Worldwide population and industrial growth are adding new sources of pollution while simultaneously increasing the demand for clean water. Human and environmental health, drinking and agricultural water supplies for the present and future are at stake.

Every year, 1,500 cubic kilometres of wastewater are produced globally. While waste and wastewater can be reused productively for energy and irrigation, they usually are not.

In developing countries 80 percent of all waste is being discharged untreated. Waste migrates to and contaminates potentially clean water sources. Incredibly, even here in British Columbia, municipalities still dump barely treated waste water and even raw sewage directly into the ocean and our rivers.

While the eyes of the Norwegian media are focused on Vancouver during the Olympics, events are being organized to tell Norwegians about what their companies are doing to our wild salmon runs.

Join the rally during the games to SAVE WILD SALMON

Saturday, February 20 at 1pm
Vanier Park (behind the Planetarium)

More >

Turbidity

Turbidity – cloudy water – is not a contaminant per se; however it can mask the presence of disease-causing micro-organisms. By filtering the water, the presence of these organisms can be controlled thus reducing the amount of chlorine needed to disinfect our tap water.

Turbidity is created when fine particles like sediment or organic matter wind up in the reservoirs through heavy rainfall. Other causes of turbidity can be construction, system operational changes, high water flows due to a fire or flusher truck filling, or high flows due to hot weather.

Turbidity is measured in units called nephelometric turbidity units (NTUs). Daily turbdity readings are posted on Metro Vancouver’s site for all 3 reservoirs supplying Metro Vancouver – Capliano, Seymour and Coquitlam.

Coquitlam Reservoir Treated Separately

Current readings (mid-February 2010) indicate that Capilano is closed (due to excessive turbidity) and that Seymour’s turbidity levels are dramatically reduced (due to the new filtration plant) compared to the Coquitlam reservoir – which is not part of the new Semour/Capilano filtration project. Water from the Coquitlam reservoir will remain unfiltered but is treated with ozone and ultra-violet light before being chlorinated.

Seymour/Capilano Fitration Plant – Phase 2

The launch of the Seymour Filtration Plant represents the debut of the first phase of the larger Seymour/Capilano Filtration Plant which is now scheduled for completion in 2013. The Seymour and Capilano Reservoirs will be joined by 7km twin tunnels that are currently being bored through the North Shore mountains!!

The objective is to filter water from both reservoirs at one plant and shunt the water back to its original mountain reservoir for gravity fed distribution to municipal locations. The yet unfiltered Capilano reservoir is currently not in use due to excessive turbidity.

The new Seymour plant is presently supplying both Seymour and Capilano destinations. This water is currently averaging around pH 7.4.

Boosting Chlorine Levels

Chlorine is introduced into the water as a disinfectant before leaving all three locations – Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam treatment facilities. This is called ‘primary treatment’.

As water flows through the distribution system, the chlorine introduced during the primary treatment stage gradually breaks down. ‘Secondary treatment’ sites introduce more chlorine to prevent bacterial regrowth as water travels to homes, businesses, and industries. Ozone cannot be used as a secondary disinfectant because it breaks down too quickly. UV treatment also is not an option, since it leaves no residual disinfectant in the water.

If you want to maximize the impact of your donation, then today or tomorrow (no later) are the days to act. Your money will build desperately needed wells – immediately – if you donate via The Water Team. This is a Vancouver-based volunteer effort (working with Lifewater) that has already successfully completed 14 desperately needed wells in Haiti since the devastating January 12 earthquake.

The Water Team has already raised and successfully utilized over $43,000 to complete these 14 wells (see photos). However, many more wells are needed – fast!

Survivors are leaving Port-au-Prince and moving north to Cape Haitian at a rate of 5000 refugees/day. Desperate
for clean water, the Haitian people are pleading for more water wells to be drilled as quickly as possible.

Haiti’s need for clean water is critical and HUGE.
Labour is volunteer but funds are needed for equipment.

Your donation, made no later than Friday Feb 12, will be doubled by the Canadian government.

To donate online go to CanadaHelps
1.    Where it says ‘Search for a Charity’,write in ‘Lifewater Canada’. Click ‘Go’.
2.    Then just follow the prompts.
3.    At the end where it says ‘Remarks’ write in “I am a member of The Water Team and I want my donation to go to Haitian relief”.  This is important – the Canadian government requires that donations must be designated for Haiti before it will double them.
4.    Once you have donated, please advice Susan Hoch at The Water Team (see below) of the amount so that the
correct arrangement s are made for the Canadian government to match your donation.

Read more about The Water Team or contact them directly…

Susan and Severin Hoch
Volunteer Directors
The Water Team
604-222-4750
thewaterteam@gmail.com
#250-4438 W 10th Ave
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6R 4R8

One stream is alkaline antioxidant water for drinking. The other stream is acid oxidizing water for external use.

Ionizers accomplish this by a process called electrolysis. All brands of water ionizers employ this same technology and all, to date, are manufactured in Asia where they have been recognized as amedical device since 1985.

Alkaline antioxidant ionized water

Alkaline antioxidant ionized water is a smooth, energizing and great tasting water that possesses alkalizing, micro-clustering and anti-oxidant properties. It has excellent absorption, hydrating and detoxifying abilities. It is alkalizing and recommended for drinking at selected settingsbetween pH 8 and 9.5.

However, the most important characteristic of this water is its antioxidant power – the ability to transform water from an electron-seeking to an electron-donating substance. Unlike regular water, alkaline ionized water is an antioxidant providing an abundance of available electrons capable of neutralizing cell-destroying free radicals.

Acidic oxidizing ionized water

Acidic oxidizing ionized water is an astringent water that is excellent for your skin.
Strong acid water (below pH 2.9) has disinfectant properties that make it useful for sterilizing minor wounds and an excellent chemical-free alternative to conventional household cleaners.

