Dear Umbra,
I drink a lot of water. I have a food-grade stainless-steel canteen, and I filter my tap water via a Brita. I try to minimize my purchase of plastics, and I try to avoid plastics being anywhere near my food or water. But herein lies my dilemma: I've never seen a water filter pitcher that was not plastic. Even if I could find a pitcher, the filters are still plastic. Are there any options short of using a pant leg stuffed with sand and charcoal, as suggested by the U.S. Army's survival guide? I can't believe no one has made a charcoal refillable filter.
Kristopher Heinekamp
Belvidere, Ill.
Dearest Kristopher,
The ceramic filter may be for you. I'm sure many of our lovely readers have one, and will write in with comments about the efficacy, longevity, and conversation-pieciness of the ceramic filter and its housing. Additionally, it appears that enterprising persons can learn to make these filters themselves, as have many persons in areas with poor drinking water.
What a crock.
Photo: gaiam.com
The first ceramic water-filtration system I saw was an intriguing and attractive tall crock at a household where rainwater is used for drinking. The filter "candles" or "cartridges" that go in the crock are made from ceramic mixed with various magical stuff such as silver, for sterility, or carbon, for chlorine removal. The housing has two sections. The candles are mounted in the upper compartment, and water must pass through their amazingly complex pores before admittance to the lower chamber. Tap water is poured into the top and filtered down to the bottom container, where a spigot releases water to your every whim. Very few pathogens are admitted to the lower chamber -- below .01 percent, apparently. The candles last about six months or more, can be cleaned, and you are Umbra-approved to attempt to compost them. They are, after all, made from clay.
Filters at work in southeast Asia.
Photo: ttocirrod-foundation.org
I found the complex pores and such touted on an industry site, but ceramic filters have a long history outside of industry -- and a proven record of triumphing over water-borne pathogens. In areas where drinking water is either always or temporarily undrinkable, money and infrastructure are wanting, and a potter is handy, ceramic filters are doing a heck of a lot of good. They can replace chlorine tablets and boiling, both of which have their own effectiveness problems. If you wish to make your own ceramic filter, out of inspiration or need, the system will look a little different from the one I described above. The potter creates what looks like a large, flat-bottomed bowl or flowerpot, using ceramics mixed with sundry porosity-enhancing additions such as sawdust. The bowl nests inside another container. Contaminated water goes into the bowl and filters out the bottom into the larger container. Voila -- clean water. This ceramic filtration system, standardized for easy production by Potters for Peace (!), is used in 14 countries. Details on the system, and something like instructions, can be found at the United Nations' IDEASS site.
I don't know why you have been filtering your water, but if ceramic is good enough to defeat deadly diarrhea in Nicaragua, it's good enough for Belvidere, Ill.
Candley,
Umbra
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Comments View as Flat
dpagano Posted 3:05 am
27 Jun 2007
ceramic water filters
Hi,
this very item shown in the GAIAM catalog has a disclaimer on it: not available in CA
why is that?
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inkedbuddha Posted 7:14 am
27 Jun 2007
gaiam water filter
Hi dpagano,
I just gave Gaiam a call (they answer their phones without an annoying phone menu, they are great!). California has drinking water regulations that prevent them from sending the filters to a residence in CA. I'd say call up your friend in Reno (or LV, depending on where you are in CA), and get it that way. :)
Although, I (and I live in Sacto) may just give the homemade version a try.
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AdeSFaria Posted 2:53 pm
27 Jun 2007
Ceramic Water Filters.
Hi,
I am originally from Brazil (Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro ) and those filters are found in most households there, from the very rich to the very poor. I would love to get one but I think they cost too much here, and if you have to pay shipping based on weight....
Adriana Faria
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mihan Posted 12:06 am
28 Jun 2007
pathogens
We used a ceramic filter (metal housing) when I lived in central Africa, but we were told that the filter didn't do a great job at filtering bugs, so we were told to boil the water first. Again... probably not necessary in IL. The only weird thing is that you have to be careful to not touch the filter with your oily fingers.
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WATERSAGE Posted 4:47 am
28 Jun 2007
'B _ _ _A" is ..... NOT better...
when one consider the DBP'S that nearly all filters that advertise 'lots'... do not 'touch' effectively .... 2 maybe 3 cents of charcoal and fossil fuel plastic do NOT a filter for 'healthy' drinking water make....
and have HIGHEST levels of NSF.org certification... SO am pointing out that by-products from chlorination are left behind by nearly ALL filters since DBP's do not have a smell or taste... AND ARE in nearly every beverage bought.... For fact finding see "Journal of National Cancer Institute" 6/18/97 issue page 848 to 856.... [ the 'sickcare' industry does not want people to know....TWO TRILLION dollars worth of sick... 'care'???? oh nearly forgot.. guess who owns... B_ _ A ????? the company that sells....[ drum roll plz..] chlorine !!!! ....C _ r _ X !!!!!!!
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rmainer Posted 9:23 pm
28 Jun 2007
ceramic water filter
Activated charcoal is readily available in bulk. Make your own filter from stainless steel pipe. A little research, a little creativity, and an afternoon project, what could be better?
Or buy plastic filters and just stay away from PVC and polycarbonate.
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Stephanie Hurley Posted 3:57 am
01 Jul 2007
ceramic filters & chemical
Hi,
The ceramic filters sound great, but do they also remove naturally or unnaturally occurring chemicals from water, such as arsenic or radon? Just wondering??
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keldred Posted 6:12 am
01 Jul 2007
ceramic filters & chemical
Ceramic filters work great for removing large impurities like cryptosporidium, but they do nothing for water-borne viruses. Using silver with ceramics does work, but requires upwards of 800 minutes of contact time to effectively kill viruses. As far as arsenic, ceramic filters do not give much if any protection. For adequate removal of arsenic you would need a reverse osmosis or ion exchange system.
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JessGreen Posted 2:53 pm
11 Sep 2007
Stefani Purifier from Brazil
Hello Adriana,
I recently bought a stefani terracotta water purifier from a company in Florida which sells natural terracotta purifiers and filters made in Brazil. I am wondering if this is the same water filter you are refering to in your post.
Well, just in case..this is the company's website: http://www.stefaniterracotta.com. I love my natural water purifier. It looks great and the water looks and tastes wonderful too.
Jessica
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JessGreen Posted 3:05 pm
11 Sep 2007
Ceramic water filters available in USA
As many may have already read my previous message to Adriana...the stefani ceramic water filters are now available in the USA. I recently bought a stefani terracotta purifier from them and simply love it. Its easy to use and provide crystal clean fresh drinking water for my family.
The best part is..after buying the purifier, I have saved a bunch by filtering my own drinking water and have stopped buying plastic bottled water for good.
If anyone is interested they can visit www.stefaniterracotta.com for more info. Goodluck.
Jessica
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