Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who live in an area with pristine water. But most of us aren’t. Typical tap water can be loaded with contaminants. It’s actually distressing to find out that the water flowing from our taps is really a cocktail of chemicals and potential wastewater releases. Sure, they filter and treat the city water to make it “safe” but is it really? I looked up the report on my cities water from the water board and was horrified by what I saw.
According to the CDC (2) here are a few of the ingredients you’ll find in typical tap water:
- Excess Fluoride
- E Coli
- Aluminum
- Cryptosporidium
- Salmonella
- Hepatitis A
- Norovirus
- Shigella
- Giardia
- Legionella
- Campylobacter
- Copper
- Prescription Drugs
There is also the fertilizer and pesticide runoffs from the massive agriculture fields. Apparently there is a dead zone in the gulf of Mexico where little fishes can’t survive from the immense runoff of these noxious chemicals down the Mississippi River. There are other dead zones too, just using this as an example. Then add in the waste from the concentrated feeding operations. I call these ‘Cow Concentration Camps’. And add in the naturally occurring contaminants like arsenic, uranium and radon. Have I frightened you against drinking tap water? I hope so.
You can look up your areas water quality by going to:
You can also look up ground water contaminants by going to:
https://water.usgs.gov/edu/groundwater-contaminants.html
There are several options that you can utilize to minimize your exposure to contaminants in your drinking water.
Bottled Water
Plastic water bottles contribute to environmental pollution and plastic additives leach into the water (USA Today). 4 out of 5 bottled water companies don’t publish the results of their water quality testing. Unfortunately it is not required by law that the contaminant levels be disclosed. This is disheartening to me because as a trusting public we buy water in plastic bottles thinking that we are drinking pure and safe water. Because the plastic particles leach into the water inside the bottle it is a wiser choice to purchase verified spring water in glass bottles if you’re going to buy bottled water.
Water Filters
According to the Water Quality Association some common waterborne contaminants include:
- Aluminum
- Ammonia
- Arsenic
- Barium
- Cadmium
- Chloramine
- Chromium
- Copper
- Fluoride
- Bacteria & Viruses
- Lead
- Nitrates/Nitrites
- Mercury
- Perchlorate
- Radium
- Selenium
- Silver
- Uranium
I don’t know about you but I want these out of my drinking water. Here are a few options to improve the quality of your water..
Most newer refrigerators today come with water filters to clean the water for your ice and water. They have replaceable carbon filters. You can also use a countertop pitcher with a carbon filter. If you want to go a step further and make sure you’re getting the best water quality for you and your family here are a few other options to consider.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification technology that uses a semipermeable membrane to remove ions, molecules and larger particles from drinking water. (1)
The benefits of a reverse osmosis system in that it removes chlorine, organic and inorganic contaminants and 80% of the fluoride in tap water.
The drawbacks of installing this type of system is that it can be pricey and you’ll usually need to hire a plumber to install your unit.
Ion Exchange Filter
Ion exchange is an exchange of ions between two electrolytes or between an electrolyte solution and a complex. In most cases the term is used to denote the processes of purification, separation, and decontamination of aqueous and other ion-containing solutions with solid polymeric or mineralic “ion exchangers”. (Wikipedia)
The benefits of an ion exchange filter is that it removes calcifying dissolved salts and helps prevent scale buildup. It softens water and works well with carbon filters.
Granular Carbon & Carbon Block Filters
Carbon filtering is a method of filtering that uses a bed of activated carbon to remove contaminants and impurities, using chemical adsorption.
Each particle, or granule, of carbon provides a large surface area, or pore structure, allowing contaminants the maximum possible exposure to the active sites within the filter media. One gram of activated carbon has a surface area in excess of 3,000 m2 (32,000 sq ft). (Wikipedia)
The benefits of carbon filters are that they remove pesticides, herbicides and industrial chemicals. The most common carbon filters can be found in countertop and under the counter filters. Carbon block filters are compressed to eliminate any contaminants from escaping.
I personally have a well rounded whole house water filter for my home. It is important to me that I keep my family protected from harmful contaminants as much as possible. The system I use is Pure Effects Filters. It removes fluoride, chlorine and radiation. I absolutely love this filter. I think you will too.