For many people the assumption is that you turn on the faucet and it’s safe to drink the water that comes out.
However, this is not always the case. The standards for water treatment vary from country to country and it remains possible that the water can be tainted between the treatment plant and your home.
Issues With Tap Water
Tap water comes from the treatment plant where it is filtered to remove debris and chemicals are added before it’s tested. The major chemicals are chlorine and fluoride.
Chlorine is known to kill bacteria, making it an effective way of keeping your water safe to drink. Fluoride has been shown to strengthen bones and teeth, adding it to the water reduces the number of cavities in children and adults.
However, the water goes through hundreds of miles of pipes, during that journey it can pick up additional debris and even bacteria, especially if the pipe has a tiny crack in it.
Alongside this, chlorine can cause respiratory issues in some people and there are those that say fluoride increases the risk of cancer.
That means you need to ask if the tap water is really the best thing for you to be drinking.
Fortunately, there are an array of filters designed to work in your home and help you to feel confident about the quality of the water you’re drinking.
Activated Carbon
This is one of the most common types of water filter. It can be fitted into your supply line for your whole house, located to provide filtered water at just one tap, or even used in a jug to provide filtered water.
The activated carbon has a large surface area which allows it to absorb a variety of components in water, including chlorine and dissolved volatile organic compounds, (including herbicides and pesticides).
They also make the water taste better and removes unwanted odors.
Reverse Osmosis
Choosing a reverse osmosis water filter is a great way to ensure your water is safe. It works by forcing the water through a semi-permeable membrane. The membrane is designed to allow water through bit no molecules bigger than water. This is a great way of removing minerals and chemicals from the water although it is not effective at removing chlorine or VOCs.
However, a good reverse osmosis filter will work in stages, combining its effects with activated carbon filters to remove all other compounds, giving you exceptionally pure water.
UV Filters
This is a growing sector of the industry. UV rays are known to kill bacteria. This filter pulses the waves through the water. The UV rating is high in order to minimize the amount of time it takes to kill bacteria.
Softeners
These are designed to remove minerals from the water making it softer and easy to lather, as well as safer to drink.
They work by utilizing an ion exchange unit that attracts the hard metal and leaves sodium ions in their place.
Using a filter or a combination of filters is a great way to ensure the tap water you use is safe, no matter where you are in the world.
