Pure Water Systems BEV-Series Water Filters / Purification Systems
have been laboratory tested and certified to conform to the
BEV standards for purity and bio-compatibility.

Q: What does BEV stand for?

A: BEV water is water which meets the standards for purity and bio-compatibility as defined by French Professor L. C. Vincent. (In common usage, the letters are sounded out individually as B-E-V, but there are a number of people who use the term as if pronouncing a name, as in "Beverly." The sounded out version is more commonly accepted.)

Professor Vincent developed a device for measuring the key parameters determining bio-compatibility of drinking water in the first half of the last century. He applied for a U.S. patent for his device in 1957, and the patent was granted in 1959. The device, which came to be known as the "Bio Electronic Vincent" is commonly referred to as a "BEV" instrument. More details about the values and Vincent's work are found here.

Q: Do your systems remove minerals?

A: Yes, the PWS™ BEV-Series systems remove minerals. We take great pride in our systems ability to remove ALL dissolved substances from your drinking water. There is no method of purification which can selectively remove harmful minerals like heavy metals while leaving "beneficial" minerals behind. Any system which leaves minerals in the water will miss entire classes of contaminants like heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium) that have been linked to chronic diseases and cancer. The removal of toxins far supercedes any benefit from the small amounts of minerals found in tap water.

It is important to recognize water as an extremely poor source for nutritional minerals. First, there is no way to know the source, quality, or quantity of the minerals present, and second, the minerals in water are not bound to organic molecules. The human body does not readily use inorganic minerals and if it did we could get all the minerals we need from sucking on stones. The most beneficial trace minerals are obtained from organic sources—there are many, many more beneficial minerals in a piece of organic fruit or a serving of organic vegetables than in several gallons of water.

Think of it this way... water (and a number of microbes that exist in healthy topsoil) dissolves minerals, and plants uptake those minerals and bind them in organic molecules. When we eat those plants (or when we eat animals that ate the plants) we obtain bio-available minerals that our bodies can readily utilize. This is why it is valuable to eat organic fruits and vegetables which were grown in healthy soils.

Please read the next 2 questions and answers as they are relevant to this topic...

Q: Will I lose valuable trace minerals by drinking reverse osmosis water?

A: NO! Water is a poor source for obtaining necessary trace minerals. Lets take a moment to review why this is so:

1) Review the question immediately above—inorganic minerals are poorly utilized by the body.

2) The amount and quality of the minerals in tap water varies greatly from location to location.

3) Even in cities where the tap water contains very, very large qualities of dissolved minerals, you would have to consume huge quantities of water to obtain enough minerals to meet any established minimum daily requirements.

— As an example, the city of Lubbock, TX has what is considered very, very hard water with a high amount of dissolved minerals. With an average of 60 milligrams/liter of calcium, one would have to consume over 5 gallons of Lubbock tap water to meet the minimum daily requirement for calcium. Obviously then, the most frequent recommendation of 8 glasses per day (which is a low recommendation in our opinion) has no chance of providing a meaningful contribution to your daily calcium intake.

Q: Will pure BEV water leach minerals from my body?

A: This question reflects one of the common myths that are found in the water industry. It has no basis in fact or physiologic science. Pure water does perform a valuable function by helping the body eliminate wastes and unused minerals that have been excreted from cellular tissues, but it does not "leach" minerals out of the cells. This false claim was probably first made by companies wanting to boost sales of filters incapable of removing dissolved minerals.

One role of the kidneys is to maintain the balance of electrolytes in the blood. If the levels of calcium, magnesium, or potassium, for example, are dropping, the kidneys will reabsorb these from urine, not allowing them to be excreted. If someone were to be difficient in these minerals, a medical expert will look to diet, enzymatic activity, or kidney function.

Comment from the president & founder of Pure Water Systems...

One can find a number in interesting articles on the internet stating consumption of mineral free water (e.g. distilled water, de-ionized water) leads to mineral deficiencies, with one article going on to state “Early Death Comes from Drinking Distilled Water” (Zoltan P. Rona, MD).

This article is found on the web site of Dr. Joseph Mercola. Dr. Mercola's site offers a lot of valuable information, but also contains a great many inaccuracies and sensational comments. (Tufts University reviewed Dr. Mercola's site with respect to his newsletter, and scored it with a 15 out of 25 possible points. This amounts to a “Not Recommended” overall rating due to “Unacceptable Accuracy.”)

There are a number of other web sites that have re-published Dr. Rona's article, and the great majority use this article to promote their own products, usually alkaline water machines.

