Finding ultra-pure water locally...

Tbg: My comments regarding distillation were only with respect to the fact that distilled water is a far cry from ultrapure as the original poster intimated (ie. ultrapure, lab grade, triple distilled all essentially being the same).

With respect to softening, it can be and is often used as the very first stage (followed by 5 or 6 others) in producing ultrapure water.

Hdm, the reason we have a RO device is that the sodium content of our water is quite high, but it could not be softer or we would never get soap off our bodies. I would just imagine that even a home RO machine would easily get lime or other minerals out of the water as easily as it would get salts out.

The Rep for Peak Battery Water has said that their water has been de-ionized and de-mineralized. He also said the water had been subjected to RO and repeatly filtered. I purchase Peak @ Pep Boys Auto for $4.00 a Ga.Very little information on the water product beyond Battery Water is listed on the lable. Since I use Peak to Steam Cleaning LPs combo'ing with RCM and a fast acting record drying/destatic machine, used in that combination, I haven't had static problems w/ cleaned recordings.

Readers: A funny thing happen on the way to Super Pure Water.

Following suggestions made on a couple of Threads I set out with correct vinyl Gallon container in hand for Water from three recommended places Whole Foods, a Organic FoodStore and a Pet Fish Shop.

Firstly, the water sources available for people consumption had all been doused with minerals, and Fish Shops in my area say the source water in this part of Maryland is so clean out of the tap they only charcole filter before using in the fish tanks.

Well no brass ring, so the journey continues for cheap sources of SP Water .

Following is a link to the reagent grade water Albert Porter ordered. One can buy 5 gallons for $50-the issue then is to have some smaller containers to transfer into. While $50 for 5 gallons of water may seem expensive, it is dirt cheap in terms of buying commercial cleaning solutions (and I have found the commercial solutions to be worth their price compared to DIY solutions so I am certainly not a cheapskate). I'm still experimenting with cleaning and steaming ONLY with ultrapure water and no commercial cleaning fluids and beginning to lean toward the opinion that only ultrapure and steaming may actually be the best way to clean records or at least the vast majority of them, and if that is indeed the case, 5 gallons of ultrapure will clean literally thousands of records.

I can't comment on the quality of the linked water as I'm using ultrapure from my wife's lab which essentially goes through the 6 stage process I outlined above in this thread. I know that what I'm using is very pure and I've been really pleased with the results having formerly used the RRL/Mo-Fi products (both Super Deep and SVW). I'm still unsure as to whether I can do without the Super Deep, but I've long since stopped using the Super Vinyl Wash as the Ultrapure Water I'm using is, in my opinion, both a better cleaning agent than the SVW and leaves absolutely no sonic signature like the SVW.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/casco-nerl-water-reagent-grade-9800-5.html