In addition to chemicals, which are added in order to treat it, municipal water contains many naturally occurring substances, a multitude of micro-organisms, and a host of other pollutants that are washed into the water supply from the surrounding land. Many of the naturally occurring minerals in water can be beneficial to health. Some of the other substances can be extremely harmful, especially if imbibed over a long period.

The best way to maintain the beneficial minerals while removing the harmful pollutants is to use a Doulton® or British Berkefeld® ceramic drinking water filter.

BOTTLED WATER

Bottled water, assuming that it is not purified mains water, has the advantage of coming from a single source and so maintenance of quality should be much easier than for mains water.

However:

	It is extremely expensive, mainly due to the packaging and transport involved.
	It has variable quality, depending on the source, and the company producing it.
	In some cases, the controls on bottled water are not as stringent as the ones on municipal water.
	Once unsealed, a bottle of water can become a breeding ground for bacteria and algae. This is a common problem with bottle water coolers, especially when they are in direct sunlight.
	By definition, bottled water is not on tap!

There is no need to spend huge amounts of money on bottled water when you can filter your mains water cheaply with a Doulton® or British Berkefeld® ceramic drinking water filter. They not only remove harmful contaminants, but can also greatly improve the taste. FICL Ceramic filters are frequently incorporated into mains connected water coolers for this very reason.

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PRIVATE WATER SUPPLIES

Private water supplies taken from wells, streams, rainwater collection tanks, and other sources do not have the benefit of any treatment by water companies. As a result, they tend to be:

	Unchlorinated, which often leads to bacteriological contamination.
	Full of unwanted particles. These can be anything from mud and silt, to rust from old pipework. Not the kind of thing that you want to be swallowing.
	Prone to Cryptosporidium and Giardia contamination from animal faeces, which leach into water supplies from the surrounding land.

Using Doulton® or British Berkefeld® drinking water filters is a cost effective and simple way of tackling all of these issues. They also do not require any power, often a scarce or expensive commodity where private water supplies are used.