While I respect the education required to obtain a medical doctorate, Dr. Rona's article lacks any scientific credibility. One of the most important questions any scientist ever asks is “What else can explain that?” Applying even the smallest amount of scientific method when looking at Dr. Rona's conclusions begs us to look for further evidence, evidence that will either support or conflict with the findings.

If we assume Dr. Rona is correct, then we could simply look for any instances of large populations that drink mineral free water. One such community comes to mind: Vancouver, Canada—a city with well over a 2 million inhabitants, and a water supply containing the least amount of naturally occurring minerals I have ever measured. In fact, the amount of calcium and magnesium naturally occurring is less than 2 ppm. (This is lower mineral content than most typical reverse osmosis systems are capable of producing.)

If Dr. Rona is correct, we should expect to see the entire population of Vancouver suffering from mineral deficiencies and having a mortality rate significantly different from areas with very hard water (see the reference to Lubbock, TX in the previous answer). Unfortunately for Dr. Rona's assumptions, the population of Vancouver does not suffer, as a whole, from any increased mineral deficiency, associated conditions, or lowered mortality.

Dr. Rona goes on to state water passed through a solid charcoal filter is slightly alkaline, but this depends totally on the pH of the water entering the filter and the type of carbon used. He also states reverse osmosis water tends to be neutral, but RO water is usually slightly acidic since RO does not remove carbon dioxide, and even the smallest amount (4 ppm) of CO2 in extremely pure water can move the pH as low as 4.5. (In high purity water, this would be considered an extremely weak acid.)

Further, if hard, alkaline water is indeed superior to other waters, we should see increased longevity and improved overall health scores for any population that consumes this water. In fact, one would expect to find measurable differences in disease tendencies between the residents of Vancouver and any city with hard, alkaline drinking water, given the huge differences in mineral content. There is no evidence supporting such a correlation. (Keep in mind that Prof. Vincent's original research did find statistical evidence—but the evidence contradicts Dr. Rona's assumptions. Prof. Vincent's research suggested the populations with water supplies that were alkaline and oxidized had greater incidence of cancer, thrombosis, coronary heart disease, and viral infections.)

Dr. Rona is wrong to suggest drinking mineral free water is detrimental to your health.

— Robert M. Vineyard, President
   

Q: I've been told that drinking water should be alkaline, but BEV values call for slight acidity... how do you explain that?

A: This question deserves a detailed explanation. Learn more about the pH of pure water, or follow this link to read our comments about alkaline water. (Or visit the special topics links in the left column.)

Q: How should I store my purified water?

A: We recommend using a sealable glass container. Used gallon fruit juice bottles are an excellent choice. Glass is not always convenient, so we make available a 2 gallon refrigerator bottle made of very high quality polycarbonate that does not leach chemicals or gasses into the water.

We also recommend containers made of 100% polycarbonate. You can find a good selection of these bottles at most outdoor equipment (sporting goods) stores. Several other companies have recently started to make polycarbonate containers in various different colors—but some of these have a strong plastic odor that can find its way into the water.

If you store or transport your BEV water in plastic or polycarbonate containers, be sure to keep the containers out of direct sunlight.

Q: Do you offer a MicroWater System?

A: We do not offer a ”Micro Water” system per se. There are a number of reasons why we don't offer this type of system, and they are explained on our "thoughts about alkaline water" page.

However, since we've received so many requests for an alkalizing product, our R&D team has been focusing on development of a reasonable, cost effective method to increase alkalinity of pure BEV quality water. See the “Special Notice” on our alkaline water discussion page for more details.

Q: How do your systems compare to BFRV(?) systems sold by John Thomas?

A: This question is answered directly by Pure Water Systems' president and founder:

John Thomas' book Young Again has done a lot to promote the concept of BEV water. Mr. Thomas learned about BEV from the same people who introduced me to the idea in 1984. Pure Water Systems had been selling BEV water systems nearly 10 years before John Thomas wrote about BEV water in his book first published in 1994.

The original BEV systems were made by Universal Water, and Pure Water Systems distributed those products under the Universal Water and later the PRO Water labels. John Thomas' BEV Series and BFRV(?) water systems are privately labeled products. There is nothing proprietary about these designs. They incorporate carbon adsorption, reverse osmosis, and deionization.

Now that Pure Water Systems, Inc. is manufacturing systems that are superior in every detail to the systems sold by John Thomas, he has come up with a new term: BFRV. Made-up acronyms (BFRV) and misleading statements like "Unique BFRV Energy Footprint," or "Hydrogen and Molecular Bond Angles, or "BFRV Restructuring" only serve to confuse consumers. Mr. Thomas will further state some companies (Pure Water Systems) are "bootlegging" his designs; but we were offering BEV water systems ten years before John Thomas wrote about BEV water in his book Young Again.

