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How Can Fluoride Be Removed from Drinking Water?

Fluoridation in city treated water is a hotly debated topic around the country. Many argue that it is a poison and others argue that it is good for your teeth. There are many municipalities that treat city water with a level of fluoride that are said to be at safe levels and many consumers arguing that it is a contaminant and wanting it removed from their water. The debates go on and if one searches the internet for information, there are many websites out there that will be for or against the fluoridation of water. The real question is whether the consumer wants fluoride in their drinking water or not.

What is Fluoride?

Fluoride levels in city treated water are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency to protect the public dental health. According to the website water.epa.gov, “Fluoride compounds are salts that form when the element, fluorine, combines with minerals in soil or rocks.” They go on to say “The MCLG for fluoride is 4.0 mg/L or 4.0 ppm.” The safest level in “parts per million”. They derive these numbers from the best available science to prevent dental problems.

But I going back to what if you don’t want fluoride in your water?

Fluorides can be removed from water 3 different ways.

Reverse Osmosis System

The best approach is to use a reverse osmosis system. Tap water is filtered through a series of filters by incorporating a sediment filter, then through a carbon filter and lastly forced through a membrane that removes everything from the water. The new filtered water is stored in a storage tank that can be utilized by its own separate plastic lined faucet that is added to the counter. When you wish to drink, you would pour a glass of the filtered water by opening up the separate faucet provided with the reverse osmosis system.

Distillation

Another process is through distillation. Distillation is a process to where water is heated and converted to steam. As the steam rises it forms condensation and is then converted back into water that will drip back into a liquid form into a catch basin or container of some sort.

Activated Illumina

Lastly, you can use a filter that contains a filter media called Activated Illumina. Activated Alumina is in a powdered form and is used in water filtration for the removal/reduction of fluorides. Depending on the levels of fluorides in the water, its filter media life expectancy is usually six months or less.

Removing fluoride from drinking water is a purely subjective choice. Some municipalities are now reducing or eliminating the amount of fluoride in the treated water. But it just boils down to choice.

Okey Water offers a line of reverse osmosis filters and even offers activated alumina filters upon request. If you are concerned about fluoride in your water, it is recommended that you research all sides of the issue and weigh the pros and cons of each argument. If it is a concern please contact us and we will help you with a solution to your problem.