Has to be more then just sand. My guess would be DI resin ? Or maybe some type of crushed Zeolite ? Been running an RODI filter on some Texas tap water. Out of the tap it is 450-500 ppm. My RODI (reverse osmosis and deionization unit) filter it down to about 1 ppm. When you buy filtered water from stores around here, that is filtered as you get it, the ppm is still around 90. It is safe to drink though.
The Zero system brings it down to 0 ppm. But the filters cost about $15 each.