Benefits of Drinking Ionized Water

Water ionizers transform ordinary drinking water into these health-enhancing properties…

• Alkaline Water

The typical western diet (especially eating meat), stress, environmental toxins, drugs,
lack of sleep and exercise acidify the body.
Acid wastes accumulate and overwhelm the blood, organs and tissues resulting in weight gain and toxicity. Studies show that an acidic environment within the body invites disease conditions while an alkaline environment
inhibits them. Ingesting alkalizing foods and alkalized water helps correct acidification. Ionizers produce alkaline water. Adding fresh lemon juice, baking soda or alkalizing mineral drops to your water will also make ordinary water alkaline.

• Micro-Clustered Water

As demonstrated so beautifully by Dr Emoto’s frozen water crystals, water in its original form
is highly organized and hexagonal in structure. De-natured water, that has been piped, pressurized and treated with chemicals, loses its original vitality and this life-enhancing structure. Groups of water molecules bind together in larger clumps making water less able to hydrate and penetrate into living tissues. Ionized water ‘micro-clusters water into smaller molecular groups. This finer water penetrates and hydrates cells more deeply and is more effective at washing away cellular toxins.

• Anti-Oxidant Water

This is a little complicated and the most important benefit of drinking ionized water.
The anti-oxidant power of ionized water is the main reason for spending $2000 on an ionizer. So make sure you buy a machine that has the power to deliver anti-oxidant results given your local water supply. This is explained in more detail under ‘About ORP’.

About ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential)

Ion exchange, the giving and taking of electrons, is an activity underlying all living processes.

Substances lacking electrons are aggressively seeking electrons – this makes them oxidizing agents. Examples of oxidizing activity are cut apples turning brown, iron rusting, the consuming power of fire and the killing power of chlorine and ozone.

Substances with a surplus of electrons are electron-donating – these are ‘reducing’ or anti-oxidizing agents.

ORP (oxidation reduction potential) refers to the degree to which a substance is oxidizing or reducing (anti-oxidizing). This effect is measured in millivolts (mv) with special metres.

Positive ORP readings indicate oxidizing potential.
Negative ORP readings indicate reducing (anti-oxidant) potential.
The further the reading is from zero, the stronger the potential.

Tap water, bottled water and filtered water are oxidizing, with a positive ORP usually between 300mv and 500mv.
The most significant health benefit of water ionizers is their ability to transform incoming water (your water source) into negative ORP water thus making it antioxidant water.

Platinum-Coated Titanium Electrodes

The heart of any water ionizer is its electrolysis chamber consisting of 3 or more electrodes. These electrodes, also called plates, are made of platinum-coated titanium. The more electrodes the ionizer has the more powerfully it can ionize.

Local Water Quality Influences Results
The ionization process is dependent on the mineral content of the incoming water. The greater the mineral content of the water supplied to the ionizer, the stronger its ionization capabilities will be resulting in better negative ORP delivering more antioxidant power for health benefits.

In nature, water acquires mineral content by seeping into the earth where it comes in contact with mineral deposits. This mineral-rich water is called ‘hard’ water and is typical of most water supplies in North America.

Water that has been distilled or treated with reverse osmosis has been stripped of mineral content and cannot be used with water ionizers unless it has been re-mineralized first.

Internet Videos Deceiving

Because ionizer performance is dependent on mineral content of local tap water, results reported on internet videos are often deceptive. They are usually made in locations with ‘hard’, mineral-rich tap water – very different from our water in Metro Vancouver.

Performance Challenges with Metro Vancouver’s Water

Water in Metro Vancouver is ‘soft’ surface water from snow and rain collected in the North Shore mountain reservoirs. It is very low in mineral content. This means that a stronger ionizer is needed in order to get effective ionization.

We recommend using an ionizer with 7 electrodes in Metro Vancouver and even then, mineral supplementation may be helpful. This is a very important consideration when choosing an ionizer. Be sure to choose a machine with sufficient ionizing power to transform your water supply into antioxidant water.

About Filters

Chanson ionizers incorporate an innovative on-board filter that is made of activated carbon wet-molded with fibre. This special formulation has 20 times more volume, 150 times more area and 10 times more speed of absorption than regular activated carbon.  The filter is silver-impregnated to add anti-bacterial properties. Nevertheless, it is important to note that no single filter of the type used onboard ionizers (of any brand) can comprehensively address all water contaminant issues.

The Importance of Pre-filtration

Water ionizers are not water filters. We highly recommend filtering water before it enters the water ionizer. Effective water filtration must be tailored to local water conditions. Although all ionizers have on-board water filters, these cartridges simply do not have the capacity to intercept the broad range of contaminants inherent in most water being supplied to homes today. Each water district or water source has distinct characteristics which may or may not include chlorine, chloramine, fluoride, pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, industrial contaminants, arsenic, etc.

The micro-clustering properties of ionizers make pre-filtration all the more important. Ionized water penetrates deeply into the tissues and should be as contaminant-free as possible.

Locally Appropriate Filtration

We highly recommend pre-filtering water before it enters your ionizer. The cartridge(s) in your pre-filter should be carefully chosen for their ability to give you long-term protection from contaminants specific to your water supply. This important precaution is simple to implement and inexpensive to maintain. Pre-filters can be countertop ($120 and up) or undersink devices ($220 and up) depending upon whether your water hookup and ionizer are above or below your counter.

More Info About Water Ionization

Chanson Ionizers – Our Top Choice

Clinical Studies & Reports

For Skeptics: answers from a scientist

History of Water Ionizers

About Hydrogen & Water Ionizers

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