Tapped out

Drinking filtered water gives you confidence that most of the nasties in tap water have been removed. It generally tastes better than your average tap water, too. And if you have a filtration system installed at home, at the gym or at home, you’re automatically reducing the amount of single-use plastic bottles you use.

Not all filtration systems are the same, though. From the basic jug-style gravity water filter to full-on reverse osmosis systems, they vary wildly in not just effectiveness but also costs, waste produced and environmental impact. Reverse osmosis, for example, requires a lot of electricity and wastes up to 40% of the water used.

At Capital Orthopaedics, our filtered water is supplied by Pure Ionic Water. The ultra-filtration system eliminates 98% of the harmful chemicals and bacteria from tap water, and the water is enriched with minerals which help to maintain hydration balance. The system requires no electricity and is waste- and chemical-free. It also happens to taste really, really good.

And that’s not the only reason we are partnered with Pure Ionic Water. They are part of the WET Global business and Water Smart Foundation charity, which are working to clean up polluted water, removing harmful pesticides, hormones and microplastics from water systems around the world.

Mineral boost

Pure Ionic Water contains added electrolytes – minerals such as sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium, which are essential for:

• Controlling your fluid balance
• Regulating your blood pressure
• Helping your muscles contract — including your heart
• Maintaining the correct acidity of your blood (pH)

It also contains antioxidants, which can help your body to repair, grow and improve your body’s natural functions.

Plus, of course, if you drink mineral water rather than sugary sports drinks, you are improving performance without adding nasty chemicals and high GI carbs to your diet.

Elite sports

We’re in pretty good company in using Pure Ionic Water, as it happens – they supply drinking water to an array of top sports teams from Olympians to premier football teams (Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle United), Team GB Snowsports, RFU and many more, not to mention gyms and sports facilities up and down the country.

Alkaline water

Naturally occurring water in our environment is usually more alkaline than tap water, and Pure Ionic water mimics that natural alkalinity. The difference is Pure Ionic Water is a stable alkaline, meaning it stays between 8.5 and 9.5 for longer and doesn’t immediately degrade towards 7.5 like ionised or other water that’s not stable. This is very important for anyone taking water out of home in bottles, as the water you want is still as fresh as when it was poured and crucially, it’s still alkaline. Although it’s early days in this field of research, some tests have indicated that drinking more alkaline water could have health benefits, improve exercise capacity and aid with recovery after strenuous exercise.

One study has even shown that regular consumption of alkaline water has led to increased metabolism in rats, and other research suggests that alkaline water may help with the symptoms of acid reflux and even improve sleep.

Moving the needle on water consumption

Pure Ionic Water has been making changes in other fields, too – the ultra-pure water has a long shelf life, so it’s being used in the beverages industry to reduce the amount of sugar used in soft drinks. And their ultra-low energy water filtration systems are being used to replace the highly chlorinated water that is normally used for livestock.

Growing up

Pure Ionic Water is expanding – and they’re seeking investment to help them move the needle on supplying sustainable, clean and healthy water around the world. To find out more about where they are headed – and support their campaign to improve the global water supply market, check out their crowdfunding page on Crowdcube.