You see safe home water may not be as safe as you think.  Recent studies have shown the average household water contains some level of contaminants and toxins.

Typical contaminants include chlorine, THM and believe it or not — one study even found sex hormones in the local tax water.  Hard to believe, but true.

There are a variety of household water filters made by several manufacturers. 

Some of the top manufacturers include:

Auqasana (my personal favorite for best value)
Brita
Pur

When researching filters, make sure you understand the differences.  There’s a fine line between getting a junky one that doesn’t last and dramatically overpaying for one that doesn’t even do a great job.

Here are some common things a household water filter should remove:

Lead
TCE
MTBE

95+ or better chlorine

In addition, you want a filter that on a per gallon cost is reasonable.  The quality filters have a replaceable cartridge so some companies gouge you on replacement filters.

The reason I like Aquasana (Model AQ-4000) is they provide a complete solution at an average yearly cost of $173.  This is one of the more economical solutions while getting a solid household water filter.

I wrote a more thorough analysis of the problem with home drinking water.  You can Read It Here. 

The testing that is used depends on the type of contaminant. So, I have broken the question down into three categories, relating to specific contaminant types.

When it comes to bacteria, how is tap water tested for contamination?

Microscopic evaluation will reveal the presence of bacteria, but you can only look at a drop of water at a time. That’s not really enough to make a reliable conclusion. Besides, when it comes to testing water supplies, there are more reliable tests.

Specific bacteria react with specific substances in known ways. For example, an enzyme substrate called magenta GLUC is used to test for E-coli. Only a single type of bacteria may be tested for at any one time. So, numerous tests are usually conducted to check for E-coli, cryptosporidium, giardia, Legionella and other bacteria that cause waterborne illnesses.

When it comes to chemicals, how is tap water tested for contamination?

When we think of chemicals, we think of things like chlorine. But, everything, animal, vegetable or mineral has a chemical composition. Through studying these compositions, scientists have learned that chemicals react with one another in specific ways.

Reactants are chemicals compounds that are known to react in certain ways in the presence of other chemical compounds. Reactants are used to test water for contaminants.

For example, if you wanted to detect the presence of nitrogen, sulfur, fluoride, chlorine or bromine, you could use a sodium fusion test. The reactant is sodium, but the process requires heating the sample. A simple litmus paper test will reveal the presence of chlorine and give you a “high, medium or low” result.

How is tap water tested for contamination by the EPA?

The EPA uses nearly a thousand different tests to determine the type and amount of contaminant present in a supply. They use gas chromatography to test for volatile organic compounds or VOCs. They use spectro-photometry to test fro nitrogen and nitrites. There are thousands of different pollutants in the environment and each has its own test.

The thing that I would like for you to realize is that most home-tests are largely inaccurate. The ones that are very accurate are also very expensive. Collecting a sample and sending it to a qualified laboratory is a good choice for a well-owner. This kind of testing is basically unnecessary for a person service by a public treatment facility.

It isn’t that there are no contaminants in your supply; it’s just that we know what they are likely to be. The levels of contaminants change as time goes by. So, you’d have to test several different times to get accurate results.

How is tap water tested for contamination at home? Do it yourself-tests are mostly inaccurate. Buy a high quality tap water filter and stop worrying.

When a lot of folks think of the term “moisturizer,” they picture a thickish, pink liquid in a bottle that you buy off the drug store shelf.  Or, they may think of the drops that help solve “dry eyes.”  Or they may think of personal sexual products.  Or they may think of nasal mists.

Have you ever wondered why we need so many products to help our various orifices and organs stay adequately moist?

Could it be we don’t drink enough water?

Undersink/below counter

While faucet-mounted and counter tops systems are better than nothing, undersink systems offer several advantages. Most importantly, the offer more stages of filtration, which results in cleaner water. They also provide better water pressure than faucet-mounted filters.

Whole House Water Filters

Whole house, also called in-line water filtration systems connect to your main water supply and filter all water coming into your home. These can cost over $1000 and usually require a certified plumber to install, but provide major benefits over the point-of-use filtration systems that hook up to single faucets. You’ll not only get clean water for washing clothes and doing dishes, you’ll eliminate the harmful chorine gas in the air caused by chlorinated water.

