How to Remove Total Dissolved Solids from your Tapwater (AD)

When I was a child most people did not seem to know or care what went into their bodies when eating or drinking. Preservatives, artificial colours and who knows what else was stuffed into food and drinks to make them prettier and give them a shelf life which was sometimes quite unbelievable. Nowadays I am an avid label reader- I even check what's in the cat food!

Although many people would not dream of eating dubious ingredients how many people give thought to what's in the water running from our taps? Frankly I try not to think too hard about how old our pipes are and all I know about the water is that it is full of limescale and so hard that line dried towels feel like cardboard.

Did you know you can get a water filter which comes with a clever gadget to prove it is removing all sorts of things- called TDS, total dissolved solids- from the water? Here are some interesting facts from Zerowater (AD) which produces water filters in a range of sizes to suit all households. 

TDS, The Science Definition:

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) are a measurement of compounds like minerals, salts, and organic compounds that are dissolved into the water through contact with rock and other surfaces. TDS can be made up of several different types of compounds (including but not limited to): calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium chloride and sulphides (which are compounds frequently found in groundwater supplies). Increased levels of TDS (total dissolved solids) may affect the taste and appearance of your water.

Why Should You Measure TDS?

Measuring water TDS levels is the best way to understand the quality of your drinking water. Total Dissolved Solids are organic and non-organic sediments found in water, which contribute to a difference in the taste, odour, and appearance of water. Dissolved solids enter your water supply from a wide range of sources — old piping, run-off from road salts, pesticides, fertilizers, and more. Watch the video to find out more.

What is the TDS Water Test?

TDS is tested in water through special meters that detect particles. A ZeroWater® TDS meter will show the number of solid particles per one million water particles (ppm). For example, a value of 60 ppm means that from one million particles there are 60 dissolved ions, and the rest (999,940) are water molecules. 5-Stage water filters by ZeroWater® remove 99.6% of total dissolved solids in your drinking water. See what Zerowater removes here.

We decided to test our water and see how much difference the Zerowater filter made.

My willing assistant selected two identical clean glasses and filled one with tap water from our kitchen tap. The second glass was filled with water from our Zerowater filter (GIFTED).

Our first reading of basic tap water came in at a shocking 237 which is categorised as having a high contaminant rate. (We are in Hertfordshire in the UK)

The TDS reading from the Zerowater filter was, as promised, 000 which apparently meets the FDA definition of purified bottled water.

Not only will using the filter help us avoid ingesting contaminants but the filtered water will also help protect household appliances like kettles and coffee makers which can be damaged by limescale. In turn that should make your morning cuppa taste better too!

Upgrade to Zerowater.co.uk today. Prices start from just £24.99