Frequently asked questions

Reverse Osmosis is a way of filtering water that removes up to 99.9% of contaminants and minerals. For more information, please click here.

Our great-tasting Alkaline Water has a permanent pH of 9+. For more information, please click here.

Deionization removes the remaining 1-2% of trace minerals left after Reverse Osmosis, leaving nothing but pure chemically pure H2O.

DI exceeds laboratory grade water in purity and is comparable to distilled water.

Use FreshPure® Deionized Water for:

• Cleaning
• Humidifier
• Steam Iron
• Oxygen Tank
• Microelectronics
• During Cleanses & Special Diets*

*Make sure to consult with your doctor or healthcare specialist to choose cleanses or restrictive diets.

For more information click here.

The process of distillation is a thermo-based, energy-intensive process. Water is heated, and the resulting steam is captured and condensed into distilled water. During the distillation process, volatiles contained in the original water may vaporize and pass with steam into the distilled Water. 

Deionized water is chemically pure H2O.

Visit our How to Fill It page to find out!

The pH of FreshPure® Waters Reverse Osmosis and Deionized water is typically neutral, or 7, on the pH scale.

FreshPure® High pH Alkaline water is 9.5 or above, placing it high on the pH scale to balance acidity caused by diet, stress, and environmental pollutants.

The pH of all three types of water varies slightly depending on municipal supply.

FreshPure® Waters begins as EPA-approved municipal water, which we purify on-site at your local natural food store. You’d never know it by what you see on the sales floor, but we have installed a 3 by 8 foot water filtration and purification facility behind the scenes.

Our high quality, commercial level Reverse Osmosis purification system is powerful enough to desalinate seawater. Because this decontamination process is so effective, we use it as the foundation for both Deionized and Alkaline Waters. Click here to learn about our 7 step purification process!

Yes. In addition to meeting or exceeding all city, state and federal testing requirements. We perform comprehensive tests and use third party labs.

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) refers to the total quantity of dissolved chemical solids in water, measured in ppm (parts per million). Dissolved solids include mineral salts, chemicals like chlorine, heavy metals, etc. While municipal water often registers a TDS of 800-1000 ppm, FreshPure® Waters Reverse Osmosis’ TDS typically falls in the range of 5-20ppm. FreshPure® Deionized TDS level is below 5ppm.

Humans evolved consuming surface water from streams, rivers and lakes, which is naturally low in minerals. FreshPure® Waters Reverse Osmosis water contains trace minerals similar to levels in fresh surface water (10-200 ppm). 

Well water, however, has a much higher mineral content than surface water, and the TDS varies widely.  High quantities of minerals are difficult for your body to absorb, and many can become toxic at high levels. Minerals from both well and surface water should not be confused with nutrition from diet and supplements.

Carbon pitcher-style filters reduce a small handful of contaminants. They are chlorine, zinc, copper, cadmium, and mercury. And this is an improvement on typical tap water!

Carbon filters can remove particles that are 50 micrometers down to 0.5 micrometers. This is only one step of the FreshPure® Waters process. Our technology far surpasses this and removes particles down to 1000th of a micrometer, and removes literally hundreds of thousands of contaminants including (but not limited to!) excess minerals, pharmaceutical drugs, heavy metals, chloramines, radiologics, microbiologics, microplastics, and more.

Additionally, when not changed frequently, filters can actually harbor bacteria growth and cause more of a problem than they solve.

FreshPure® Waters removes more contaminants and is more sanitary than outdoor vending machines.

The entire filtration system is contained within outdoor water vending machine units, making them less than half the size of FreshPure® Waters 3 by 8 foot purification plant that resides behind the scenes of all our locations. The level of intricacy and technology is unmatched.

Bacteria easily builds up on machines that are exposed to elements outside. A study by the University of Arizona found that 23% of outside water vending machines tested in the Tucson area showed unacceptable levels of bacterial contamination.

FreshPure® Waters machines are sanitized every 7-10 days by our technicians, ensuring cleanliness and safety. You can even take a look at the maintenance log on each machine.

Please see our Common Contaminants Page for information on Chlorine, Fluoride, Pharmaceutical Drugs, Lead, and many more contaminants that are potentially in municipal water.

Chlorine, which controls microbes, is the most widely used disinfectant for municipal water. It creates water that is safe for public consumption by killing bacteria. Chlorine leaves a strong taste to water and in excess can have negative health effects on the body.

To find out about Common Contaminants, click here.

Odorless, colorless Trihalomethanes (THMs) are a Disinfection Byproduct (DEB) of chlorine. While they are a highly regulated chemical, many municipalities have a hard time meeting strict city standards due to the evasive nature of trihalomethanes. THMs are a known carcinogen.

To find out about Trihalomethanes, see our Common Contaminants page, here.

Chloramines, used to kill bacteria, are formed by adding ammonia to drinking water. Chloramines generally produce less odor and aftertaste than chlorine. FreshPure® Waters removes Chloramines. Click here for more information.

Yes. FreshPure® Waters technology removes contaminants down to 1/10,000th of a micron and uses high-intensity ultraviolet light for sterilization ensuring the removal of bacteria, viruses, and parasites including cryptosporidium.

Click here for more information.

In the 1940’s, fluoride was added to municipal water supply to help protect teeth from cavities. Modern research shows that fluoride protects teeth when applied topically, like in toothpaste or fluoride treatments at the dentist. Drinking fluoridated water washes so quickly past your teeth that it has very little ability to prevent cavities.

