Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Mineral or purified? Various types of drinking water distinguished
A PLAYER in the water filtration system industry has touted the benefits of mineral water, distinguishing it from other types of drinking water.
John Alexander Uy, water refilling station administrator for TGIF Water Ventures Inc., said the company’s systems produce mineral water, “not purified water or distilled water.”
“We retain the essential minerals, but eliminate the contaminants like chemicals, microorganisms and sediments,” he told Sun.Star in an interview.
TGIF is the distributor for the Visayas and Mindanao area and service center for Multi-Pure Philippines Corp., which distributes the products of Multi-Pure Corp. USA.
Uy distinguished mineral water from distilled water, which contains no minerals. He said distilled water, “the highest form of purified water,” is recommended only for those who are ill, but not for regular use by those who are not.
He furnished Sun.Star with documents citing health experts’ comments that distilled water is “harmful” to the body or could cause the development of “mineral deficiencies and an acid state.”
On the other hand, Uy said “purified water,” the most common type available in the local market today, produced through a process of reverse osmosis, “wastes a lot of water” when it uses high pressure pumps to push large amounts of water through a semi-permeable membrane.
This is why some purified water stations are located next to a laundry shop, which is typically set up to use the wasted water, he said.
Acidic
According to Uy, both distilled and purified water are acidic in nature, which means if they are regularly taken, they will also make the body acidic, making it vulnerable to bacteria and diseases.
Mineral water, on the other hand, is “alkaline water” and contains minerals like calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, which are “needed by the body for different functions.”
Uy said Multi-Pure, in the USA since 1970, uses solid carbon block micro filtration. It has been certified by the National Sanitary Foundation Inc., a nongovernment organization in the US composed of toxicologists, chemists and doctors who, as of April 1, rated Multi-Pure “among the top two highest-rated filters in the world.”
Debate
On the debate on health risks, other industry players have their own thoughts on the matter, however.
Dickson Peter Ybañez, proprietor of Ybañez International Ltd. (YIL), recommended drinking water with the least amount of minerals, saying taking in water with minerals was harmful to the organs, like the kidneys, in the long run.
YIL, an Australian-owned company, produces technology that processes saltwater, brackish water and water from the well “into pure water.”
Ybañez, who is coming up with his own brand of bottled water products within the year, claims his machines are certified by World Health Organization and United Nations standards for producing water that is safe for drinking.
As for Multi-Pure, Uy said 95 percent of mineral water refilling stations in Cebu now use the Multi-Pure system.
TGIF chief operating officer Guillermo “Jing” Arriola said TGIF had sold its system to six refilling stations since it started in Cebu in 2000. It has also supplied 250 units for residences.
The Multi-Pure System is now being used by Malacañang Palace, Cebu Pacific, Insular Life Corp., Chowking, Cravings Restaurant, over 10,000 households, 1,000 corporate accounts and over 200 mineral water refilling stations in the country, Uy said. (CTL)
(October 12, 2004 issue)
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