10 Types of Water & More..

10 Types of Water and More Diluted Truths

Water you talkin’ about?

Water is of course one of the most basic of life substances on planet Earth. It is the tell tale "sign of life" that astronomers seek evidence of beyond our blue planet. While the significance of water is common knowledge you may be surprised to learn that many people don’t know what 'distilled water' is, or the difference between hard and soft water even. Don't you think we should all know the elementary basics about water? Not just for our own survival but also to debunk or sink all of the diluted truths that are not so crystal clear or don't hold water.

10 Types of Water

1.De-ionized

De-ionized water is not exactly ion free, as one may assume. The process of de-ionizing by physicists is called "ion exchanging", whereby the water is passed through a specific resin to eliminate “most anions and cations”. Those are then replaced by combinations of Hydrogen and Oxygen that reform to make water. Also commonly referred to as purified water, typical mineral ions that can be found in most tap water (from sodium and calcium) are removed but the water is not ion free or other “junk” free, and may contain trace amounts of even the resin used in the process.

De-ionized Water Drinkable? No

2. Distilled

So many people do not know exactly what distilled water is. Quite simply- it is water in its purest form.  To obtain this perfection, water is boiled, the steam from that process is contained and all of the impurities all left behind in the boiling pot. The steam is condensed back into water, which is subsequently free of all minerals and any other trace elements. Using distilled water only on a car battery is advised due to the residue and corrosion effects from any other type of water . The purported health benefits of consuming distilled water are mixed. Considering that minerals are good for us humans, in the case of ingesting distilled water, there is such thing as too much of a good thing. Most accredited sources conclude that “disease and early death is more likely,” in long term consumption of distilled water, so consume at your own risk.

Distilled Drinkable? Yes-However not advisable over the long term

Image By Tomwsulcer (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons.

3. Hard vs. Soft

We often hear about having either hard or soft water in our homes as it relates to plumbing.  If you don’t know which one you have it is relatively easy to determine by the naked eye. If you have lime scale or residue build up on sinks, dishes or piping, those are all signs that you have hard water. Hard water is high in mineral content, soft is low or "free" of minerals (as in the case of distilled water, which is very soft water).  Hard water can be boiled to remove most of the minerals to make it “softer”, but permanent hard water contains ions that are not affected over time by the high heat and therefore cannot ever be completely removed.

Image By Harless Todd, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

4. Greywater/ Blackwater/Purple Water

Greywater is commonly used in irrigation and is generated by humans. Greywater comes from the soapy water we use in our dishes, washing machines, and showers and is considered high in nutrient value for plants. Blackwater is a term that originated in the 1970’s and is simply any waste-water that contains sewage. Since we now understand that water is a precious resource the two types are kept separate for treatment and use. Purple water is just reclaimed water that can only be used for irrigation purposes.  Concerns over high levels of pathogens in reclaimed water and inadequate testing have led to lawsuits, Erin Brakovich style.

5. Raw

In its naked splendor raw water is full of germs, bacteria, a host of minerals like clay and silt, and even humic acid. Raw water is all untreated, naturally occurring water such as rainwater, groundwater, lakes, rivers and streams. In Hong Kong water conservation efforts have begun by implementing a raw water flushing program in which seawater is used for flushing toilets (this process is also used in Avalon on Catalina Island off the California coast).

Image By Paolo Neo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

6. Rain/Acid Rain

Acid rain is a broad term that refers to the presence of nitric and sulfuric acids in rain water. Acid rain has high levels of hydrogen ions and is corrosive if not toxic to plants and animals. Since the 1970’s with the reduction of greenhouse gas emission, specifically reducing the amount of sulfur dioxide we release into the atmosphere has reduced the presence of acid rain by as much as 70% in the US.

7. Filtered/Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis is the process of filtering by passing water through a semi-permeable membrane to eliminate impurities. Commonly used today in waste water treatment, recycling, hydro-electric energy and even the controversial process of de-salination of ocean water.

There are more than 13,000 desalination plants in operation throughout the world today, including Australia where 17% of their water supply comes from this process.

8. Saline

If you have ever been in the hospital you have seen and heard of saline, as its most common use is in the medical field. There are several different types of saline with varying levels of salt and water combinations, but unsurprisingly the most commonly used is called "Normal Saline".

Rwenzori Mineral Water. Image By Ingo Wölbern (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

9. Mineral/Holy Water

 The benefits of minerals and mineral water as it relates to consumption we have already discussed briefly, yet it would be sacrilegious not to mention the external benefits of mineral water. The obvious health benefits are mainly derived first from relaxing in warm water, yet there are also cleansing elements for our skin that are unique to mineral pools and baths. In many cultures and religions soaking in mineral pools is a necessary ritual, such as Taoism. Holy water of course is applied externally and it is used for "cleansing, blessing, and of course protecting" yet the only special element of holy water is the sanctification often performed by a priest. If you would like to make your own holy water complete with the consecration, wikiHow has the instructions! 

10. All the rest...

There is really no such thing as true smart water, or water that amps your brain, yet the brand name beverage does add electrolytes to its vapor distilled water,  Basically, if you're dehydrated drinking water will help, that is any water electrolytes or not. And there is medical evidence that supports the claim that drinking water makes you smarter, so there is a drop of truth in advertising for the Coco-cola owned SmartWater. 

Water is a limited natural resource which is why water conservation is an ongoing issue for environmentalists and government agencies. The possibility of running out of water is an issue that continuously gets recycled, but according to many scientists the problem is not quantity of water on the planet it's a matter of the limited supply of money. 

Finally, do we really need to drink 8 full glasses of water everyday? We all guilt ourselves about or into this ritual and believe it wholeheartedly, but is that amount correct? BBC News took several various studies and concluded that this quantity is a marketing gimmick more than solid medical advice, pointing out that our body is pre-wired to save or get rid of (pee) the amount of water we need which varies by person. Our own filtering, mineral laden, digestive systems are actually quite advanced, more so than our intellect at times, which is likely why we get thirsty...

Image By Jon Sullivan [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.