That’s why when we discovered cleaning with purified water, we got very excited!

There is no such thing as naturally pure water. In nature, all water contains some impurities. As water flows in streams, sits in lakes, and filters through layers of soil and rock in the ground, it dissolves or absorbs the substances that it touches. Some of these substances are harmless. However, at certain levels minerals, just like man-made chemicals, are considered contaminants that can make water unpalatable or even unsafe.

Detergents added to the water can harm the environment, so wastewater should never enter our waterways. Phosphate-containing detergents When phosphate detergents are used, disposal of the wash wastewater is an environmental issue. The breakdown of the phosphorus complexes in phosphate detergent wastewater (and in other household products, and in human and industrial wastes containing phosphates) creates biologically available phosphates. In waterways these can contribute to an oversupply of phosphate. Low concentrations of plant nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, can limit plant and algae growth. When phosphates from the sources mentioned above are introduced to waterways any phosphorus-limitation may be removed and may cause excessive algae growth which, in turn, can lead to:

• increased numbers of insects, crustaceans and fish in the waterway which, when they and the algae die and decompose, can reduce oxygen in the water to such low levels that other aquatic organisms are killed
• the release of toxins by some cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) that can kill other organisms and make the water unsuitable for humans, livestock and wildlife. For these reasons wastewater containing phosphate detergents should be directed to the sewerage system and not be allowed to wash into the stormwater drain. Disposal of phosphate-free detergent wastewater is also an environmental issue. Phosphates are primarily used in detergents as ‘builders’, which remove calcium ions, and allow surfactants (the cleaning agents) to work more effectively. In phosphate-free detergents the phosphates are replaced by either:
• alternative builders such as zeolites or alternative builders and an increased concentration of surfactants. The problem with this is that surfactants are among the most toxic compounds in detergents and have been implicated in decreasing the ability of aquatic organisms to breed. To minimise the environmental harm caused by phosphate-free detergents they must be treated in sewage treatment plants. Unfortunately, even after treatment the effects of some alternative builders remain. Most algae are an important part of the ecosystem; however their presence in excessive amounts becomes an environmental problem.