Let me start out with a personal story
It took a serious illness in the family for us to switch from bottled water (our water for decades) to tap water in 2013. The thought was horrifying at first. I always had visions of Metro Manila’s water being ‘dirty’ and ‘unsafe for drinking’. But our holistic doctor insisted that tap water was best. He told us that distilled water removed all the minerals, something our bodies need. Bottled mineral water, even if thought safe to drink, came with the risks of bacteria from insufficiently cleaned water containers, long exposure to air especially for 5-gallon containers (a breeding ground for bacteria), and oftentimes, the mineral content was incomplete. Tap water, on the other hand, contained all the minerals needed by the body, like calcium and magnesium, and the chlorine effectively killed bacteria until the water is exposed to air.
I did do my own verification to confirm what our holistic doctor was telling us. I tweeted Dr. Eric Tayag of the Department of Health to ask about an article I read where it said Metro Manila’s water was potable. Here is my tweet as well as his response.
We’ve been drinking tap water since 2013 and we have had no incidence of amoebiasis. Still, we take some precautions. For one, the chlorine in the water (used to kill bacteria) has to be evaporated before we consume the water since chlorine is not good for the body. So, we would fill a couple of water pitchers with water and leave the cover open for about half an hour to let the chlorine evaporate. It’s not always convenient when you want to drink water NOW.
The IVO Water Purifier
Now, I have something that will let me safely drink tap water directly from the faucet without having to evaporate the chlorine. Available now in the Philippines is the IVO water purifier from the makers of Torayvino, the number one brand in Japan for faucet-mounted water purifiers. Two things immediately got my nod. One, it’s faucet-mounted (meaning, it won’t occupy too much space!). Two, it retains all the minerals in the water.
Here are some of my unboxing photos as well as information on the IVO water purifier.
The IVO water purifier, with complete attachments and accessories, comes in a small, light box. This is so different from many types of water purifiers in the market that are bulky and occupy so much counter space. A couple of years back, a relative gave us a water purifying system. It had 4 large cylindrical chambers and needed to be positioned near our sink (which isn’t spacious at all). We tried using that system but eventually gave up. The settings were too complicated and it just took up so much space.
The IVO and its different faucet attachments fit any faucet type. If I want to, it is actually so easy to install several units in the house besides the kitchen. Installing one in the bathroom upstairs would actually mean that we can drink straight from the tap in the comfort of our bedroom without having to bring up water pitchers like I do now.
The filter cartridge has a 4-stage filtration process that is meant to remove all unnecessary constituents so all we get is pure mineral water. One, a pre-screen removes rust, sediments, and other particles. Two, a second screen further removes smaller particles. Three, a granular activated carbon absorbs residual chlorine and unpleasant odors. Four, a hollow fiber membrane with 0.1 micron filtration, similar to dialyzers that purify blood, removes particles and microorganisms while retaining the minerals. All in all, the 4 stages eliminate 99.99% of harmful bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and amoeba that could cause water-borne diseases. Areas with hard water will probably require a change of filter sooner than areas with soft water, simply because there are so much more minerals in hard water.
The IVO has a lever with 3 settings: filtered water for drinking, unfiltered spray for 30% less water consumption, and unfiltered straight. I need the unfiltered spray feature because our water pressure at home is quite strong and when we open the faucet, I feel like we tend to use up more water washing dishes with a straight flow than if we used a spray that covers a wider area.
I’m still deciding where to install my IVO water purifier. The kitchen is a definite one but now, my girl tells me she would like it installed in their bathroom upstairs so she can get her drinking water straight from the faucet there. Decisions, decisions, decisions!
The IVO water purifier can be bought through O Shopping for PhP 1,980. The replacement filter cartridge is PhP 1,380 and is available from True Value and All Home.
Watch the video below for an actual demo of how the IVO water purifier filters out even black water.