To Filter or Not to Filter: Why You Need Clean Water

Clean, safe water is critical to good health. From making your skin glow to keeping your filtration organs, such as your kidneys and your liver, in good shape, drinking safe water every day is one of the most important things you can do for a long and healthy life.

Why Filter?

The water coming from your tap either comes from a municipal source or from a well. While well water sounds good, it can contain many dangerous products. Functionally, your well water is at risk from every toxin ever used to treat weeds or grow green grass in your yard or your neighbor’s yards over the years. While those products do break down over time, you still don’t want to drink the chemical remains of those products.

Municipal water is better regulated than well water but still may contain dangerous carcinogens that were used to kill lethal bacteria and other pathogens in the water supply. Dirty water will make you sick, but treated, unfiltered water can still be hazardous.

Methods of Filtration

Depending on your needs and your budget, there are many methods of filtration that can be used to clean your drinking water. You can use a pitcher in your refrigerator for large molecule filtration and space savings. There are several pressurized countertop systems that can save you dollars and space while providing you with fresh, filtered water. You may also choose to install a whole house reverse osmosis water filtration system.

Start Small

Unless you are facing a serious health crisis, start small. Invest in a quality pitcher and transfer that filtered water to non-reactive water bottles you can keep handy in your refrigerators, such as a stainless steel container or a glass bottle. When you’re ready to expand your filtration, consider a gravity-fed countertop system that you can simply feed with tap water, filter, disperse to a non-reactive container and refrigerate. This may be enough to provide you with safe drinking water.

Step Up

If your health concerns are extensive or you just want the cleanest filtered water for your household, a reverse osmosis system should be your target. These systems can provide you water that has

  • No lead
  • No sodium, and
  • No bacteria or parasites

It should be noted that municipal systems in the United States already target many of these dangers. However, those systems can fail. Installing your own reverse osmosis system can remove water worries from your list of health concerns.

Water Storage

No matter how you filter your water, your storage process is also critical to good health. Recent news stories about the chemicals leaching from plastics remind us that the non-reactive surfaces of ceramic, stainless steel, and glass are safest. All of these container materials can tolerate heat and cold, and as long as the glaze on the ceramic is non-reactive, your water will not suffer any chemical burdens caused by leaching.

Once your water has been filtered, it’s critical that you store it in containers, both portable and permanent, that won’t add chemicals or alter it in any way. If you need to store water in cooking containers in the event of an impending emergency, it’s safe to use a copper-bottomed pot as long as the inner lining of the pot is stainless steel Also be sure to invest in lids that are either 100% stainless or glass and stainless, to avoid any contamination from metal corrosion.

No matter which filtration system you choose, look for a product that is approved by NSF International. This independent group tests and verifies filtration systems and confirms that they remove what they claim to provide the purest water possible.

Bathing

You can also add filtration features at the showerhead for bathing. If you’re not in a position to make permanent changes to your shower, consider showering in cool water to tighten pores and reduce your absorption.

No matter your health concerns, access to pure drinking water is critical for good health. A simple filtering pitcher will cost little and protect you from many contaminants. If your budget allows, consider adding a countertop system. Homeowners will find that installing a reverse osmosis system for the whole house will protect their family for years to come.

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