Why in the world would a family history website contain a page devoted to Willard Water? Permit me to explain. In 2004 I was listening to a radio interview with the authors of The Calcium Bomb, a book about the evolving science of nanobacteria. I experienced an "ah ha" moment that night. It was as if a neon sign lit up in front of my eyes and was flashing 'Willard Water' 'Willard Water' 'Willard Water'. It was at the particular point of the show where the authors were discussing a peer reviewed scientific paper from the October 2004 Journal of Pathophysiology in which they described reduction of coronary artery calcium in atherosclerotic plaques using a combination of oral tetracycline and a suppository of EDTA. The lights started flashing when they talked about how they thought the EDTA worked. In my mind I knew that oral Willard might work the same way and might an oral regimen be better than using a nightly suppository?

So began about a 6 month search of everything I could find out about Willard Water. I started by visiting CAW industries where Willard Water is produced and asking many questions. I was granted access to Dr. Willard's papers and some of his private thoughts searching for "why does Willard Water work", and "What is the mechanism of action"? One simple paper, aged, dog eared and yellowed caught my eye. Dr. Willard, in his own handwriting had penned the mechanism to be "a free radical scavenger". For those of you who want to read more you might want to read What Advanced Practice Nurses Need To Know About Free Radicals

Willard Water is a potent free radical scavenger! By simply "googling" free radical scavenger you can obtain over 1,790,000 references! Yes there are many, from Vitamin E, Vitamin C, red jensing and other exotic substances. But Willard Water is WATER, that substance that brings substance to all the cells in our body and likewise removes the toxins and transports them our kidney for excretion from our bodies.

Why is this important? Simply, in my understanding, when cells become damaged they release huge numbers of free radicals and circulating free radicals tend to damage more cells and the process perpetuates itself unless something brings it under control

Dr. Willard taught Chemistry at the South Dakota School of Mines when I began my journey into a medical career in 1959. Dr. Willard became professor emeritus of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. During his career he developed and patented "Dr. Willard's Water®" later known as "Willard Water®".

In July 1980 the subcommittee on Health and Long-Term Care, U.S. House of Representatives held hearings in Rapid City, South Dakota. Witnesses were heard and even though every thing was positive somehow as so often happens in government, interest just stopped. Congressional recess was looming more important and the country was in the midst of a Presidential campaign. There wasn't any interest in a product that could be made for pennies and then sold for more pennies for only penny profit no matter the benefit to humankind. There was more money available for bullets and bombs than for biomedical research.

Willard Water became mostly a local product used by those in the community that were knowledgeable about it. The local agriculture community became one of the biggest users and supporters and there was also use within the local medical community, FDA be damned!

Willard Water is still produced in Rapid City by CAW Industries, a company now run by Dr. Willard's son John Willard Jr. Dr. Willard died November 25, 1991.