Are you concerned about the quality of water in your home and want to drink better tasting water? A water filtration system can guarantee clean water for drinking and other purposes. But, there are several things that you must consider before installing a water filtration system and the most important of those is that: Do you really need a water filtration system? We’ll answer this question!
According to EPA, 90 percent of the water supply in United States is safe to drink, but this number varies from state to state. Additionally, EPA uses the word ‘safe’ in its statement and safe doesn’t really mean ‘healthy’. The water coming directly from the tap can contain contaminants like fluoride and chloramines that have harmful effects on human health. We know you are thinking about water bottles right now, but even those aren’t a viable option.
Water Bottles Are a Big No!
Many people in United States believe that bottled water is healthier than unfiltered tap water, but in reality, bottled water isn’t subject to the same level of regulation and scrutiny as tap water and there isn’t any research which can proof that bottled water is safer than unfiltered tap water.
While the government requires water utilities to disclose their results of testing to the public, companies distributing water bottled aren’t required to publish such results. So with bottled water, you can never be sure about what you are getting. Research carried out on bottled water found contaminants like arsenic, pain medication, fertilizer residue and disinfection products in these waters.
Water Filtration is Essential
Bottled water isn’t any cleaner than tap water so it means that buying bottled water is not a viable option for you. With that settled, let’s focus on tap water. The tap water in your home can contain chemicals that you cannot afford to drink or absorb into the skin while taking a bath. The reason there is a high possibility of such chemicals being present in your tap water is because pollution standards covering tap water aren’t sufficiently strict and only the microorganisms and pollutants that can make us immediately sick are covered by those standards.
Chlorine is added to tap water to eliminate bacteria. In many cities, fluoride is also added to the water as it is believed that fluoride helps improve dental health when in fact it does not.
Many water districts have begun adding chloramines to the water. Chloramines are a mixture of chlorine and ammonia and these chemical has changed the water filtration landscape. That’s because chloramines require a lot of effort to remove and these chemical even leach different metals like lead and copper from the pipe into the water. Research shows that chlorine is associated with increase in asthma, skin irritations and cancer. But chloramines, fluoride and chlorine aren’t the only things in water that you must worry about.
The Environmental Working Group agency analyzed samples of drinking water from various water utilities and detected 316 pollutants in water that is supplied to cities. One such pollutant that was found in almost every source of tap water was Trihalomethanes. Trihalomethanes forms from chlorine’s reaction with organic matter like runoff from sewage, farms or deal insects and leaves. Trihalomethanes are hard to prevent in water systems and have been linked to serious illnesses.
Trihalomethanes can be absorbed through our skin and ingested as well; therefore it is essential to keep them out of the bathing and cooking water.
You may have guessed by now that the tap water in your home cannot be trusted to safe and healthy, but what about well water, is it safe from contamination? Well water can get polluted by radioactive particles, animal manure, toxic chemicals and naturally occurring arsenic or fluoride. Thus, it means that even the well water needs be regularly tested to ensure that it is safe from contamination.
If you drink, wash dishes, cook, bathe and brush teeth from the tap water, you can be exposed to dangerous chemicals because government regulations aren’t tight enough to provide us safe and healthy tap water. This is why filtering water is essential.
Checking the Quality of Water
Environmental Working Group (EWG) has tested tap water for many components that aren’t tested by municipal utilities, so their reports can provide information about what is in your water and how safe it really is. Information about the quality of water can also be acquired from the water quality report that your water utility annually publishes. Usually, water concentrations and contaminants detected are presented in tables. Carefully, look at the levels of lead, chromium-6, arsenic and trihalomethanes. If they exceed the regulatory limits, they can cause serious health issues. The reason finding information about the kind of pollutants in your water is essential is because it can help you decide the water filtration system that will be best for removing them.
Whole-house water filtration works best for removing things like rust, scale, and sediment. Tap-based water filtration systems are better at removing things like organic chemicals and chlorine byproducts or industrial solvents. So, you can choose the water filtration system depending upon the type of contaminants that need to be filtered.
The Bottom Line
In a nutshell, the tap water contains contaminants and chemicals that can be harmful for your health. Even the bottled water isn’t as safe as many people think and has chemicals that are unsafe for human body. Thus, you really need to install a water filtration system in your home! Choose the type of system by determining the impurities and contaminants in your tap water through the EWG’s reports and annual reports of your water utility.
Once you have chosen the water filtration system you need for your home, give a call to Mesa Plumbing Company to install the system. If you are unsure about the type of system you need for your home, we will help you find the right system for you and your family.