Aqua Clear Water Systems
Monday, May 4th, 2020 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Delivering Pure, Safe, Life-Changing Water to American Families for 15 Years
What first started as a dream 15 years ago developed into an American success story. Young entrepreneurs and husband and wife team, David and Krista Brewster, launched their fledgling water treatment business from his father’s garage in 2005. David was no newcomer to the water treatment industry. Having worked for 10 years in Alabama selling home water purification and water softening systems, David and Krista decided to take that giant leap of faith and to launch Aqua Clear Water Systems.
Their new business undertaking required a relocation from Alabama to East Tennessee. They filled David’s father’s garage with bottle-less water coolers and started knocking on doors. Today Aqua Clear Water Systems employs more than 40 associates, serving more than 8,000 satisfied residential and commercial clients throughout East Tennessee. Aqua Clear Water Systems is also proud to be the exclusive East Tennessee distributor for the nation’s premier manufacturer of advanced water treatment systems available anywhere: Award-winning Kinetico Water Systems.
Today a second generation of Brewsters, son Jonathan, has joined his parents in their commitment to provide other families and businesses like theirs with the purest and safest water available anywhere.
In this issue of Mountain Views, we are excited to feature the Brewsters and their superb team of water treatment specialists at Aqua Clear Water Systems.
MV: Apart from appearance, there is nothing generic about the water we all consume and wash with. Explain.
David: Water is a universal solvent because more substances dissolve in water than in any other chemical. Most of the water we receive from our water utilities comes from the Tennessee River and then goes through a series of filtration methods. The first step typically involves chemicals with a positive charge being added to the water, where particles in the water bind with these chemicals. The next step is sedimentation, where these now larger particles settle to the bottom of the water supply. In the filtration phase, the clear water on top will pass through filters (sand, gravel, and charcoal) in order to remove dissolved particles, such as dust, parasites, bacteria, viruses, and chemicals. Once the water has been filtered, a disinfectant (chlorine, chloramine) may be added in order to kill any remaining parasites, bacteria, viruses, and to protect the water from germs when it is piped to you. The byproducts from the disinfectant phase are what can be harmful to your health, and the filtration methods used by water utilities can’t remove everything harmful. Plus, even if they could, the pipes coming to your home can leach contaminants into your water.
MV: There’s a significant difference between the water standards established by local water boards and the quality of water that Aqua Clear Water Systems delivers to East Tennessee home and business owners. Why should this be so important to all of us?
Krista: Think for a second about how often you use water in your home. You take showers, wash clothes, clean dishes, prepare meals, and drink water all day every day. What if you made one simple change where the water you used was now free of chemicals and other impurities, including dissolved rock? Foods would taste better. Drinks, coffee, and tea would taste better. Towels would feel softer. Clothes would be cleaner. Dishes would be spot-free. Your hair would be softer. Ice cubes would be clearer. Your skin would feel softer. You would experience less itchy skin. Your home’s water pipes would stay clearer. Water heaters would last longer. No more lugging bottled water, and no more plastic bottle waste. No white deposits on faucets or soap scum on glass shower doors. And hopefully you drink more water because it tastes better and it’s healthier! All you have to do is continue doing what you already do, and the benefits keep compounding 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The local water utilities do a great job, but they can’t provide this level of quality of water to every home. And even if they could, it would be extremely expensive, plus the pipes coming to your home could reintroduce many of the same impurities they had already removed. Government standards shouldn’t be your standards. And consider this: The legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years.
MV: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all witnessed firsthand stores that were totally depleted of bottled drinking water. What message do you have for home and business owners that might be looking for an alternative to bottled water and the savings and convenience that are available as well?
