Many people seem to feel as though tap water is just fine as a source of drinking water, and that water filtration systems are nothing more than a means to make money. The water that comes out of your tap has already gone through water treatment and some degree of filtration by your municipality, so why would you have to take even more precautions? Unfortunately, the treatment methods used by your town or city often add dangerous chemicals to the mix, or aren’t able to purify the water enough to be safe for your body. There will likely always be a debate as to the safety of municipal tap water, but if you are concerned, a reputable water filtration system will remove any doubt.
One of the additives to municipal drinking water that adds to the danger level is chlorine. Water treatment plants use chlorine to disinfect water and kill dangerous organisms and bacteria. Of course, chlorine is also poisonous to humans, and while the amounts that come out of your tap aren’t going to kill you, it’s still best for it not to go n your body at all. Sometimes, it’s even possible to smell the chlorine as the water flows from your taps. Most good whole house water filter will take the chlorine right out of the water before it gets to you.
Another dangerous contaminant that water filtration systems eliminate is lead. With older plumbing systems, lead gets into the water when pipes are corroded. This occurs after the water has been treated, so even the town or city has no way to prevent it from happening. Lead in drinking water can cause major problems for children and pregnant women. Giardia and cryptosporidium are two kinds of protozoa that often find their way into the water supply and cause widespread gastrointestinal problems.
Different studies will give different statistics, but some claim that upwards of 2,000 different contaminants may be present in municipal drinking water. Bottled spring water is free from these contaminants, but the fact that thousands and thousands of plastic bottles end up in landfills is an environmental concern. Home water filtrations systems use specialized filters and processes to remove toxins before the water flows from your taps. Along with chlorine, these may include pesticides, heavy metals and even trace amounts of human or animal waste.
It never really does you any good to run out and make large purchases with an alarmist kind of attitude, so take the time to learn more before installing water filtration systems. Read as much as you can about municipal water supplies and the common contaminants found in most drinking water. Once you’ve read enough and are convinced of the validity of a water filtration system, shop around until you find the kind that best suits your needs. You can find simple ones that you just place over a tap, or whole house systems that cover every water outlet in the house.