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A recent news report has announced that South Africa, in partnership with Iran, will be building desalination plants to help boost water supplies as the worst drought in history continues to dry our dams. Currently the largest desalination plant in South Africa, which converts salty seawater to drinkable water, is situated in Mossel Bay along the Western Cape where it helps supply water to state oil company PetroSA’s gas-to-fuel refinery.

Desalination is a tried and proven way of producing drinking water. But what is not so widely known is that the quality of this water is questionable.

The Problem with the Desalination Process

According to a report by the World Health Organisation, the first problem with the desalination process is that it strips the water of essential minerals, which affects its taste and has a significant impact on our long-term health including “a negative effect on the bodies homeostasis mechanisms”.  In other words it can affect our organs and functioning of our tissues and our immune system. There is also the danger that people tend to dehydrate or turn to other less-healthy fluids in order to hydrate because of the unpleasant taste of desalinated water.

In addition, desalinated water is unstable and “highly aggressive to materials with which it comes into contact” resulting in corrosion when it comes into contact with our plumbing system, adding contaminants to the water we drink.

Desalinated Water Does Not Contain Calcium and Magnesium

Desalinated water does not contain calcium and magnesium, which have an anti-toxic action in the body and WHO states “populations supplied with low-mineral water may be at a higher risk in terms of adverse effects from exposure to toxic substances.

According to the Pacific Institute in an executive summary it made, “Desalination can produce high-quality water however it may also introduce biological or chemical contaminants into our water supply.” They also state that this will weigh heavily on the location and design of the plants, which should be monitored heavily by local governments to ensure safety.

So before embracing desalination as a solution to our water problems, consider the impact this water will have on your health.

The best thing you can do is ensure your tap water is always purified with one of our H₂O purifiers. As the exclusive distributor in South Africa of the patented GAC/KDF/ Riolyte process media, H₂O International SA guarantees the finest quality water and great taste by removing all the harmful, unwanted contaminants from your water – giving you complete peace of mind.

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