PWS™ BEV products are readily available at substantially lower prices, with better warranties, and with the kind of customer service and product support you expect from a business.

I invite you to compare the PWS™ BEV-Series water purification systems to anything offered by John Thomas. If you have any questions about any of John Thomas' claims about BEV water, or the differences between our systems and those offered by John Thomas, call us here at Pure Water Systems and ask to speak with me directly. I'll be happy to take your call.

— Robert M. Vineyard, President

Q: What is TDS?

A: TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids, the total measurement by weight of all solids that are dissolved in water. TDS measures only dissolved inorganic substances, i.e. dissolved mineral content, but does not measure dissolved organic substances like pesticides, herbicides, or hydrocarbons.

There are several companies that will state using TDS to measure water quality is misleading, but these companies are almost always selling a product incapable of removing dissolved minerals or heavy metals like lead, cadmium, mercury, etc. (Remember, filtration is not the same as purification!) Throughout the water purification industry, TDS is used as a standard unit of measure. TDS is derived either from evaporating away all the water in a sample and weighing the residue, or it is calculated from a measurement of the resistivity of the water sample.

TDS measurements alone do not indicate total water quality, but TDS represents a reasonable standard to quantify effectiveness of purification. Absolute water purity also includes a measure of organic contaminant removal, and the PWS™ BEV Series remove all organic contaminants.

Q: Is the chlorine in my water dangerous?

A: There are numerous studies which report chlorine and its disinfection by-products (THMs) can have negative influences on health. But, at the same time it is important to consider that drinking water disinfection has had a significant impact in reduction of diseases related to consuming water contaminated by bacteria.

We count and rely on the local public works department to deliver "potable" water to our homes. But our municipal water department must poison the water with disinfection chemicals like chlorine or chloramines to ensure when water flows from the tap there are no living bacteria. But, you have to ask if you want to consume these poisons yourself? Certainly there is evidence to support the idea these poisons, which are so effective at killing bacteria, pose health risks when consumed in low doses every day over the course of your life.

Fortunately, there is a very cost effective solution to this problem—and that is point-of-use purification. Removal of chlorine, disinfection by-products, and every other contaminant that might be present in your water is easily accomplished with a PWS™ BEV Series system.

Q: Why is your system more expensive than other reverse osmosis systems?

A: Our systems, which include reverse osmosis as one of three purification methods, offer several significant advantages:

• We outperform every other residential water treatment product on the market. Other manufacturers boast of contaminant level reduction but we are convinced reduction is not enough. Since many contaminants act as strong allergenic substances, we believe they should be eliminated to the very best possible capacity.
• We include a carefully engineered mixed bed deionization column downstream from the reverse osmosis (RO) membrane. This benefits you by removing all the contaminants not removed by the RO process. Our systems perform very close to laboratory systems costing thousands more.
• Our deionization module also includes two stages designed to prevent any backward migration of contaminants or microorganisms into the system. The last thing you need is for bacteria to enter the system from accidentally bumping a chicken up against the spigot while preparing it for cooking. No other manufacturer includes this kind of precaution.
• We use a privately manufactured RO membrane with exceptionally high rejection rates. Other manufacturers use standard, off-the-shelf membranes that vary greatly in performance and rejection rates in real-world installations.
• Our proprietary components were designed to overcome the limitations of other off-the-shelf components used in standard RO systems. Our flush valve, for example, eliminates the need to use a capillary flow restrictor—a part prone to fouling which causes premature system failures.
• Our 100-Series cabinet not only looks terrific in any kitchen environment, it is made of the highest quality non-leaching GE® plastics. The one-piece injection molded design is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Other countertop RO system housings are prone to warping, cracking, and discoloration over time.
• Our mounting bracket is black anodized aluminum, not powder coated steel which will rust and corrode over time, or plastic which grows brittle with age.
• We use steam washed, compression packed, bituminous grade granular activated carbon instead of cheaper coconut shell carbon which can contain phosphates, metals, and arsenic. Coconut shell carbon is better suited to separation of gasses and not water treatment. If city water supplies need to remove chemicals, like Cincinnati treats for benzene, they use container loads of coal based (i.e. bituminous)...not coconut shell.
• Every component in our systems has been carefully chosen for its purpose. We use only the highest quality parts made in the USA, and we don't cut corners to save a few pennies. If we can't find the right component, we manufacture it ourselves or contract to have it made to our specifications.
• Finally, we offer the very best warranty in the industry. If you maintain your system, we will replace or repair any component that might fail for as long as you own the system. (With the normal exclusions for abuse.)