, please call or
visit any one of our showrooms.
How Does Crystal Water Compare with Other Waters?
Water is water, right? While at first glance bottled water seem
pretty much the same, the quality and taste of water varies widely among
different types of water. At Crystal Water, we have built our reputation
on the superior purity of our water. In terms of Total Dissolved Solids
(TDS), a broad measure of purity, Crystal Water is second to none.
DRINKING WATER
Water, which meets the same health and safety standards as tap water,
may come from a spring, a well, or directly from the tap. May or may not
be filtered. Purity and taste vary widely among different brands.
Average TDS = 50 to 500 PPM*
FILTERED WATER
Water from which, but not all, impurities have been removed. Chlorine
and sediment usually removed; most metals and chemicals remain. Not the
same as purified water. Purity comparable to spring water.
Average TDS = 150 to 350 PPM
MINERAL WATER
Water from an underground source with a higher impurity level than
spring water. Known for strong taste and often a metallic aftertaste.
Surprisingly low levels of beneficial minerals. Frequently carbonated.
Average TDS = 250 to 3000 PPM
SPRING WATER
Water from an underground source. Sometime pumped to the surface.
Bacteria usually eliminated by chlorinating, but other contaminants
remain. Purity varies, but is always less than purified water. Taste
varies.
Average TDS = 50 to 450 PPM
PURIFIED WATER
Water from which all types of impurities have been removed or
significantly reduced. Far higher purity than other types of water.
Known for a clean, fresh taste and no aftertaste. Crystal Water is
purified water.
Average TDS = 4 PPM or less
*Parts Per Million
What is the 12 Step Water Purification Process?
This overview provides a more detailed description of
the purification technology utilized at the Crystal Water Store. Our
water purification system is a state-of-the-art, 12-step system that has
been custom designed and engineered to provide you with the purest,
best-tasting water around.
Step 1: Sediment Filter
The complex process of purification begins with a simple, pleated
paper sediment filter. The sediment filter acts as a trap for relatively
large particles which may be present in the water -- things like dirt,
sand, or grit. It is necessary to remove these particles very early in
the process to prevent fouling and clogging of the more sensitive
equipment used at later stages. Our initial sediment filter is rated at
20 microns (a micron is one-millionth of a meter or 1/25000th of an
inch).
Step 2: Ion Exchange
The next step in the purification process is the
removal of various metal ions through a process known as ion exchange.
Sometimes referred to as water "softening", ion exchange
utilizes large tanks that are filled with a special resin that carries a
slight negative charge. The resin serves as a reservoir for a large
number of positively charged potassium ions. As the water passes through
the ion exchange system, metallic ions, which carry a relatively strong
positive charge, displace the weaker charged potassium ions. The
metallic ions are trapped via electromagnetic attraction to the resin
beads. Ion Exchange provides effective removal of the metals responsible
for "hard water" pipe scaling and deposits. Additionally, the
process removes heavy metals, such as lead, iron, mercury, and cadmium,
many of which have been associated with a number of well-publicized
health concerns.
Step 3: Granular Activated Carbon
Once the water passes through the ion exchange system
it moves into an oversized granular activated carbon bed. Carbon
filtration, which utilizes a process known as adsorption, is a
particularly effective technique for chlorine removal. Pesticides,
herbicides, and other organic contaminants (especially volatile
organics) are also removed at this stage. Carbon also does an excellent
job of removing trihalomethanes (THMs) from the water, which is the
result of chlorination of the public water supply. THMs are known
carcinogens. Granular activated carbon filtration is the most common
technology used in home filter systems. Unfortunately, these home
systems are often poorly maintained. Over time, effectiveness declines,
and in some cases the contaminants in the overloaded filter actually
begin to discharge into the water.
Step 4: Five-Micron Carbon Block Filter
The five-micron carbon block filter is designed to
capture extremely small particles present in the water. The five-micron
size designation indicates that the filter will capture particles larger
than five millionths of a meter. The filter itself is composed of an
extruded block of carbon, providing an additional measure of adsorptive
capacity for the removal of chlorine and organic contaminants. The
extruded carbon block filter is manufactured to very tight tolerances,
thereby providing optimal permeability and porosity characteristics for
adsorbing and removing contaminants. Once the water has passed through
the five-micron filter, virtually all of the suspended particles have
been trapped and removed. However, dissolved substances remain in the
water. Dissolved solids cannot be removed via conventional filtration --
another purification technology, such as reverse osmosis technology
employed by the Crystal Water Store in Step 5 & 6 of our process,
must be used to eliminate these types of dissolved impurities.
