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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How often will I get delivery?
Do I need to be home for my deliveries?
What is wrong with the water that comes into our homes?
How do you remove the dissolved solids from the water?
Doesn't ozone cause problems in the environment?
Why is there no smell of ozone in the bottled water?
Why don't the Council use ozone instead of chlorine to treat our reticulated water?
Wouldn't a water purifier or an under the sink water filter system protect us from these things?
How do you ensure the condition of your filters?
How long will the bottled water remain pure?
How is your water different from bottled spring water?
Do you put fluoride into your water?
What do you think of the State Govt's proposal to force Local Councils to fluoridate their reticulated water?
What about calcium and magnesium - aren't these important for our health?
What does your water contain - do you leave anything at all in the water?
Is there a danger that your water is in fact too pure? Are we perhaps depriving our bodies of building up immunities and tolerances?
How do you ensure that the bottles are thoroughly clean before they are filled with your water?
What about the environmental issue of so many big plastic bottles - in these days of condemning plastic bags at supermarkets etc, aren't you worried about these bottles accumulating in the environment?
How long do your bottles last?
What other services can QH2O provide?
How often will I get delivery?
When you become a home or office delivery customers, you can expect a water delivery weekly.
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Do I need to be home for my deliveries?
You do not need to be home to receive your water. You should determine a convenient location to store your empty QH2O bottles, and where your fresh bottles will be left. Just let us know where that location is.
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What is wrong with the water that comes into our homes?
There is nothing wrong with the water coming into our homes - reticulated water at Mount Isa and Gladstone complies with the drinking water guidelines which Councils are required to comply with. Gladstone's water is also moderately hard, so we soften it before we treat it any further.
However the water provided by our Councils does contain dissolved solids and a lot of strong tasting chlorine that we filter out and purify to provide ultra pure drinking water that is free of bacteria and viruses, tastes good, and does not deteriorate over time.
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How do you remove the dissolved solids from the water?
We use a process called reverse osmosis which uses membranes that allow water to pass through, but not the contaminants dissolved in the water.
We also use ozone to de-activate bacteria and viruses that may be found in water.
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Doesn't ozone cause problems in the environment?
The ozone that you hear about in weather reports is an indicator of excessive air pollution and smog. However electrically generated ozone is controlled and contained and has emerged as a superior product to chlorine as a primary disinfectant in drinking water.
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Why is there no smell of ozone in the bottled water?
When dissolved in water, ozone kills any organisms then turns into oxygen - it actually contributes to the sparkle and taste of our water.
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Why don't the Council use ozone instead of chlorine to treat our reticulated water?
In 1993 the city of Milwaukee (US) suffered the largest outbreak of waterborne disease recorded in history. It was found that the parasite (cryptosporidium) remained healthy even after soaking for 24 hours in bleach (concentrated chlorine), whereas ozone gas destroyed the cyst in less than 10 minutes. Within 5 years 260 cities had changed to ozone systems. Wineries are using it to disinfect their oak barrels. Commercial swimming pools are using it instead of chlorine for clarity and clean smell. No doubt Australia will soon move in the same direction as Councils can afford to do so.
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Wouldn't a water purifier or an under the sink water filter system protect us from these things?
Most water filters and purifiers sold in Australia will only filter down to about 5 microns. Potentially harmful bacteria and all viruses are smaller than 5 microns. Reverse osmosis produces water free from viruses and bacteria, by filtering below their size.
Also, water filters and purifiers are only as good as the condition of their filters. As their filters accumulate more and more residue, the resulting water deteriorates in taste and quality, and could become unsafe - the opposite of what the user intended.
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How do you ensure the condition of your filters?
The dissolved solids removed during reverse osmoses are not left to accumulate in the membranes, but are taken away as waste water and the health of our membranes is monitored on a daily basis. It is quite a chore for a householder with personal water treatment equipment to keep up with the required service and maintenance. We have large industrial equipment and a regular routine to take care of all of this.
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How long will the bottled water remain pure?
Indefinitely, because we have removed all the possible sources of contamination through our water treatment and bottling process. In Mount Isa our bottled water has been stored underground in very hot conditions for over a year, without any discolouration, or deterioration.
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How is your water different from bottled spring water?
Spring water retains some of the properties that we filter out of the water. Spring water may discolour and deteriorate over time. Reverse osmosis water is thousands of times more finely processed than any spring water.
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Do you put fluoride into your water?
No. We believe that people should retain the right of choice in relation to putting additives into their drinking water. Fluoride tablets, fluoride toothpastes, fluoride mouth washes, dental hygiene and education provide good options for improving dental hygiene without forcing fluoride on people through injecting it into their drinking water.
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What do you think of the State Govt's proposal to force Local Councils to fluoridate their reticulated water?
We don't believe reticulated water should be fluoridated. Only 1% of reticulated water is used for drinking purposes - so why put fluoride into the water 99% of which will be used for washing clothes, bathing, cleaning, watering lawns and gardens, washing the car, industrial uses, it would be irresponsible to do this to the environment. Other countries have in fact reversed their decisions to fluoridate reticulated water coming into people's homes.
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What about calcium and magnesium - aren't these important for our health?
Yes they are, along with many other vitamins and minerals. But we don't believe that putting additives into drinking water is the best way to meet dietary requirements or deficiencies. Bottled water is intended primarily for hydration - experts recommend that an average adult should consume around 2 litres of fluid per day, with at least half of this in the form of water.
Also, people's dietary needs vary according to their age, health and appetites - injecting vitamins and minerals in set doses into drinking water is not the best way to meet individual needs.
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What does your water contain - do you leave anything at all in the water?
Ultra pure water retains miniscule amounts of minerals which we feel add to its taste, but our focus is on water for hydration and our aim is to produce water of a quality and taste that will encourage people to drink the recommended 2 litres/day. It's hard to drink this amount of tap water if it tastes of chemicals and additives, or it has an odour, or a discolouration.
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Is there a danger that your water is in fact too pure? Are we perhaps depriving our bodies of building up immunities and tolerances?
We don't believe so. Our water can be safely used (without boiling) for newborn babies. It is suitable for kidney dialysis machines. It is also appropriate for your iron, and for your batteries.
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How do you ensure that the bottles are thoroughly clean before they are filled with your water?
The bottles are cleaned in hot water with environmentally specified detergents and sanitisers then rinsed with our ultra pure water. Feed pipes are also constantly sanitised with ozone and the bottles are filled immediately on exiting the bottle washer station, then capped to preserve the quality of the water.
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What about the environmental issue of so many big plastic bottles - in these days of condemning plastic bags at supermarkets etc, aren't you worried about these bottles accumulating in the environment?
We are very conscious of the environmental impact of plastics, and for this reason we prefer re-cycling bottles instead of throw-away containers, and we urge our customers to return our empty bottles promptly. Bottles are quite expensive for us to purchase ($16) and shouldn't be used for other purposes in the home.
We do provide some disposable bottles for customers who request these for specific reasons eg travelling tourists.
We are also following with interest a new development in the United States of corn-derived plastics which, properly processed in a managed landfill, biodegrade in about 100 days.
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How long do your bottles last?
At Mount Isa QH2O, many are well into their 10th year. We know these have been carefully handled by our customers and we appreciate the effort everyone makes to this environmentally friendly process.
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What other services can QH2O provide?
We are a water treatment business. Perhaps you have an industrial water treatment or supply enquiry. Maybe our 1000 litre bulky-bins service would suit the needs of your construction camp, or shut down requirement.
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