a self - energizing water treating assembly capable of being either removably disposed in a container through which a stream of water flows or in a tank containing a stationary body of water to render the water slightly alkaline , remove free dissolved oxygen from the water , forms gelatinous thixotropic suspensions that envelops foreign particled material in the water and render the same substantially tasteless and odorless , and minimizes the tendency of minerals in the water being deposited as hard scale on the tubes or containers in which the water is heated or transformed to steam .