Helpful Facts about Whole-House Water Filters

Beverage companies have made a lot of money on marketing clean bottled water on the idea that it is from natural and pure sources, that is why it is a lot safer compared to regular, tap water. Marketing campaigns from these companies have been very successful in making the public suspicious of the liquid coming from their faucet, that sales skyrocketed at least 700% between 1996 to 2006.

And from 1999 to 2018, the per capita of consuming bottled liquid has increased from 17 gallons to 43 gallons. It also increases environmental degradation, human rights abuse, and landfill waste associated with bottled water manufacturing.

Not only that, but research also shows that these products are no safer than the liquid coming out of your faucets. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, bottled liquids, like any type of water, can be expected to have some forms of contaminants, although that doesn’t make it unsafe.

To know more about US EPA, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Environmental_Protection_Agency for more information.

There is a better option for making sure that the liquid flowing inside your house is as safe as possible: the use of filters. Putting clean and safe filters in every home are less expensive and less environmentally damaging compared to its bottled counterparts. If homeowners choose the screen that suits their home needs, they can eliminate or at least minimize the contaminants of the most pressing concern in your place. Here are what people need to know.

How safe is tap water?

According to the Safe Water Drinking Act, the United States EPA or Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for setting the standards for the country’s drinking liquid. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates at least 80 contaminants like chlorine, cryptosporidia, e-coli, arsenic, and lead – usually found in the drinking water from the country’s public supply systems.

While the Environmental Protection Agency says that at least 90% of United States open systems meet the agency’s standards, homeowners may want to use a filter to ensure their water’s safety further. According to a 2015 research by NRDC or Natural Resources Defense Council, a non-profit organization, because of the combination of pollution, as well as deteriorating pipes and equipment, the public supplies at least 18 million residents have lead violations.

Other Environmental Protection Agency-restricted contaminants (whether unenforceable suggested or legal limits) and may cause health problems for some people. So even though if the test is okay, as well as its sources, public water can still pick up a lot of contaminants on the way to the faucet. Contaminants that snuck into the supply include fecal waste, lead, arsenic, fuel, as well as chemical byproducts created during the treatment of the supply.

Exposure to these contaminants can cause a lot of health problems, ranging from stomach aches and nausea to cancer and developmental issues. Experts estimate that at least 900,000 people get sick in the United States, and more or less 900 people die every year from contaminated private and public drinking liquid. Despite this problem with the supply, it is still just as safe as its bottled counterpart, despite the millions or billions of dollars companies spend to make people think that bottled ones are a lot better.

Check out this site for more information about common pollutants or contaminants.

Assess the tap water

There is not a one-type-fits-all kind of safe filter: not every filter will eliminate all known contaminants. People will save a lot of money, as well as ensure that they are targeting specific pollutants in the area by doing a lot of research beforehand.

A lot of people buy the wrong device because they did not do the necessary research. They have wasted resources and money on a system that is not making their supply safer. To start, check the Consumer Confidence Report of the utility, which they need to mail to users every year before July 1, according to the law.

This report details where the supply comes from, the contaminants found in it, and the level of pollutants compared to national standards. Homeowners can call their service providers for the copy or check www.epa.gov/safewater to see if the copy is available on the Internet. While the report can tell users, what is going on with the supply in your area, the test will tell people what they are drinking for sure. To look for state-certified laboratories test the supply, visit the Environmental Protection Agency website for more information.

If the supply comes from a privately-owned deep well, it is not regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, so people should have their supply tested every year, especially during late spring when runoff of dangerous pesticides is at its peak. Anytime they notice a change in the taste and color of the water.

Find the safest and most reliable type of filter

The filters come in various types, from built-in, ref to plastic pitcher ones, to under-the-sink and faucet filters, to whole houses water filtration system that combines varieties of media types and treats the supply in your house. The kind of screen to be used will always depend on the needs of the homeowner.

If, after checking the CCR or Consumer Confidence Report, and you find that the supply regularly tests better compared to the level set by the Environmental Protection Agency, you may just want to use a filter that can remove chemicals that the local utility uses to help treat the liquid.

These chemicals may not or may show up on the report. Ask or call the service provider if it uses chlorine or lead, which can cause a lot of health problems like respiratory and neurological harm, or chloramine, which can be very harmful to our respiratory and circulatory system. If combined with organic elements during the treatment process, chlorine can produce carcinogenic byproducts.

The best filter to remove chlorine and its byproducts is a combination of Kinetic Degradation Fluxion and carbon absorption filter. It is different from a different chemical process compared to absorption and ranges from faucet and shower filters to whole-house and sink filters. Regular carbon devices will not remove chloramine, that is why homeowners need to look for catalytic carbon filters instead.