As addressed in the January 2005 Stretch Newsletter, water and its hydration properties are integral in our health and well-being. Therefore, it is very important that we make sure that our source of water is clean and healthy.

Our main source of potable water in Hong Kong comes from the mains supply. This comes mainly from China (the East River) and in small amounts, from local reservoirs. This source water is then treated by various filtration processes and chemicals such as chlorine. However, this treated water has to travel through miles of ageing pipes before reaching our taps. During this journey it picks up a great deal of contamination that is evident in our tap water. Typical contaminants in our tap water are iron, copper, heavy metals (mercury, lead, cyanide and arsenic) and organic matter (bacteria).

Another source of water is bottled water.  Recent research has indicated that the turnover of bottled water has reached US$220 billion a year for the whole world. In Hong Kong, there are over 30 brands of bottled water. These include natural mineral water, mineral water, carbonated water and distilled water. These categories of bottled water differ hugely in their quality. Some bottled waters are just tap water that has been treated by simple filtration techniques! The problem with bottled water is it is expensive and most of us cannot afford it for all our potable needs.

Therefore if tap water can contain harmful contaminants and bottled water is expensive what other ways are there to ensure a clean, healthy and affordable water source? The main alternative is by filtration. By filtering the tap water at the point at which we draw it, ie in our kitchens, bathrooms and offices, we can improve the quality substantially at much lower cost than bottled water.

At the Stretch studio we have recently installed a Life Solutions water dispenser system which uses Reverse Osmosis technology to filter out nearly all contaminants, leaving pure water with its original oxygen content and with the naturally occurring minerals. This water is healthy and tastes good too.

There are many different types of filtration which all filter different sizes of particles our of the source water. The chart below shows you these types and their effectiveness:-

If you need any information about filtration or want to enquire about filtration systems for your home or office, please contact Stretch or Life Solutions at enquiry@lifesolutions.com.hk or 2577 5557.