Total Dissolved solids are bad for you
349060
So, just to be very clear, not all TDS, Total Dissolved solids are bad for you. For instance, mineral water is some of the healthiest water you can have. The best water has minerals, like calcium, magnesium.  But municipal water supplies are rife with pharmaceutical drugs, plastics and Fluoride which is a carcinogenic left over from making aluminum, and while yes, it can strengthen teeth, it should not be added to our water.  This pitcher is great for people who are trying to clean up their water or if you already have a distiller or other whole house filter that works well to clean your water then this works well for travel.  You will want to purchase a natural mineral additive like Cell Food etc. to replenish the mineral content.
439626
So sad that people actually ingest these.  And give them to their children.  This isn't food.  Food is fresh - made by nature.  Apples, oranges, avocados, celery, bell peppers, tomatoes, kiwis... beautiful, delicious real food.

This is man-made chemicals with addictive and toxic flavorings.  I remember that my grandparents gave these to me when I was a child.  I don't think they knew any better.  It just makes me really sad that people think it's okay to give this garbage to children.  It's one thing to abuse your own body by ingesting stuff like this.  But a whole other thing to feed it to children.

May as well just give them drugs or alcohol, because you're setting them up for a lifetime of food addiction, dysfunctional eating patterns and all sorts of problems.  I wish my grandparents had given me cigarettes instead of Oreos.  It would've been much less damaging in the long run.
3229912
Has a lot of carbon fines which requires a lot of rinsing just like the label says. I rinsed one of  them in a 1 gallon baggie before installing it in a filter housing and rinsing it again, the water in the baggie was pretty dark. I use them for a pre filter in a RO system. The water goes through this filter which is a 5 micron filter then a .5 or 1/2 micron filter {I think the .5 micron removes a lot of the carbon fines left from these filters}. The water then goes through the Membrane to a storage tank, then through another coconut carbon .5 micron filter. The coconut carbon filters give the water a very good taste and remove a lot of harmful chemicals. I don't know if I will buy these again as they require more hassle to install with the rinsing and what they leave behind. I believe if a person used these after the RO membrane  your TDS or total dissolved solids reading would be higher due to the carbon fines left behind by this filter.
2616929
Do not waste money on this product. It DOES NOT DISSOLVE IN WATER OF ANY TEMPERATURE!! It will remain lumpy and believe me I have used water of all temperature including an electric mixer and this stuff if unbelievable. There is absolutely NO WAY TO DISSOLVE IT. I don't know how it si possible to do anything with it but to throw it in the trash - NOT DOWN THE DRAIN - YOU WILL THEN BE CALLING A GOOD PLUMBER. Unless you want to buy it and place it in the trash
2012623
These are a bit dangerous because they suck in the paint, staining the water in the brush. So, then your water is not clear and when you pick up a new color it is contaminated with the stained water.
4164473
Perfect drinking water for anyone who is concerned about his or her health!! Our water and environment is  dangerously un-healthy.
3145557
That is the worse excuse for tea I have ever drank. I made 3 gallons and poured all three down the drain. I usually but Red Diamond lose leaf. But amazon only had this crap. And that stuff if god awful. I would much rather drink sewage than that nasty stuff.
3460648
Bought it 7 months ago.  Doesn't do a thing for taste.  I also checked it with a TDS meter and it doesn't filter any total dissolved solids.  Live and learn, I guess.  I have since purchased a reverse osmosis system and love it.
2632237
The water filter leaked and we couldn't get it to stop until my husband took the o-rings off the LG brand we were replacing and put them on this one. More importantly, the filter makes your water taste funny even after you clear it out. It tastes bad for months and outbound faucet water tastes better. Unfortunately, this was a 2-pack and the other one went to the trash. It is worth the little extra money for the name brand and good drinking water. This one is toxic.