While filtering your drinking water should be your top priority, if at all possible, you should be filtering the water in which you bathe, wash your dishes, and clean your clothes, too. After all, any time contaminants in the water come in contact with your skin, the have a chance to enter your bloodstream.

If it’s been a while since you’ve checked into you area’s water quality, now may be a good time to do so. This will let you know if you’re fine with your old system or if you should start looking at some of the more advanced water filtration systems available.

Or maybe you hate the stench associated with your man when he sweats?

Of course, the noxious odors associated with perspiration are annoying, but trust me when I say this, “ A healthy body sweats, and a body that sweats is healthy.” Sweating is important to maintaining proper body temperature, getting rid of toxins, and keeping the organs and skin healthy. Without enough water, you don’t sweat properly, and your health can suffer.

Drink water to keep the perspiration system functioning well.

You can read the full post here: Click Here

Do you believe in a higher power?  Studies show that vast majorities of people do, even if they don’t regularly practice the traditions of their religious upbringings.  There may be a lot wrong with this world – mostly the result of man-made negativities – but there is one thing right about planet earth.  It is covered in water.  Can’t you just picture God saying, “Hellooooo…hint, hint?”

The real meaning of “pure.”

Unfortunately, there’s no scientific definition of “pure.” A manufacturer can claim their filter will “purify” your water when all it does is make it smell better. For specifics, check the performance data on exactly what the filter can remove.

The no-maintenance myth

A “set and forget” filtration system sounds great and advertisers know this. In fact, some claim their tap water filtration systems require no filter changes ever. The catch? After about six months, the whole system has to be replaced!

Understand the prices

Sure, your health is worth $1000 and then some, but you don’t need to shell out that much for any of the effective tap water filtration systems. Be as wary of the high-priced filtration as you would of the cheapies.

Water filtration quackery

Energized, magnetized, ionized and oxygenated – just name it and you can find a filter that will do it. Unfortunately, the fancy terms are more indicative of marketing spin than they are of health benefits. These types of tap water filtration systems probably won’t harm your health, but they won’t help it much, either.

There are many excellent tap water filtration systems on the market, but there are also a few that aren’t worth the plastic they’re made out of. Before you buy, read up each systems your considering so you can stay clear of the scams.

It is absurd to think that in a country as well developed as ours we have to worry about this kind of stuff, but it is true never the less. Researchers have found pharmaceuticals and harmful carcinogens just sitting in our drinking water waiting to be ingested by us, our families and our children.

If you are like me this bothers you a lot and it is the last thing you want. The more people I run into who have learned about this kind of contamination of our drinking water are all doing the same thing—getting water purifiers and cleaners. I don’t blame them. I’m worried about my family and my own health a great deal. It isn’t worth the risk these days to continue drinking tap water when we don’t know if there is drugs in our drinking water.

I would highly recommend you check out a certified and quality water filtration system if you are as concerned about drugs in drinking water like I am, it is simple common sense. In over 24 major metropolitan areas drugs in our drinking water have been detected. Although these amounts were in the parts per billion or trillion—way below a normal dose—it still is far from healthy.

Is ANY amount of pharmaceuticals ok? I don’t think so. Luckily this subject has been brought to public attention but it still doesn’t eliminate the immediate problem of drugs in our drinking water still. The best option is to use a home water purifier to protect your health.

Pur

Pur’s selection of water filters is focused on small, easy to use home systems. They offer primarily pitchers, dispensers, and faucet-mounted filters, but they do produce refrigerator water filtration systems, too. Pur also offers options for flavored drinking water.

Aquasana

If you’re looking for high-quality, easy-to-install water filtration systems, check Aquasana’s systems for single faucets, shower heads, and even the whole house. Their filters are simple, yet highly effective and prices are affordable, too.

Raindance

This company provides a wide variety of water filtration systems for the home use and for industrial and farm use. Both water softeners and water purification systems are available. It you’re looking for a more complex system, try Raindance.

GE

Although better known for electrical appliances, GE has entered the water filtration market, too. From this company you can choose single- and dual-stage point-of-use systems as well as whole house systems. Installation of most GE water filtration systems isn’t as easy as with some others, but they’re not overly complicated, either.

To choose the best system for you, you’ll still need to know about you area’s water quality. That said, by choosing from the variety of water filtration systems top manufacturers offer, you’re more likely to get high quality for a good price.

Continued at: Water Filtration Systems