Tap Water Toxins: Discover Your 3 Best Solutions, Straight from the Expert...

A couple of weeks ago, I published a video segment from my Inner Circle expert interview series where Robert Slovak explained the dangers of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in your tap water.

If you missed it, I highly recommend you view it now to get an understanding of just how hazardous these toxins are to your health.

Robert has more than three decades of experience in the water filtration business and is clearly an expert in the field, having pioneered the development of reverse osmosis technology.

When it comes to water filtration, it’s very important to realize two things:

1. At this point in time there’s no certified point-of-entry, whole house water filtration system that removes disinfection byproducts, or arsenic – another danger lurking in your tap water.
2. There are, however, a few point-of-use systems that you can install in your kitchen, which can effectively remove these dangerous toxins. But it’s essential to know which systems can actually do the job, or else you’ll not only waste your money, you’ll still be endangering your, and your family’s, health.

Quick Overview of Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)

If you’ve never heard of DBPs before, you need to pay close attention as DBPs, not chlorine, are responsible for nearly all the toxic effects of chlorinated water. 

Chlorine by itself is relatively harmless, but it reacts with organic matter in the source water, creating toxic chemical byproducts.

Over the years, scientists have realized that DBPs such as trihalomethanes (THAs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) are extremely toxic – over 10,000 times more toxic than chlorine, and out of all the other toxins and contaminations present in your water, such as fluoride, arsenic, and miscellaneous pharmaceutical drugs, DBPs may be the absolute worst of the bunch. 

The Three Kinds of Water Filters That Can Remove DBPs

There are three kinds of point of use water filters that can effectively remove DBPs such as trihalomethanes from your water. Two of the three systems also remove arsenic.  

Activated Carbon Filter System – A high quality, well designed activated carbon filter system is the simplest, most convenient, and most user friendly option.

A good system will likely consist of multiple filter cartridges; one to protect the carbon from larger contaminants in the water, and another containing carbon designed to remove trihalomethanes. Some systems also contain a backup carbon filter to ensure that all contaminants have been filtered out. 

Reverse Osmosis System – The second category, from a user-friendly standpoint, is the home reverse osmosis system (RO).

This system can remove both DBPs and arsenic from your water. In fact, an RO system likely removes the broadest spectrum of contaminants of any home water filtration system, and it’s the system I personally recommend to optimize the safety and purity of your water.

It is typically installed underneath your sink, with a separate tap by your faucet. 

In this system, the DBPs are not removed by the RO membrane itself, but rather it is the carbon filters used in conjunction with the RO membrane that filters them out. 

Some people are concerned about the lack of minerals in RO water but it is my belief that water is not your primary source of minerals. However, it can be a bit acidic. This is typically a result of it absorbing carbon dioxide from the air, which converts to carbonic acid once in the water. 

This can be easily remedied by adding about half a teaspoon of a high quality salt like my favorite, Himalayan Salt  in about one gallon of water. 

Distillation – The third category, which can remove both DBPs and arsenic, is distillation.

However, please be aware that not all distillers can remove DBPs – only fractional distillers can remove these contaminants because here they are eliminated during the vapor phase. DBPs are not removed in the primary distillation process like other contaminants such as lead, for example. 

When selecting a distiller, make sure it is: 

• A fractional distiller
• Certified to remove trihalomethanes and other volatile chemicals 

These three categories are all capable of removing DBPs such as trihalomethanes. The last two, reverse osmosis and distillation, are capable of removing both DBPs and arsenic.  

But, is Distilled Water Really Good For Your Health? 

Many, including myself, question the safety of distilled water, as the process of distillation itself may damage the structure of the water – something that visionary researcher Dr. Masaru Emoto so clearly has shown through his remarkable water photography. 

It also tends to remove essential minerals, which may leach too many minerals from your body as well. While this may be beneficial for a short period during some sort of detoxification regimen, this is usually highly counterproductive in the long run. 

According to Robert Slovak, there is some evidence that heating water will destructure it. However, he points out that fractional distillation does do a great job of removing toxins and contaminations, and it’s relatively easy to travel with a distiller, so at least in some instances distilled water is far better than drinking contaminated water. 

Personally, I am convinced that long-term use of distilled water is harmful to your health, and I would not recommend it.  

However, it can be a convenient solution if you’re traveling to a destination that has less than optimal drinking water. 

Slovak suggests that you may also be able to restore the cluster characteristics of the water by freezing the distilled water. Other theories to restructure the water after distillation include: 

• Exposing it to direct sunlight
• Placing it on top of a powerful magnet with the South Pole facing up
• Surrounding it with magnetite 

These are not mainstream sciences, but there may be at least some validity to these claims.