1775760
Let me start by saying Im still using this fountain. It encourages my 20 year old cat to drink the water she needs. However, whether or not you use the charcoal filters, this fountain (and all fountains) are a nesting ground for bacteria. It wasn't until my cat started throwing up every morning, right after drinking from the fountain, that I realized rinsing the device with hot water once a week was not nearly enough. The mildew and bacteria clings to the inside of all the crevices, tubes, and water pump (as evidenced by the pink slime still remaining when you stick a cotton swab in them). The only solution is to run EVERYRHING through the dishwasher at least once per week, and change the water in the fountain every day. Ive even resorted to putting the water pump in the dishwasher with the cord hanging out the top. If you have the time for this kind of maintenance, its worth it to get your cat to drink. Otherwise, stick with a bowl.
34695
When I used a TDS meter to test the water from this Culligan FM 15A filter the TDS meter reading for the filtered water is high, 354 ppm and almost the same reading that I got for my tap water 361 ppm. My TDS meter measures  (total dissolved solids) which is the total weight of all solids (minerals,salts,or metals) that are dissolved in a given volume of water expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/l), or in parts per million (PPM). So this Culligan Water filter FM-15A  filtered water, is about the same TDS reading as my tap water according to this TDS meter. The ph level of the filtered water is about the same as my tap water also reading about a ph 7. i cannot use water with this high of a TDS reading 354 ppm. . I tested reverse osmosis bottled water Kroeger Purified Water from Ralphs and it has a TDS reading of .01 ppm but the ph level is too acidic for my use which is a ph of 5.5.
I needed to purchase special special water because of an unusual problem which is definitely more information than some of you will need but I am sharing this in case there is someone else out there with a similar problem: My Australian Shepherd dog had crystals in her urine which could have involved expensive surgery. First she had Struvite Crystals and when I switched to purified water and prescription dog food her Struvite  Crystals dissolved. Then I tried the Culligan filtered water and her Struvite Crystals returned. Then I went back to trying Purified Water and her Struvite crystals disappeared but Oxalate Crystals formed in her urine because the purified water has a acidic ph of 5.5 and oxcalate crystals can form in an acidic environment in a dog. So then I experimented and tried Arrowhead Spring Water which measured 161 ppm and a neutral PH of around 7 Along with continuing prescription dog food and now all of her crystals are gone. I haven't been able to find a water filter with a similar reading to the Arrowhead Soring Water so I am stuck buying bottled water for my two large dogs. This has been a very frustrating problem. If I had ignored this problem and the crystals had remained in my dog I would have needed to pay for a very expensive surgery for my dog. So the correct water quality is vital for all.
4431258
The product is bad not the seller. The filter lasts very little time and it turns the water VERY ACID AND SOUR, it's disgusting when you put it in your mouth and leaves your mouth dry. When I put the meter in expecting it to be 0 for ZERO water it came up as 171 and I was super shocked, I tested it out on tap water and got 56. It's an absurd for the fabricators to have this type of manner with the buyer!
18977
We tested the total dissolved solids of the rain water we put through a Berkey with these filters installed and it showed a reading of 8 ppm. Anyone who has any knowledge of TDS in water could tell you that is extremely clean water. Similarly our neighbor had a reading of 14 ppm from tap water run through his reverse osmosis unit.