Step 5 & 6: Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis is the centerpiece of the Crystal
Water Store purification process. Many people have heard about the
process of osmosis. Osmosis is a naturally occurring process whereby
water passes across a semi-membrane due to a pressure differential
between one side of the membrane and the other. As osmosis takes place,
the concentration of dissolved materials on each side of the membrane
moves toward an equilibrium state. That is, the more concentrated
solution will tend to become more diluted, and the more diluted solution
will tend to become more concentrated. Many people are familiar with
osmosis as the process by which living cells receive nutrients and
excrete wastes. In reverse osmosis, the opposite occurs. High pressure
is applied to force water across a membrane while impurities are left
behind. In other words, the high pressure causes the impurities to
become more concentrated on one side of the membrane. Only the pure
water is able to cross the membrane; even the dissolved impurities that
cannot be removed by conventional filtration are captured and eliminated
by the Crystal Water Store’s reverse osmosis purification system. Then
a repressurization pump functions to transfer the reverse osmosis water
through the post-treatment phase until the point of use. The reverse
osmosis system featured at the Crystal Water Store utilizes
state-of-the-art technology for both purified water production and
quality control. Every drop of our purified water must pass through the
reverse osmosis membranes. If even a slight variation in quality occurs,
an alarm is triggered and the entire system shuts down. The result is a
purity level that is far superior to that from any other water -- spring
water, mineral water, and home filtered water - as well as a taste that
is second to none.
Step 7 & 8: Post Granular Activated Carbon &
One-Micron Carbon Block Filter
Once the water undergoes the reverse osmosis
membranes, a second stage of granular activated carbon is used to
improve the odor and taste of the product water. In addition, particles
as small as one millionth of a meter are trapped and removed from the
water. Filters of this extraordinary small pore size are capable of
eliminating even the cryptosporidium cyst, an organism responsible for
numerous waterborne illness breakouts. Actually cryptosporidium is an
oocyst, or egg, that basically does not hatch until if finds a suitable
host -- namely you and your intestines. However, these ooysts are
between 4 and 6 microns in diameter so they cannot make it past our
one-micron carbon block (nor can they pass through the additional steps
in the purification process). Also noteworthy is the fact that one of
the biggest concerns with organisms of this type is that it cannot be
eradicated via conventional chlorination and sand filtration techniques
used by municipal water suppliers.
Step 9: Ultraviolet Disinfection
Since the Crystal Water Store process removes all
chlorine from the water, two forms of chemical-free disinfection
technology are employed to ensure that the purified water remains
absolutely and completely free from microbiological contamination.
Ultraviolet disinfection is the first of these technologies. At this
step of the process, the water passes through a special chamber that
houses a large ultraviolet light source. This ultraviolet light acts as
a powerful sterilizing agent. If any bacteria, viruses, or other
microbiological contaminants are present in the water, the ultraviolet
light at this particular wavelength destroys the genetic material within
these organisms, eliminating the possibility of bacterial or viral
reproduction and proliferation. The organisms quickly die and are
captured and removed during the reverse osmosis purification process.
Step 10: Ozonation
The second phase of chemical-free disinfection is
known as ozonation. Ozonation relies on oxygen to ensure that our
purified water remains entirely free of any possibility of
microbiological contamination. The ozonation process involves taking
basic molecular oxygen O2 and passing this oxygen through a
special chamber in which it is exposed to a high voltage electrical
charge. This type of ozone generation is a higher-energy form known as
ozone (O3). This ozone is then continuously circulated through the
purified water. Ozone is a very powerful disinfectant and is capable of
oxidizing a very broad range of contaminants. In fact, ozone is highly
effective against many types of impurities and organisms, such as
cryptosporidium. Tests have shown that at normal concentration levels (1
part per million or PPM), ozone will destroy 99.99% of cryptosporidium
oocysts given five minutes of contact time. Chlorine, however, does not
affect cryptosporidium oocyst viability at a concentration of 30,000
parts per million for a period of eighteen hours. The standard
concentration of chlorine in tap water is approximately 3 parts per
million -- imagine what 30,000 parts per million would taste like. Ozone
is not a stable state for oxygen, and over the course of a few minutes
to hours it returns to its natural O2 state, causing no taste or odor
problems in the water like chlorine does and can actually enhance the
flavor of the water. This state-of-the-art disinfection system is
simple, yet extremely effective. And best of all, it relies on nothing
more than all-natural oxygen -- absolutely no strange chemicals or
additives.
Step 11: Storage and Recirculation
After the water has passed through the preceding
reverse osmosis steps, it moves into the storage and recirculation
phase. This storage and recirculation system has been designed so that
Crystal Water will retain its exceptionally high purity and will not
come into contact with any materials or substances, which could in
anyway compromise the quality of the water. Crystal Water does not
simply sit in the storage tank. Instead, the water continuously travels
through a recirculation loop. During recirculation, additional ozone is
periodically added to maintain the completely sterile and bacteria-free
condition of the system. The Crystal Water Store features a storage tank
made entirely of FDA approved polyethylene. Many people are unaware that
brass, a key component of many plumbing systems, is a primary source of
lead contamination. By using only stainless steel and polyethylene, this
problem, and the problem of potential interactions with other
substances, is completely avoided.
Step 12: Purified Water Dispensing
When a bottle is filled or refilled at the Crystal
Water Store, the water is drawn directly from the continuous
recirculation loop. Like the water purification system, the water
dispensers utilize stainless steel on all water contact surfaces. As the
water passes through the dispenser into the bottle, enough ozone is
present in the water to effectively resterilize the container. The
quality of our purified water is maintained until the point of use.
Crystal Water Store
