If you’re smart, you don’t drink from the tap in Kyiv, much less any other region of Ukraine. LetХs face it, this is the country where the worldХs worse-ever nuclear accident occurred. Even without the radiation risk, the water is laden with all kinds of heavy metals. And with flavors that run the gamut from rust to rotten egg, itХs just not that tasty.
Boiling tap water for 20 minutes will kill bacteria, but it does not remove the host of cruddy stuff that gets into the ground water or infiltrates the drinking water through the pipes. Your best bet is to eliminate the grime by using some sort of filter.
Surprisingly, brand-name stores, such as Philips, Bosch and Tefal donХt sell water filters at all.
Most smaller household-appliance stores offer the so-called ТjarУ filters: ceramic mugs with coal filters. You pour in water into the jar and then pour it out and itХs purified. The most popular kind of jar filter is called Britta. Prices range between Hr 70 and Hr 220 depending on the size. Most retailers buy a small number of water filters and run out quickly. The most likely places to find a good Britta filter are at Domotekhnika, 40 Velyka Vasylkivska, tel: 227-2165; and Kyyanka, 9 Mechnykova, 573-8741.
Note that after using the device for about six months, the coal filter must be changed. Before you buy a filter, make sure itХs reusable and that you will be able to find refills for it.
The Ukrainian-manufactured Eko are more expensive, but much more convenient.
Eko-222 costs $70.40. The latest model Eko-2,000 costs $78. It has a water magnetizer and its coal part is a one and a half times larger than that of the previous model.
Unlike the jar filters, Ekos are hooked to your water system with a hose. After running cold water, you press a button, and the tap water goes through the filter. This way you can filter large amounts of water at a time.
The Eko system filters out various admixtures, particles and bacteria that are larger than 0.3 microns, including the bacteria of cholera, tuberculosis, plague and dysentery. It also removes almost all harmful compounds of iron, many compounds of manganese and most radioactive elements.
After using the Eko for one week, the gray ceramic bulb becomes rusty-orange and covered with mucus. ItХs an eye-opening experience to see what you had been drinking before the water was filtered.
To get rid of the yucky stuffy, clean the bulb with steel wool under warm water. The bulb should be cleaned once or twice a week.
The Eko distributor, Go Best International, provides a one-year warranty. Parts, including the ceramic bulb, which must be changed every two years, can be purchased separately at Go Best, 13 Frunze, 417-3134.
The selling price includes delivery and installation services.
There is an alternative to filtering water. The Kyiv Business Directory lists five companies that deliver spring water to homes and businesses. The water delivery services sell or rent the water receptacles in addition to the water.
Anna Kozmina