Research on fluoride is ongoing. While trace amounts of fluoride have been shown to strengthen bones, excess fluoride actually causes higher risk of fractures.

FreshPure® Waters technology removes fluoride.

A growing number of studies have detected MTBE and perchlorate in underground aquifers throughout the country. In some instances, these contaminated aquifers are sources of drinking water. MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether) is used as a fuel additive in gasoline. Perchlorate is the primary ingredient of solid rocket propellant.

FreshPure® Waters state-of-the-art purification process removes both MTBE and perchlorate.

While most people’s wells are safe, the impact of population growth can negatively affect the quality of well water, and it’s important to have your well tested yearly. Agricultural and livestock activity can contribute toxic organic and inorganic elements. Additionally, the deeper that wells are dug, the higher the mineral content of the water.

High mineral content creates “hard water” which can clog up humidifiers, coffee makers, cause residue build up on tea kettles, etc. The El Dorado neighborhood’s well water in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for example, has extremely hard water. One FreshPure® customer shared with us that he started using RO after the hard water destroyed his third coffee maker in one year.

It’s all about resources. At a time when the plastic crisis is center stage, and conservation more important than ever, there are few culprits more detrimental to overflowing landfills and expanding plastic islands in the ocean (did you know there are 7 now?!) than the single-use water bottle. We are so passionate about protecting the planet that our entire business is built on innovatively conserving resources. City water already flows to the grocery store. By building the most high-tech water purification system we can, and installing it in natural foods grocery stores, we prevent an extraordinary amount of waste every year.

Single Use Bottled Water Materials:

(Note: Plastic is made from petroleum (oil!), which directly impacts global warming.)

• Polyethylene. A commonly used, inexpensive type of plastic that leaches into the water, so it starts to taste and smell “plastic-y” over time. This is especially true if it’s been shipped through hot climates or stored in hot warehouses. Plastic is not only not biodegradable, it disintegrates into our water supply (84% of the world’s water now contains microplastics). It’s harmful to our bodies and the environment.
• BPA free plastic. Plastic without the cancer causing chemical BPA (Bisphenol-a). It’s better for our bodies, but still causes issues for the environment.
• Glass. Some companies use glass for bottled water. Glass is non-toxic, easily recyclable and takes much less energy than creating new glass from raw materials making it a MUCH better alternative to plastic. In a pinch, grab a glass bottle of water. They’re also beautiful and look lovely in your home bulk water set-up.
• Sugar Cane. If you’re in a rush and can’t fill up with bulk water, look for water in containers made from sugar cane. It’s renewable and actually helps absorb carbon dioxide from the air, directly combating the greenhouse effect.

Transport:

Shipping crates of bottled water on trucks, trains, and ships from the bottling source to destinations all over the country (or world, in the case of some companies) is unnecessary and uses wastes a huge amount of gasoline, causing pollution and contributing to global warming.

Storage:

Most bottled water gets stored in a warehouse before shipment to your local grocery store, where it may actually be stored off the sales floor a second time. As many as 60 days can go by before a bottle reaches you. That amount of time can also result in leaching plastic into water.

Whew! That was a long answer. But, we’re passionate about single use plastic for very important reasons. Get on the train with us.

Spring Water – Bottled water derived from an underground spring that flows naturally to the surface of the earth. Spring water must be collected only at the spring, must retain all physical properties present before treatment, and must be of the same composition and quality as the water that flows naturally to the surface of the earth.

Mineral Water – Bottled water containing at least 250 parts per million TDS (total dissolved solids) with near-constant level and relative proportions of minerals and trace elements at the point of emergence from the source. No minerals may be added to this product.

Sparkling Bottled Water – Water that after treatment contains the same amount of carbon dioxide as it had when it emerged from the source.

Artesian Water/Artesian Well Water – Bottled water from a well that taps a confined aquifer (a water-bearing underground layer of rock or sand).

Since FreshPure® Waters uses its resources for state-of-the-art purification equipment and service, rather than on disposable bottles, labeling, shipping, or storage, we are able to work together with our retail partners to offer you an exceptionally low price point for high quality water.

Plus, you can feel good about reducing energy consumption, plastic waste and landfill loads – a super important benefit to our environment!

Yay! You’re on board! Just one more step and you’re ready. Here’s a short list of our favorite bottles:

• Glass
• Stainless Steel
• BPA Free Plastic
• Recycled Plastic

Take a look at our Best Practices Guide!

Take a look at our Best Practices Guide!

In 2017, FreshPure® Waters customers prevented 80 million plastic bottles from entering the waste stream.

Here’s a little context. 80 million plastic bottles are equivalent to:

89.9 747 Airplanes full of plastic bottles that don’t end up in the ocean.

2,916 School Busses of plastic bottles that don’t enter the landfill.

3.2 White Houses of plastic bottles that don’t end up as street litter.

4 Grocery Stores filled to the ceiling filled with bottles that won’t end up disintegrated into our water supply.

Together, we really DO make a difference. Drink up!

Reverse Osmosis is the best choice for most pets. They benefit from ultra-purified water, too!

If you have questions regarding a specific condition and your pet, ask your vet which type of water is best. We have had several customers report vets recommending distilled water for animals with certain conditions, in which case, Deionized is equivalent.

For more on the best water for your pets, click here!