Where can I purchase water dispensers and reusable bottles?
Water dispensers for reusable bottles come in hot, cold, and "room temperature" styles. They're available at most large hardware stores and Amazon as well. Ceramic crock water coolers are an attractive way to dispense water and can be found at many value department stores.
Reusable plastic 3- and 5-gallon jugs are available at large hardware stores, most grocery stores, and Amazon. (Click here to view Amazon's selection.) Polycarbonate plastic bottles are clear, lightweight, durable, and shatter-resistant; they're used by bottled water companies and have been proven safe. (You can read more about BPA bottles here.)
Please note: While you can use glass bottles, be aware that they become very heavy when filled. We discourage the use of milk-bottle-style plastic bottles, as most are considered single-use containers.
Why is vended water so inexpensive?
When you have bottled water delivered, the price you pay includes the supplier's manufacturing, bottling, and distributing costs. When you purchase pre-bottled water at the grocery store, you're paying for the cost of the bottle, the bottling process, and the store's distribution. For varying reasons, such as the store's ability to purchase in large quantities, that water is less expensive than water delivered to your home or workplace, but it still costs more than our water.
When you buy water at our vending machines, it has been delivered to us in bulk. You bring your own clean, reusable bottles to fill, saving yourself the cost of replacing all those bottles. Best of all, you help the environment, because you're not adding all those single-use plastic bottles to landfills!
How should I store and clean my reusable bottles?
Make an initial investment on new 3 and 5-gallon reusable bottles, and use them over and over! We recommend that you do not store water near direct sunlight, as your bottles will eventually turn green from harmless algae growth. Sanitizing your bottles is easy! Before each third or fourth reuse, just fill them with hot water, adding 1/4 teaspoon of bleach and three drops of dish soap. Shake the bottle vigorously for 1 minute, making sure the inner surface is completely coated. Rinse the bottle with hot water.
What is deionized water?
Deionized water is considered "ultra-pure" - that is, it's actually purer than distilled water. Our deionized water undergoes a three-step cleaning process before being deionized. During deionization, hydrogen replaces the water’s positive ions, leaving it completely free of minerals and other particulates. Its lack of abrasives makes it ideal for machinery, humidifiers, CPAPs, and delicate chemical processes or other medical uses. Read more about our deionized water here.
What water do you recommend for drinking?
Our Sierra spring water is best for drinking purposes. It naturally contains healthy minerals your body needs, and the presence of those minerals gives it a great flavor! Our deionized water is best used in delicate machinery such as CPAP machines, or in the development of quality-controlled products. Read more about our spring water here.
How Is ozone used to disinfect water?
All of our water is sanitized daily through a gas called ozone. When ozone is mixed with water, it kills any bacteria or contamination that may be present.
In nature, ozone (O3) is created when oxygen molecules are exposed to UV rays from the sun or an electric charge from lightning. Some oxygen (O2) molecules are split into single oxygen atoms, which then combine with other O2 molecules to form ozone.
Machines can manufacture ozone by forcing oxygen or ambient air past a UV light source, or by sending a spark through a stream of oxygen or dry air. Ozone is 100 times stronger than chlorine and dissipates in 24 hours, even inside a bottle.
Many facilities, including most community water-treatment plants, use chlorine to remove bacteria from water. Chlorine has a long half-life, which allows it to function as a long-term sanitizer in our water supply. While chlorine is a miracle sanitizer that has saved lives ever since it was put into the public water system, there is still a lot of controversy about whether it has disadvantages to health. The smell of chlorine, however, is what makes most municipal water not taste as good as either spring water or drinking water that has been sanitized with ozone or ultraviolet light. We never use chlorine in our systems or water.
What are TDSs? Are they bad?
Total Dissolved Solids (TDSs) is a measurement of all the dissolved minerals found in water. Some minerals, such as lead, boron, and arsenic, are bad for you. Others may be desirable or undesirable, and some simply have a positive or negative effect on water flavor.
Filter companies make it seem like ALL TDSs are bad, since they are designed to remove approximately 93-95% of TDSs. However, in doing so they are also removing important minerals that make water taste good, and are good for you. Desirable minerals that add to flavor (and are present in our natural spring water) are calcium, magnesium, and potassium. TDSs aren’t always bad!
When can I use your vending machines?
Our vending machines are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We offer parking conveniently close to our vending machines, so you don't have to cart your refilled bottles back to a distant lot. All our lots are well-lit and equipped with cameras. Get your water safely and easily, on your own schedule!
Do I have to save up a bunch of quarters?
Our vending machines in Midtown Reno accept cash, credit or debit cards, and several e-pay options. There are also change machines available at this location. Our other locations accept $1 and 5$ bills and change. See individual locations for details.
