ivymike and Compositepro,
Both suggestion rung some bells from my days around an ice plant. The ice cans are frozen by immersing the cans in circulating brine tank, so it will freeze from the outside to form a pipe. Also there is an air bubblier that takes care of the circulation in the can. The clear ice you see carved is 72 hour ice and the core is washed out three times.
Yes I know there is cheaper water but this approach is dictated
Ye,s zone refining works with water/ice. Check the ice formed on a lake. We have ice machines on fishing boats that make ice from sea water. It can be a little salty but can be adjusted to give ice with very low sodium.
Before the advent of ice plants ice was harvested in New England and shipped to the Gulf Coast. Aside from the cork insulation on the cargo hole it was packed with sawdust.