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Archive for June, 2022

What Is TDS In Water?

Posted by Rayne Water

 

*Reviewed by Ken Christopher, Senior Vice President at Rayne Dealership Corporation

It’s your first day in your beautiful new home. You pour yourself a glass of water in your awesome new kitchen. As you take a celebratory sip, you find yourself thinking… “Huh. Does this water taste funny?” If your water tastes differently than it normally does, or if you notice excess mineral build-up in household appliances like the dishwasher, you might have high levels of TDS in your water.

So what is TDS in water? TDS or Total dissolved solids, are dissolved molecules (specifically ions) from inorganic sources such as salts, metals, and minerals. These dissolved ions can be detected in all non-pure water sources and affect your water quality.1 

While all water will have some TDS, too much can lead to difficulties in your home and, potentially, for your health.  

Breaking Down TDS

TDS concentration in water can come from several sources, ranging from healthy to harmful.

Natural sources of TDS in water include:

Human-caused sources of TDS include:

Unlike natural TDS sources like minerals, man-made TDS sources rarely have benefits and can in fact be harmful.2

How Much TDS Is Too Much?

If you have a TDS level higher than 500 ppm, the EPA recommends a follow-up step of having your water tested. In the meantime, do not drink water over 1,000 ppm.1

But first, how do you learn how much TDS is in your water supply?

How to Measure TDS Levels

To measure TDS levels in your water supply, you’ll need a total dissolved solids meter. You can find various versions of this hand-held device available online—prices range from $10 to $100, depending on the make and model.1 

A TDS meter works by measuring the conductivity of your water sample. That is, its ability to conduct electricity1

Essentially, the more TDS concentration in your water, the higher its conductivity. 

That said, a TDS meter can not tell you the source or type of TDS.

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Mineral vs Chemical: Sources of TDS and Their Potential Effects

If the TDS level in your water source is high enough, TDS could have adverse effects on your daily life.

However, to understand how high levels of TDS can impact you, it can help to know:

For example, a TDS that comes from a high mineral content could be perfectly fine to drink. However, it may be an unpleasant mineral build-up in your dishwasher.

Ideally, you want a TDS level that supports all your household water needs without causing problems for you or your appliances.

High Levels of Mineral TDS: Effects

What happens if you detect high TDS water levels? High levels of mineral TDS in your household water supply are typically safe—even healthy—to drink.2 

But they can have negative effects in other areas, including:

Lowering levels of mineral TDS in your water supply can lead to better-tasting water, healthier skin, and longer-lasting, more effective appliances.

High Levels of Chemical TDS: Effects

While it’s possible for a high TDS level to come from a natural source, high levels of TDS often indicate that the TDS comes from a non-mineral, human-caused activity.2 In these cases, the water supply may have been contaminated with harmful pollutants like:5

In a situation like this, experts recommend lowering your TDS with one of the available contaminant-removal systems.5

Lower Your Home’s TDS with a Water Improvement System

Low TDS water levels are recommended for better water quality, and that can be done with a water improvement system. A water improvement system can work as a simple and effective way of lowering your TDS levels. It’s also more eco-friendly than bottled water options that, even when the water starts off healthy, could end up exposing you to plastic contaminants.3

Depending on your needs, each of these three options could serve as a smart solution.

A Countertop Water Distiller

If you primarily require purified drinking water, consider trying a countertop water distiller, which, as the name suggests, removes TDS from water via distillation.1

Here’s how that works:  

  1. Boiling pure water away from TDS – A water boils water until the water evaporates. Most TDS remain behind in the boiling chamber.
  2. Condensing the evaporate into clean water – The evaporated H20 then travels to the carafe where it condenses back into water.
  3. Drink up – The water—boiled until vapor and then condensed into clean, safe liquid—is now ready for drinking.1

While a countertop water distiller can prove immensely effective for drinking water, it can’t address other water uses throughout the house, like bathing or water-dependent appliances.

Filtration System

With a household water filtration system, your water passes through a filter. This filter sifts out contaminants from your water supply and keeps them inside the filter where they can’t re-enter your water supply. By the time your water reaches you (or your appliances), it has fewer harmful contaminants.5

Generally speaking, a filtration system will remove contaminants, but not necessarily minerals.5 

This trait could make filtration systems an ideal option for people who want the taste or health benefits of mineral water and find themselves less concerned about its other side effects like less efficient appliances and dry skin.

Reverse Osmosis System

A reverse osmosis system (often called an RO system) differs from a filtration system in a few key ways. 

