In the 1960's, NASA developed an electrolytic silver ionizer to purify the astronauts drinking water for use on the Apollo missions. Today silver is used in medications for treatment of burn patients to prevent infections, for newborns to prevent blindness, to make bacteria free cosmetics, in drinking water filters, and for filling cavities in teeth to help prevent further decay. Copper based algicides have long been used in swimming pools, fountains, lakes and ponds to safely control algae problems. The process of an atom gaining or losing electrons is called ionization. The Carefree Clearwater system generates copper and silver ions in minute quantities for water purification.
Copper is a needed micronutrient in our diets.
In fact, in order to meet the recommended minimum daily requirements, you would have to drink a gallon of your ionized pool water per day. The EPA standard for our drinking water is 1.3 ppm of copper. A safe low DC current like that of several flashlight batteries is passed through a set of copper and silver alloy anodes. As the water passes through the sealed chamber, metallic ions are generated to purify the water. The microscopic action of the ions with the algae and bacteria are twofold.