RE²AL WATER

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Re2al Water® was another marketing ploy designed to separate customers from their cash by peddling what comes out of a domestic tap for a less than 1¢ a gallon[note 1] as a physically altered (and improved) premium product costing about $9 a gallon[2] — over 1000 times more expensive. As a bonus, Real Water was also toxic.

The claims[edit]

Real Water claimed that the water that is delivered to your house is "damaged" by being "stripped of electrons(-)" as it travels "through pipes, filtration systems, and various devices". This makes the water no longer water since atoms won't bond into molecules without electrons "positive(+) ionized" and "very acidic". The details of how exactly this works is left to the readers' imaginations.

What it is[edit]

Real Water was filtered and sterilized municipal water with the claimed addition of "potassium and magnesium".[note 2] The patented "E2 electron energized technology" process is claimed to add "hundreds of millions of free electrons" to "unclump" the water and give it an alkaline pH. This caused chemists and physicists to clutch their hearts.

Real Water Concentrate[edit]

No, it's not a joke. Re2al Water® was available as a concentrate.[3]

A 4 oz (or 120 ml) bottle of "concentrated" Re2al Water was claimed to treat more than 7 gallons,[note 3] a dilution rate of 1:240.

Re2al Plant Water[edit]

If you were feeling particularly gullible, you could have splashed out on bottles of Re2al Water to water your garden.[note 4] The website claims:[4]

“”Real Plant Maximizer is a super growth enhancer. Like Real Water (tm) it contains negatively ionized water that enhances the absorption through the cell walls. Typically you can expect upt[sic] to 30% faster plant growth and up to 20% larger fruit yeild.[sic]

And this all for the bargain price of $39.95 a quart. Now, how far is a quart of water going to go in your garden?

The science behind Real Water[edit]

Two tumbleweeds rolling across the screen, from left to right.

We're waiting…

Public-healthy crisis[edit]

On March 18, 2021, Real Water pulled its products after federal and local health officials advised people to stop drinking it after Real Water was linked to liver problems in five hospitalized children who lived in four different households. Six other people, three children and three adults, were investigated for less-severe symptoms.

"Acute non-viral hepatitis is a liver inflammation that can be caused by exposure to toxins, autoimmune disease or drinking too much alcohol, the district said," CBSNews.com reported. "Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools, joint pain and yellow skin or eyes."[5]

There was no mention of the magical properties Real Water claims, nor of the apparent impossibility of their claims.

Lawsuit(s)[edit]

On March 16, 2021, a father filed a lawsuit in Nevada on behalf of himself, his wife, and their young son for allegedly becoming ill drinking the water. A daughter who did not drink the water did not become ill.[5] According to court expert witness testimony, Real Water contained hydrazine (N2H4), which was formed during the untested manufacturing process.[6] A jury in the trial awarded the seven plaintiffs $228.5 million.[6] As of 2023, lawsuits by about a hundred people who claim to have been injured are still pending.[6] Hydrazine is highly toxic to humans in high doses.[7]

According to Will Kemp, the plaintiffs' lawyer, the hydrazine was formed from electrifying titanium tubes that were bought "from some Russian guy in the 80s", and that the developer of the process worked in his basement for five months until he had something that didn't make him vomit or have diarrhea.[6]

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

Official & affiliated sites[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ The largest monthly bill for a family of four using 50 gallons per person per day (4 × 30 × 50 = 6000 gal.) is $44, which equates to 0.7¢ per gallon.[1]
  2. ↑ As potassium metal reacts violently with water (as does magnesium), the additives were likely salts such as potassium chloride, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, or magnesium chloride.
  3. ↑ Dosage rate is 1 ml per 8 oz glass of water. So 120 ml would treat 120 × 8 oz = 60 pints = 7½ gallons.
  4. ↑ This put them into direct competition with Brawndo, which has electrolytes — it's what plants crave!

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Circle of Blue's urban water pricing survey (archived from November 27, 2011).
  2. ↑ Real Water sales site: 12 litres (3 gallons) for $28.00
  3. ↑ Re2al Water Concentrate sales pageimg
  4. ↑ http://affinitywater.com/product.php?productid=26img
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Real Water" recalled after it is linked to liver problems in kids (March 18, 2021 / 11:16 AM) AP via CBS News.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 “Real Water” that poisoned dozens contained chemical from rocket fuel: An expert witness testified hydrazine was likely formed during an electrolysis process. by Beth Mole (10/6/2023, 3:41 PM) Ars Technica.
  7. ↑ Hydrazine United States Environmental Protection Agency.
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