An RO system uses reverse pressure to force water through a semipermeable membrane.5 Contaminants that can’t pass through this membrane are thus separated from the purified water and carried away via a secondary “reject” stream.5 Additional filters on either side of the membrane can act as a way of supplying additional protection against TDS. 

Because an RO system typically lowers mineral and chemical TDS levels,5 it can prove an ideal option for people wishing to avoid various side effects of mineral water. An RO system can help achieve more efficient appliances, improve water taste, and support healthier skin and hair.4

It can help purify water incredibly effectively such as reverse osmosis lead filtering. In fact, many water purification plants and waste treatment centers use this process.1

RO systems designed for residential use can differ in size and other important details. 

For example, each of the available reverse osmosis systems:

Additionally, Rayne Water offers RO systems small enough to fit under your sink.

When shopping for an RO system, comparing details like these across brands and models will help you prioritize the factors that matter most to you.

Remove TDS and Other Impurities with Rayne Water

Since 1928, Rayne Water has been on the front lines of developing a diverse range of high-quality solutions to improve your water supply. The oldest continually operating water conditioning company, we serve homes, businesses, and commercial industries.

We know how deeply important water purity is, from your home to your business. That’s why we continually innovate. In 2017 we produced the most efficient RO system on the market, saving customers both water and money, all while eliminating over 95% of water contaminants.

Whether you casually wonder, “What is TDS water?” or are already knee-deep in comparing RO systems, we have your answers. When it comes to improving your home—and life—Rayne Water has you covered, from your dishwasher, to your shower water, to every glass of ice-cold water.

Expert Reviewer – Ken Christopher

Sources: 

  1. Water and Waste Digest. What is Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)?. https://www.wwdmag.com/what-articles/what-total-dissolved-solids-tds 
  2. PLOS One. Research on drinking water purification technologies for household use by reducing total dissolved solids (TDS). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8478203/#:~:text=The%20concentration%20of%20total%20dissolved,sodium%20%5B1%E2%80%933%5D. 
  3. The Beet. Which Water is Best for You? Mineral, Alkaline, or Filtered. https://thebeet.com/which-water-is-best-for-you/ 
  4. Rayne Water. Difference Between a Water Conditioner vs Water Softener. https://www.raynewater.com/blog/difference-between-a-water-conditioner-vs-water-softener/ 
  5. NSF. Learn How Reverse Osmosis Works Straight From the Experts. https://www.nsf.org/blog/consumer/reverse-osmosis 

What Chemicals Are In Plastic Water Bottles?

Posted by Rayne Water

 

*Reviewed by Ken Christopher, Senior Vice President at Rayne Dealership Corporation

If you find yourself confused about what chemicals are in plastic water bottles, and whether those chemicals could harm your health, you’re not alone.

The most prominent chemicals found in plastic water bottles are, well, plastic. Plastic’s chemical properties can lead to plastic-related toxins being released in the body. These plastics include polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, and bisphenol A (BPA).

With a little guidance, you can confidently make decisions that support your health, your lifestyle, and even the environment.

Plastic in the Bottle, Plastic in the Water

When it comes to finding out what chemicals are in a plastic bottle—along with the safety of those chemicals—it’s helpful to provide context.

One study found that 93% of bottled water brands sampled contained traces of microplastics, including companies like Aquafina, Evian, and Nestle Pure Life. In comparison, tap water contained about 50% fewer microplastics than bottled water.1

That study suggests drinking water from any single-use plastic bottle could carry a high risk of consuming water tainted by microplastics. 

The question then becomes, could microplastics hurt you? 

The answer to that tends to depend on the specific plastic. Different types of plastic have different levels of known risks and health effects. 

Types of Plastics Found in Water Bottles

Most plastics used in water bottles fall into one of three categories. Typically, a number on the packaging printed inside a triangle—1, 2, or 7—will indicate what category of plastic a bottle falls into:2

Plastics Common in Single-Use Water Bottles

PET makes up most single-use plastic water bottles sold in the U.S.1  

When we say single-use, we mean it. Experts warn that repeatedly using water bottles made from PET can wear down the material, which could allow harmful bacteria to build up in the cracks.3 Washing PET bottles can also cause problems since exposure to hot water can cause plastic chemicals to leach into your water.4

Since they’re are to be used once, disposable water bottles usually get tossed back into the environment. In addition to the health questions raised, single-use plastic water bottles can also have a negative effect on the environment. With a few exceptions like incineration, practically all of the plastic created still exists in some form or other on the planet.4 While recycling can mitigate some of the environmental damage done by single-use plastic bottles, choosing a non-plastic water bottle option can bypass the issue entirely.

