Disease producing microorganisms are a serious problem in the nation's water supply. They are a problem not only for well owners, but also for those who rely on city water. There are at least two significant reasons why this is true:

• Most municipal or community systems rely on chlorination to disinfect water supplies. There are certain dangerous organisms that are not killed by chlorination. Recently, in Milwaukee Wisconsin, over 250,000 people became ill and dozens died from an epidemic caused by dangerous Cryptosporidium cysts found in the city's water supply.

• Treatment systems depend upon machinery and even the best machinery can break or become overwhelmed. When this happens (as during floods or times of spring runoff), consumers may become infected with dangerous microorganisms when they drink unsanitized water without knowing it.

Manufactures of inexpensive systems like pour-though pitchers and certain faucet-mounted devices aggressively advertise they meet NSF Standard 53 by removing 99.95% of dangerous cyst-producing organisms. As helpful as they are, they don't make water safe! A device that can trap 99.95 of the cysts can let dangerous bacteria pass through like a bowling ball through a barn door.

Bacteria can occur in unsanitized water at levels from 100,000 to 1,000,000 organisms per milliliter. Since there are approximately 250 milliliters in an 8-ounce glass of water, that glass can contain from 25 to 250 million bacteria of various types. The smallest of these can be as little as .3 micron. A micron is one-millionth of a meter. The average human hair is about 100 microns in diameter.

Until recently, the only technologies other than chlorination that could claim they effectively control bacteria were reverse-osmosis, ozone, and ultraviolet light. But each of these has serious limitations.

The problem with reverse-osmosis is that as the membrane ages, "break-through" can occur and dangerous bacteria can find their way into the treated water without warning. Ozone and ultraviolet (UV) light require electricity to operate. When power goes out so does your ability to have safe water. A further problem with UV is that if the water is not crystal clear, or the frequency of the bulb or power supply changes slightly, UV systems lose their effectiveness.

When these systems are working, the best they can advertise is that they remove 99.9% of bacteria. This may sound efficient, but a system rated at 99.9% (log 3 removal) would leave in the above mentioned glass between 25,000 to 250,000 organisms - easily more than enough to be an infectious dose depending on the microorganism.

In contrast, Living Waters Systems™ employ two technologies proven to control bacteria without electricity. All 4 and 5 stage Living Waters Systems™ use KDF®55. Its redox potential destroys bacteria's cell membranes and disrupts their metabolism. For those who find the idea of back-up appealing, all 4 and 5-stage Living Waters Systems™ also employ a recently developed capillary membrane, ultra-filtration technology known as Ster-O-Tap®. This patented new technology focuses on the absolute physical removal of very small particles and microorganisms, achieving more than 99.9999999% (log 9 removal) of the smallest bacteria known. That means that in the aforementioned glass, no microorganism would be left that could cause a disease! Best of all, no power is required; no break-through is possible and they both work on cloudy or turbid water! Not even the best ceramic, reverse-osmosis, or carbon-block technologies can meet that standard! This remarkable performance has been confirmed over and over by independent laboratories.

The Ster-O-Tap Membrane Miracle

A capillary bundle of ultra-filtration membranes, closed on one side and open on the other, are embedded in a cartridge made of ultra-pure CBR media. In-line pressure forces water through the carbon-block wall to the inner bore of the capillary bundle and then leaves the cartridge as filtered sterile water. By using a special polymer blend, Ster-O-Tap® has been able to achieve a combination of membrane properties that, until now, has never been achieved:

BENEFITS OF STER-O-TAP®

• Unlike RO, Ster-O-Tap® does not waste 3 - 7 gallons of water for every gallon it produces.

• UnlikeRO, Ster-O-Tap® dispenses a continuous, ample supply of water. You can't run out so you can use purified water to wash vegetables, boil pasta, make beverages, and pour glasses of water.

• Unlike RO, Ster-O-Tap® does not require a storage vessel. Apartment dwellers can invest in a portable system that is simple to transport and home owners can have more space under their sink.

• Most importantly, unlike RO, the Ster-O-Tap® membrane cannot "break-through" rendering product water unsafe without warning.

This capillary unit is sealed in the center of a premium carbon-block cartridge. Its ultra-filtration capacity guarantes removal of 99.9999999% of bacteria, molds and spores, and 99.999% of viruses; thus rendering water safer from microorganisms than is possible with any other method, except boiling.