Sequim Gazette staff
Todd Rosbach and his old friend Jack Gorlie have established a new business in Sequim, selling and servicing Enagic machines that produce “Kangen water.”
Starting with regular tap water, the machines produce seven kinds of modified water, each with a different pH level. These various end-products have different uses, from housecleaning to enhancing personal health.
Kangen water is known already on the peninsula: There are several homeowners in Sequim who now have the machines, Rosbach said.
But before the two opened the new Sequim location, Sequimites were required to go to Seattle to purchase one of the units or to have an existing unit serviced.
That’s important because the machines have a lifetime warranty.
Gorlie, a Port Townsend resident, said he got into the business because Kangen water “has done so much for me.”
While he’s normally a snowbird, he’s hanging in on the peninsula this winter to help start the business in Sequim.
Fortunately, he said, due to the healthful properties of the water, “my arthritis isn’t hurting at all.”
A little history
Rosbach said Kangen water has been around for more than 40 years.
It all began in the 1950s when a group of Russian scientists started a research project on four of the world’s “miracle waters,” including those at Lourdes, a pilgrimage site in France.
When the Russians ran out of funding, Japanese scientists picked up the research. They discovered that the water at the four sites is chemically different, with much higher levels of active hydrogen than what is ordinarily found in water.
After discovering the secret, the Japanese began building the first machines that could mechanically create water with similar properties.
Those first machines, which would fill an entire room, were sold to hospitals. Those living near the hospitals would bring gallon jugs to fill with the water, creating long lines in towns across Japan.
Even today Kangen water is a staple in Japanese hospitals.
Getting small
In 1974, Hironari Oshiro, a Sony executive, decided to take up the challenge of building a machine for households. That’s how Enagic began.
“The first order of business was to get it small enough,” Rosbach said.
Rosbach and Gorlie are now in the business of selling the resulting Kangen water machines, which range in price from $1,300 to $5,000.
The company doesn’t sell the produced water because it’s only effective for two hours after being generated.
The most highly acidic water is used for household cleaning, sanitizing and other uses. Though it’s deadly to microorganisms, including MRSA, “It’s just water,” Rosbach said. “It has no added chemicals.”
A less acidic version of the Kangen water is used for skin care.
The alkaline water is for drinking, with many reporting it has beneficial properties.
“We make no health claims,” Rosbach was quick to note, but added that most of those who drink it feel better and more energetic.
The most important aspect of the water, he said, is that it is more easily absorbed by the body’s cells.
Most H2O contains clusters of 15-20 molecules. Kangen water has 5-6 molecules, allowing it to move more easily into cells. That allows better absorption of nutrients by the cells and more efficient removal of wastes.
To try it out, sign up for a 30-day free trial.
Kangen Water is at 720 E. Washington St., Suite 102. It’s open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. For more information, call 681-2788.
