Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 8, Issue 3, March 2004
Copyright 2004 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article below in your research. Be sure to cite the Seattle Sun as your source.
Nothing but the real thing at Water To Go
By JAMES BUSH
Come on in, the water's fine.
You'll have to come in, because Greenwood-based Purified Water To Go doesn't deliver, which owner Carlos Tofino says allows significant savings to be passed on to the customer.
The store is dominated by the water purification unit, roughly two feet wide and 12 feet long. It purifies water using a 12-stage system which kills bacteria and microorganisms, removes dissolved organic solids and metals, and eliminates impurities which can affect water's taste and appearance. "You can not disregard the benefits you get when you have clean water," he says.
Both man-made contaminants and natural impurities can find their way into the underground aquifers which feed lakes and streams, including pesticides, fertilizers, livestock wastes, and seepage from septic and sewer systems.
"Before, it was quite safe to drink spring water, to drink mountain water, now it's not," says Tofino.
Factor in the chemicals used to treat municipal drinking water, including chlorine, and harmful substances including lead and cadmium, which can be added by aging water pipes, and the water which comes out of your kitchen faucet looks less appealing.
"By the time it gets to the consumer, it's gone through a lot of pipes that are 70 to 80 years old," says Tofino, who calls drinking water quality "an issue that isn't going to go away."
The store also sells ice made from purified water, containers and dispensers (lead-free ceramic crocks and coolers), allowing the customer to get bottled water quality at a lower price. By reusing water containers and discouraging throwaway bottles, it also helps reduce non-biodegradable trash in area landfills.
Purified Water To Go is a West Coast company which placed its first franchises in less populated areas, where the declining quality of well water is a major issue. However, judging by the ever-growing popularity of bottled water among healthy urban dwellers, Tofino should continue to expand his neighborhood clientele.
A chemical analysis of the drinking water piped into his business is posted prominently on the wall, listing trace amounts of many metals and dangerous compounds such as dibromochloropropane, which has been linked to sterility in young males.
Tofino also notes that Seattle Public Utilities tests have detected cryptosporidium, an infectious parasite that causes flu-like symptoms and can prove dangerous to persons with weak immune systems, in samples taken from the Cedar River, the city's major water source.
Ironically, the city provides its own unstated endorsement of the ozone treatment now used by Purified Water To Go. Seattle Public Utilities has already initiated ozone treatment for Tolt River Water and will include it in the new Cedar River treatment facility scheduled to open in several months.
A former counselor and therapist, Northgate area resident Tofino learned the dangers of impure water when he fell ill and doctors were unable to make a quick diagnosis. "I spent a lot of money trying to figure out what it was," he says. "I found out [impure] water was the culprit."
He says he first learned of Purified Water To Go when he made his own search for a more comprehensive water purification system than the standard charcoal filters made for home use. By going into business, "I can share the benefits with the community," he says.
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Purified Water To Go is located at 8624 3rd Ave. NW . For more information, call 706-6198. The store is open Monday through Saturday from noon to 6:30 p.m.