As a young man completing my chemistry degree, I was well aware of the purity of distilled water. In fact, it was the benchmark for pure water in the laboratory. But I never gave a thought about drinking it. In those days in New Zealand, where I grew up, everyone assumed that tap water was fine. I don’t think bottled water of any sort was available.
Water in a bottle isn’t always pure
My views on water purity became stronger as I visited many parts of the world. I would see rivers so dirty you could almost walk across them. I saw dead animals, rusted metals, junk, and so much more in the rivers and streams that people depended on for drinking water. In the Dominican Republic, I saw young boys filling 5 gallon bottles with untreated water from a hose. They were selling this “bottled water” to others in town. Just because water was in a bottle didn’t mean it was pure.
In the 1980s, the United Nations began reporting that more than 25,000 people were dying each day from contaminated drinking water. That’s when I understood the importance of pure water. In 1993, almost 50 people were sickened with Cholera, and one died on an airline flight from Lima, Peru to Los Angeles, California. This was about the same time when more than 400,000 people in Milwaukee, Wisconsin became ill from biological contaminants in their drinking water. More than 100 died.
My opportunity came in 1984
Then, after a career spanning multiple packaged goods companies — including Procter & Gamble and Amway — the opportunity came in 1984 to buy Pure Water, Inc. (now Pure & Secure, LLC) along with its brand of Pure Water distillers and water treatment systems. Now I had a chance to do something about the world’s problem with drinking water. My family and I could make a direct contribution.
In time, I gained experience with filtration, reverse osmosis, ozone and ultraviolet treatment methods. Pure & Secure placed bottled-water plants in more than 50 countries around the world.
Through all of this, I never wavered from my belief in the distillation process. I have met countless numbers of people with stories of how distilled water improved their lives. At Pure & Secure we even have an “Over-80 Club” — a treasured group of our most enthusiastic dealers who are true, pure water disciples.
Our water distiller reduced radioactive cesium by 99.8%
Every time there is a problem with dangerous contaminants in the water, distillation can take care of it. Take, for example, the recent problems in Fukushima, Japan. Radioactive water is a huge problem, and it now appears it will impact vast areas of the Pacific Ocean.
We have tested distillers for removal of radioactive contaminants and the results have been amazing. One common contaminant from Fukushima is cesium. We had our distiller tested by the Water Sciences Group and the University of Nebraska. Once again the distiller came through with flying colors. They found a 99.8% reduction of cesium in the distilled water from the Pure Water® brand Mini Classic distiller.
So, it’s not hard to see why I’m so enthusiastic about distilled water. I drink it. So does all my family and our grand-children. My son Paul is in our business. He is our head product engineer and designer. My daughter, Courtney, was a dealer in Portland, Oregon before returning home to the family business. Finally, my son Glenn is also totally impressed with distillation and has formed his own business to help people get access to pure water during emergencies.
Water distillers purify water the way Nature does
All in all, I believe in water distillation. Water distillers purify water the way Nature does, through heat, evaporation and condensation. You just can’t find any water treatment system better than a distiller to deliver high-purity water. And wouldn’t you know, water distillers are more affordable and more effective over their lives than any other method of treating water.
That’s why I’m in the water business. I’ve built my life around it.
Al Meder
President, Pure & Secure
Makers of the AquaNui™ brand of premium water distillers
