@128128terry11t, Terry, it was easy to grab from my Filing Cabinet the below .. hope it helps you make your own decision. Hugs to all! Katherine

FILTERATION OF HOME WATER SYSTEMS Hello Katherine, Again, apologize for the delayed response. Let me share with you information received from a colleague, Dr. Joseph Falkinham from Virginia Tech University. He is one of the leading experts in the country and world, studying these very issues for many years. I might add that there is no definitive data as to whether any of these home water modifications of exposure will impact the clinical course of pulmonary NTM patients, and if so to what extent. Likewise, it is equally unclear as to what impact these modifications would have on minimizing risk of development of pulmonary NTM disease if changes are made prior to development of disease. Please let me know if additional information is needed or if I can clarify further.
Regards,
Dr. A

(from Dr. Falkinham)
(1) Even with installation of a 0.2 micron meter pore size filter, the house will always have NTM as they are in the pipe biofilms. They grow in the biofilm on nutrients in the filtered water and inoculate the water.
(2) As an alternative, I suggest filters on just those water sources where aerosols can be generated; namely a shower and a water tap in the bathroom...maybe even in the kitchen. Those places should only be used by the NTM patient, not everyone, as the filters are expensive and need regular replacement.
(3) The 0.2 micron filters clog, so it is important to pre-filter the water (1-5 micrometer filters). The larger pore filters are less expensive than the expensive 0.2 micro meter pore size filters.
Content above is information provided by Aksamit, Timothy R., M.D. on 03-Feb-2017 14:09

@pamelasc1, Pamela I think you hit the nail on the head. You would have to CONSTANTLY have the water tested for mycobacterium because as Dr. Aksamit said .. my kitchen special filtration system ONLY has 0.2 micron filtered water going through it .. but he said the faucet itself would STILL retain SOME moisture after use/shut off .. developing in biofilm in the faucet .. developing in mycobacterium!!

I LOVED THIS NOTE OF SANITY FROM MEMBER @maryjo2sell .. Mary Jo Just to join the discussion I think sometimes we can get carried away with prevention and protection from mycobacterium. We can filter our water pipes at home, then go to a restaurant and drink their water and use their ice cubes. We take a walk and pass water vapor from an air conditioner or a beautiful, decorative fountain. We work in our yard and get bacteria from the soil. There is no bubble. We should be cautious, but I don't think any of us truly know how we got our NTM. (non-tuberculosis mycobacterium). I got mine (Kansasii) years ago and was asked did I go to a foreign country. No-and I still have no idea how I got it while my husband and kids did not. I keep my faucets cleaned out and my shower heads, but I just went to a hotel when I went to Mayo. I doubt they cleaned their shower heads! So some prevention is good, but we have to live. (p.s. After I read Mary Jo's note I thought about I had just been to a movie the night before .. had a soda out of THEIR faucet with IT'S biofilm and had ice cubes from THEIR machine .. had not even thought about it! Plus had dinner at a restaurant before that .. just think about that .. heavens protect us!! Mary Jo is SO correct in bringing sanity to our conversation!)

FILTERED RERIGERATOR WATER AND ICE CUBES https://www.nationaljewish.org/getattachment/professionals/Newsletters/NTM-TB-Insights-Newsletter/NTM-TB-INSIGHTS-September-2015.pdf.aspx Don’t drink from built in refrigerator tap or use ice. High numbers of NTM are in refrigerator tap water and ice. In one instance, the DNA fingerprint of the isolates from the refrigerator tap water were identical to those of a patient who drank the water. The tap water coming into the refrigerator collects in a large reservoir and the warmth of the machinery warms the water (before cooling), so the reservoir has lots of NTM.

Terry, in regards to " distilled water for those of us who wish to rinse aerobika/nebulizer in distilled water after it soaks in sudsy regular water?" .. since I steralize my Aerobika using the below method .. I have not used distilled water .. but that is just me .. from my File Cabinet:

I can ONLY speak for myself .. I follow the cleaning method on the Aerobika website: https://www.monaghanmed.com/patients-education .. the same one that came with the Aerobika.
1. I use very warm water .. I use a 4 cup plastic measuring cup to wash the various parts .. I like the cup handle as I agitate the parts I am cleaning!

Norpro 4-Cup Plastic Measuring Cup https://smile.amazon.com/Norpro-4-Cup-Plastic-Measuring-Cup/dp/B000HJBFFS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1493589199&sr=8-1&keywords=4+CUP+measure+plastic

I USE THE: The First Years Power of Steam Electric Steam Sterilizer (I remove ONE shelve & make the bottom shelf TALLER to accommodate the tall nebulizer with two other more narrow shelves) https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WN2B6O/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I use a bit of antibacterial dish soap. Suds it up .. agitate .. hold the parts and shake them very thoroughly through the sudsy water.
2. Let the parts soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Then several times fill the measuring cup with very warm rinse water .. again agitate the parts thoroughly to make sure they are thoroughly clean of the antibacterial dish soap.
3. I then toss them into the large round center baby sterilizer with the drainage holes at the bottom for storage (that I have removed from the unit) until I am ready to sterilize them all at one time. (This may sound dumb but I store all this equipment in my unused bathtub since I only use my shower!)
4. When I sterilize .. I make SURE I place the AEROBICA on THE TOP SHELF!! After I do sterilize them .. I let the sterilizer cool down. Re assemble and I am good to go! I use distilled water .. I feel it is a good cautionary detail to keep the unit in good condition. If you are unsure you could confirm by calling 800) 833-9653 .. or better yet .. ask your Pulmonologist or respiratory therapist .

I called Aerobika Customer Service directly and told them my cleaning method .. their only concern was that I rinse well the antibacterial dish soap after soaking. BUT they are NOT experts on MAC or Bronchiectasis. https://www.monaghanmed.com/patients-education. They finally admitted their ONLY cleaning research was based on boiling SO cannot comment on any cleaning method other than boiling .. baby bottle sterilizing? LIABILITY!!

IF you are using inhaled saline (Sodium Chloride Inhalation Solution) with your Aerobika .. I found a good price at: http://justnebulizers.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=p22f81cn .. I purchased the 5 package. I use the same cleaning method.

From Member @jenblalock, Every few days I sterilize by putting in Dr. Browns bags (can get at Amazon) with a few ounces of distilled water and microwaving on high for 2 minutes. https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Browns-Microwave-Steam-Sterilizer/dp/B0035LQNNE?th=1 ($5.99 About the product: Sterilized eliminating 99.9% of most household bacteria and germs Five sterilizer bags come to a pack and each bag is reusable up to 20 times This offers 100 uses per retail pack)