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Plastics Common in Multi-Use Water Bottles

Unlike single-use water bottles made of PET, many reusable plastic water bottles tend to be made from plastic polymers such as polypropylene and copolyester, making them both sturdy and lightweight.3 

While these bottles rarely contain BPA anymore, there’s still a lot the scientific community doesn’t know about the potential health risks of these plastics.3

Because we still don’t know the long-term health of these plastics, experts recommend avoiding the dishwasher and washing your water bottle by hand. The heat and abrasion of a typical dishwasher could enhance chemical leaching that would affect any liquids you put in your bottle.3

Lack of Transparency in Industry

When it comes to determining the precise chemicals in a water bottle, lack of transparency remains the biggest hurdle.

In fact, no law or regulation requires corporations selling bottled water to test their water for plastic chemical substances, or even to tell customers where their water comes from.1

American tap water providers, on the other hand, must:1

While it’s theoretically possible for a bottle of water to be pure, with the current level of regulation, it’s too hard to know for sure. There’s still research to be done on the health effects and safety of plastic products, especially disposable water bottles. However, With tap water, you can access regulated, quality reports about your water. If necessary, you can also take follow-up steps to improve your water like adding a ro water filter system.

Health Risks of Water Bottle Plastics

Now that you know some of the more common plastics found in water bottles, let’s address some of the health risks associated with each type of plastic, and with plastic bottles in general. 

To avoid the risks associated with chemical leaching, as well as the bacterial growth associated with worn and poorly washed plastic, consider trying a water bottle made from alternative materials.

Alternatives to Plastic Water Bottles

Glass water bottles, metal water bottles, and paper cups could all serve as a healthier alternative to drinking out of water bottles made of plastic. These alternatives can prove more environmentally friendly as well. 

Americans buy roughly 50 billion water bottles a year. By choosing an alternative to the single-use plastic water bottle, you could save about 156 plastic bottles every year.24

Use a Reverse Osmosis System to Purify Your Water

After learning more about the chemicals in plastic water bottles, you may vow to switch to a glass or metal water bottle that you refill from your own tap water. 

That’s an important first step, but you could still inadvertently expose yourself to microplastics if you don’t use a water purifying system. Plastics abandoned in landfills can break down into tiny toxic particles that mix into our soil and waterways, potentially exposing you to harmful plastic particles. 4 

To safeguard against stray plastic particles in your water supply, consider installing a reverse osmosis system to purify your water.

An RO system works by pushing unpurified water through a semipermeable membrane. The membrane removes impurities and contaminants like plastic chemicals, along with other unwanted dissolved solids. An RO system can also remove bacteria like Salmonella and E. Coli, as well as viruses like Hepatitis, Enteric, and Norovirus. 

This leaves your water healthy, clean, and delicious.

Trust Rayne Water to Deliver Safe, Clean Drinking Water

In 2017, Rayne Water created the most efficient RO system on the market. Our system eliminates over 95 % of contaminants while saving you water and money.

As the oldest continually operating water conditioning company in the U.S., we’re committed to helping each new generation navigate the challenge of water contamination, including the risk of plastic contamination. We have locations in Arizona, California, and Nevada. So if you need a water softener in Sacramento or a reverse osmosis system in Phoenix… we’ve got you covered!

That’s why we offer a range of products designed to improve and protect your water supply. So you can safely—and confidently—enjoy the world’s oldest beverage.

Expert Reviewer – Ken Christopher

Sources: 

  1. Clean Water Action. Bottled Water: The Human Health Consequences of Drinking from Plastic. https://www.cleanwateraction.org/2020/07/29/bottled-water-human-health-consequences-drinking-plastic 
  2. WebMD. Is it Safe to Reuse Plastic Water Bottles?. https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/is-it-safe-to-reuse-plastic-water-bottles 
  3. Washington Post. Plastic, metal or glass: What’s the best material for a reusable water bottle?. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/plastic-metal-or-glass-whats-the-best-material-for-a-reusable-water-bottle/2019/09/25/5edcbe6c-d957-11e9-bfb1-849887369476_story.html 
  4. Earthday.org. End Plastic Pollution – Fact Sheet: Single-Use Plastics. https://www.earthday.org/fact-sheet-single-use-plastics/