Jonathan: A gallon of bottled water is 2,000x more expensive than a gallon of tap water. Let’s do a quick calculation to see how much bottled water is costing us. A case of 24 (16.9 oz) bottles of water is $5.00. That would make each ounce of water cost $0.01. A man should drink around 100 ounces of water per day, so we multiply $0.01 x 100 ounces = $1.00 per day. $1.00 x 365 days a year = $365.00 spent on bottled water per adult each year. A family of four would spend around $1,460 dollars a year. You also contribute to the plastic waste, ingest the microplastics in most bottled water, and continue to buy bottles year after year. Or you could invest in a drinking water system that provides your home with ultra-pure drinking water at your kitchen sink. Eliminating the bottled water cost, plastic waste, microplastic consumption, and the inconvenience of storing and lugging around single-use plastic bottles.
MV: Address the issue of plastic bottles that end up in landfills, in our lakes and streams, and on the side of roads.
Jonathan: Bottled water is extremely wasteful. A few statistics for your readers:
1. Only one out of five plastic bottles is recycled. The rest just becomes litter or landfill.
2. 90% of the cost of bottled water is due to the packaging, not the water quality.
3. Plastic water bottles are petroleum based. In the U.S. alone, it takes 15 million barrels of oil annually to meet the demands, enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year.
4. It takes one PET plastic bottle 700 years to start decomposing.
5. In the U.S., more than 60 million plastic water bottles are thrown away each year.
Not only is it extremely wasteful, but it’s also extremely expensive.
MV: The state-of-the-art water treatment system used for drinking water filtration uses Reverse Osmosis technology. Explain this technology to our readers.
David: Reverse osmosis filtration (RO) is one of the most popular and effective methods to create high-quality drinking water in your home. Look at the label on your bottled water, and it will typically say “filtered by reverse osmosis.” Having one of these in your home is like having a bottled water factory at your kitchen sink. The technology works by using the water pressure to force the water through a semi permeable membrane that allows certain substances to pass through but not others. The impurities are bigger than the holes the water is being forced through. Furthermore, the membrane catches the impurities and then the filter cleans itself and sends those contaminants down the drain.
Some FAQ I would like to address:
» Does reverse osmosis water remove healthy minerals?
Yes, reverse osmosis filtration removes everything. We always tell clients we remove everything, and you have the power to add back whatever you want. From our perspective, you should get all those healthy minerals from your food or supplementation, not your water. And for clients who want these healthy minerals, we offer remineralization filters.
» Does reverse osmosis filtration remove bacteria or viruses?
Some bacteria and viruses can be removed by reverse osmosis filtration. Most RO systems are not CERTIFIED to remove these contaminants, but our Kinetico® K5 Drinking Water Station has a special bacteria/virus filter that is CERTIFIED to remove any harmful bacteria or viruses that can get into your water.
MV: I have a Kinetico Reverse Osmosis drinking water system in my home. Until I tasted water from this system, I was unaware that pure water is tasteless and odorless. What was it that I was tasting and smelling?
Krista: That’s a great way to explain it. We always tell people our water tastes like nothing, and that is the way it is supposed to be. Since you are on city water (you pay a water bill), the smell and taste come from the chlorine, chloramines, and dissolved solids that were in your water. Most people on city water can smell the chlorine when they turn on their faucet, and it’s often the reason they buy bottled water or use pitcher/refrigerator filters.
MV: Are any of the things I was tasting or smelling potentially harmful?
David: Here is a list of contaminants that were tested by the EPA in a local water utility from January 2019 – March 2019: Bromodichloromethane, Bromoform, Chloroform, Chromium (hexavalent), Dibromochloromethane, Haloactetic acids (HAA5), Nitrate, Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), 1,4-Dioxane, 4-Androstene-3, 17-dione, Aluminum, Barium, Chlorate, Fluoride, Strontium, Testosterone, and Vanadium. Many of these contaminants have been studied to show adverse health effects. We believe that upgrading your water to remove these contaminants can be a huge benefit to your health and the health of your home.
MV: What other water treatment systems do you provide for residential and commercial use?
David: The short answer is we carry systems for every type of water treatment project. Whatever you want to improve or remove, we can design a system for it. The long answer is we carry whole house water filters, water softeners, reverse osmosis systems, UV light systems, backwashing filters, sulfur systems, iron systems, methane removal systems, radon removal systems, chemical injection systems, leak detection systems, etc. Whatever project you have in mind, just give us a call, and we can help design it for you.
