Question

A salesman claims that your tap water is contaminated. As evidence, he connects a battery to a pair of “special electrodes” and dips the electrodes in a glass of your tap water. Within a few minutes, white and brown “gunk” appears in the water. The salesman sells a special purifying filter that he claims will remove the contaminants and leave the water pure and clear. Are you buying it? Explain.

Answer 1

NO

ALL tap water contains minerals, and applying a voltage to various electrodes WILL cause a precipitate to form, depending on what elements the electrodes are composed of. His filter MAY very well remove these minerals that cause this to happen, but that does NOT mean these minerals are HARMFUL to you! Many minerals in tap water are what you NEED in addition to things like vitamins! Tap water, from your local water company IS safe (at least here in the USA where I live). I have what is called "hard water". My faucets and shower heads grow whitish-gray crystals from the water evaporating and leaving the minerals behind. Once a year, I immerse my aerators and shower heads in CLR (a brand name of mineral removal chemical) which removes the calcium buildup that forms over time. So, you MAY have water with a significant amount of dissolved minerals as I do, but that does NOT mean it is harmful to you, just as my minerals do not harm ME. Contact your local water company. They are required by LAW to tell you WHAT is in the water they provide. DO NOT buy anything without an independent 2nd opinion and testing of your water.