3148772
I normally don't post on here, but I could not pass up on this one. I stumbled onto a 1-star review by "Recycle773" because I love Fiji Water myself and was curious as to what this person had to say. I feel like we can inform some folks on this subject of water quality right here and now. I absolutely understand where "Recycle773" was coming from in regards to plastic waste. That is an absolute legitimate pollution concern and a major problem. It's not about tree hugging in regards to all the plastic that is being dumped. This is plastic that takes a very, very long time to biodegrade and pollutes our planet. That is why I try to use and reusee glass and recycle as much as possible.  Most counties have recycling centers. It just takes some extra effort. HOWEVER, it seems "Recycle773" is misinformed like many other as to what is exactly in your water and what those $10 filters are actually able to get out of the water. Most of those cheap water filters are able to get out considerable amounts of a few very common contaminants. They are better than having no filter at all. Fridge filters fall under this category of inefficient filters. However, they fail to remove many of these common contaminants entirely and fail to even touch many other contaminants. They also fail to remove fluoride, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, etc. Fluoride and heavy metals, which are highly dangerous and detrimental to our health, take special filters to remove them. The reasons our government has put these into our water is far from their stated goal. The history behind water fluoridation originated with the Nazis and Russians in WW2. They fluoridated the water supply to keep their prisoners docile and to make them stupid. This is historical fact. Our government conveniently implemented water fluoridation shortly thereafter. The government actually came out recently and admitted fluoride was hurting our health, yet they still put it in the water. Fluoride actually reduces IQ SIGNIFICANTLY in addition to causing fluorosis, cancer, neurological disorders, and many other problems. Look at the back of your toothpaste tube and read the warning. This warning is there because of the fluoride in the toothpaste. If you swallow a pea sized amount of toothpaste, you are supposed to call poison control. The amount of fluoride in this amount of toothpaste is approximately the same amount in a glass of water, yet you don't see a warning label on that glass of water you pour. The government ALSO wants to add lithium and statins to the water supply. Look that one up. Fluoride and all of these added chemicals are FORCED medication. Even worse, you can't control how much "medication" the people are getting. Think about the athlete that drinks 1-2 gallons of water per day. They are literally drinking away their health.

Furthermore, our exposure to many of these chemicals is even higher in the SHOWER. For those health conscious people out there, invest in a shower filter also. Fiji . TheWater and Smart Water are the two best options for bottled watery are both EXCELLENT as far as water goes because of their source (Fiji) and how they are made (Smart). As for cleaning your tap water at home to make it suitable for drinking, the best options I have found are reverse osmosis and the Big Berkey Water filter with the added fluoride/heavy metal filters (much more affordable). As far as bottled water go, stick with Fiji and Smart.
4337229
I bought the Vega Organic Protein & Greens with Antioxidants at Costco.  In addition to the greens it also contains an organic fruit blend.
First the good. I absolutely loved the taste, and I am very picky about protein powder. It was not too sweet and it was smooth--not grainy.
Now the bad. I had the protein drink in the early morning and had an early dinner of salmon and rice. Come evening (@7 pm) I had severe diarrhea that lasted all night and into the next day.  It had to be the shake as it was the only new thing in my otherwise normal diet. And now I just find out about the heavy metals study. You draw your own conclusions.
978042
WARNING: This iron can be deadly to your health. I took it out of the box. I followed the directions on how to fill it. Water went in, but nothing showed in the water container. After 2 full cups I was really concerned as to why the water level was not showing. Fortunately I was over the sink at the time, as I raised the iron to an upright position, and was treated to a bath. Water came out everywhere. I dumped the water out and tried again. By try number 5 I finally got it to fill to where the water went where it was supposed to go, and I filled it to about 1/2" under the max line. I brought it up to an upright position, and no water came pouring out. I thought the problem was solved. I moved away from the sink, iron upright and in my hand, when I felt water fall on my foot. I looked at the iron. Water was leaking from the bottom of the iron, down the electric cord, and over the plug. The plug was covered in water. Good thing I had my glasses on BEFORE I tried plugging it in! This has been reported to Amazon. The nice young man I spoke to said he was going to immediately escalate the issue as Amazon will not sell products that are unsafe, cause property damage, or personal injury. This incident could have been fatal. Westinghouse, shame on you. Test your products better. Despite all the great reviews, one defective iron can kill you, and that is enough for me to steer clear of this brand.
93571
I too bought the large stainless steel version of this product.  They say the filter is silver impregnated which should kill bacteria, mold and fungi.  Water filtered through this unit tastes like "dirt" (as a previous reviewer mentioned) after being sourced from a clean, pre-filtered, UV household water system.  There is slime growing on the bottom of the filter as well as in the bottom section containing filtered water.  Customer svc tells me that this is due to calcium-magnesium hard-water deposits after 5 days of use trying to get rid of the dirt taste.  But, my household water is not noticeably hard with minerals.  I do not trust this unit and have not as yet tried the Go Bottle I received with this unit. I guess a costly water test is needed to decide if this is safe to be used in a real emergency situation.  A trusted company has now let me down at this point.