MV: Tell our readers about Kinetico Water Systems, their innovations, and the awards they have received.
Krista: The great thing about our company is that we carry many different manufactures of water treatment products. We are not required to only sell Kinetico® products, so we represent many different manufactures. Kinetico® is our flagship brand, and it is the only non-electric system on the market. They use kinetic energy (hint the name Kinetico) from your water pressure to turn the gears and make the system work. They are a consumer digest Best Buy and have won awards from Consumer Reports magazine. Kinetico® has been around since 1970, in the East Tennessee area since 1980, and what’s even better, we can still get parts on systems that are 30+ years old. We actually just removed a Kinetico® water softener that was 33 years old, and it was still working! One of our Kinetico® water softeners is the World’s Most Efficient Water Softener, and most clients that have it don’t have to add salt for close to a year.
MV: How can our readers learn more about Aqua Clear Water Systems and Kinetico? Do you provide in-home, no-cost, and no-obligation consultations and testing? Do you offer financing?
David: The best way to learn about us is check out our website at www.aquaclearws.com, and I encourage your readers to read our 700+ 5-star reviews on Google, Nextdoor, Home Advisor, Angie’s List, and Birdeye. We are so very grateful that homeowners just like you have taken the time to leave reviews about your experiences. Our process begins with filling out a form on our website or calling/texting us at 865-986-4234 to set up a free design consultation. Then we find a time Monday-Saturday between 8 am and 8 pm where we can meet with both homeowners to find out their specific needs, do a site survey of the plumbing, test the water, and then educate the homeowners on what we find and how we can help. This process typically takes 60-90 minutes depending on how many questions the homeowner has, and we provide an in-home quote that is good for 90 days. All of this is free to the homeowner, a $150 value if you were to get these water tests done at a private lab. We also offer 0% interest for 60 months, 24 months, or 12 months depending on what fits your budget.
MV: During this time of uncertainty, what COVID-19 protocols have you put into place to protect your customers and your associates?
Krista: Our company has remained open during COVID-19 because the CDC has classified Aqua Clear Water Systems as an essential business, and our clients depend on us to provide them clean and safe drinking water. We follow the CDC recommended guidelines, including shoe coverings, N-95 masks, latex gloves, medical grade hand sanitizer, sanitize iPad and vehicles, temperatures taken of team members daily, virtual consultations, curbside delivery, and social distancing during appointments. The safety of our clients and team members is our #1 priority.
MV: I know that Aqua Clear Water Systems prides itself on being a family owned company that is in the business of serving other families like yours. Describe your commitment to your extended East Tennessee family.
Jonathan: We view everyone that we do business with as a trusted client and not merely a customer that we may only do business with a single time. Our goal is to establish a long-term relationship with you based on trust. And we work to earn your trust each and every day.
We view ourselves as your trusted advisor for everything relating to water treatment. We have been here the last 15 years, and we plan on being here for many more years to come. That is why we invest so much of our resources in the client’s experience. Anyone can sell you a water treatment system, but few can provide you with our superior level of service. That is why my dad started this company – because he knew there was a better way to serve our clients. I remember Tom Irmen (co-owner of this publication) telling me at a young age, “Jonathan, it’s not that your dad does anything special. He just does what he says he is going to do.” I didn’t understand the importance of that comment at that time, but the older I get, the more I realize that it truly is that simple.
MV: In closing, is there anything you would like to add?
Krista: We believe that upgrading your water is the easiest way to protect your two biggest investments: YOU and your home. Our tagline is “We will change your water, it will change your life,” and we truly believe that. Not only from our personal experiences, but also from the stories 8,000+ clients have shared with us. It cost you $0 to learn how we can help you improve your most precious resource: Water. Whether you’re on well water or city water, we have the knowledge, people, products, and experience to help you live a healthier life through better water. We hope to talk with you soon and welcome you into the Aqua Clear family.
Aqua Clear Water Systems
1767 Kevin Lane
Lenoir City, TN 37772
865-225-6555
www.aquaclearws.com
