Quote:
Originally Posted by Reaper
Cost and space. That's why people don't all buy water coolers. Plus, water delivery is a major pain in the arse if you live in a condo or apartment. That's why I switched from a water cooler to installing my own water filtration system with a seperate tap.
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Those systems are a waste of money if you live in Calgary (and Area--city water plant feeds Airdrie and some other outlying communities). There is nothing left in the water at your tap to filter. The water plant treats the water to below 0.1 NTU (often half that), and often, the water from the river is below 2 NTU.
I work in the city water plants, and do some of the tests that are relevant for this thread.
Fluoride for instance, is TOPPED up to 0.7 mg/L (natural fluoride in the water is about 0.3-0.4 mg/L) hardly worth it, but until the public votes it out.....
Chlorine leaves the plant at about 1.2-1.0 mg/L, but if you live any distance from the plant, you likey see as little as 0.6 mg/L, as chlorine will escape the water to try to acheive "equilibrium" with the air and "disinfect" the pipes as it travels the network of mains and reserviors, and since it will likely never reach equilibrium, the gas will eventually all escape (hint: don't like chlorine, put jug of water in fridge).
Chlorine is used simply because it kills all the harmfull elements in the water, AND provides a measurable reisdual---alllowing us to ensure the water is safe to drink. The city has studied ways to disinfect the water that will allow us to use less chlorine (UV), and will likely implement during the current upgrades.
Bottled water is often just bottle tap water, altough some have an extra step (ie. softening or reverse osmosis). Bottled water also has less stringent regulations on it, and thus can be less safe.
I really don't care what water you drink, but I thought I might try to give some facts that might ease your minds. Afterall, the city has a monopoly on the running water, and if you'd rather pay $1-2 per litre, than the miniscule charge the city has for water (less than $1/day for most households), go ahead.
Go H2O!!!!!