The value of a water filter
Are you concerned about having clean water for your family? If you said yes, you’re in good company. Water is more polluted than every before. So is the solution to buy all your water bottled? Or what about a good water filter?
Before I answer that, let’s go over the contaminants you’ll find in your drinking water.
Water contaminants
- Chlorine – Used to kill bacteria in water, but harmful to drink
- Fluoride – Added to public water to help prevent tooth decay. The jury is still our about whether it is safe to drink.
- Heavy Metals – Found in high levels in most drinking water.
- Pesticides – Often existing with other potentially toxic environmental contaminants.
- Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals – Prevalent in tap water and thought to be a factor in the rise in hormone dependent cancers like cancer of the prostate and breast.
Drinking water is important to health. But the Catch-22 is drinking all these chemicals is health destructive. So what’s a health conscious, wanna-be hydrated person to do? Find a way to improve the quality of drinking water.
Before we get started on the best options for clean drinking water, let’s talk about a couple of standard, go-to water options. These are some of the most often chosen solutions for clean water. But are they really the best option?
Most common go-to “clean water” solutions
Bottled water – Yes, the label may say it comes from a mountain stream. But it probably comes from the faucet. Many studies show that bottled water is no less toxic than the water found in your sink. Additionally, it is often shipped to store shelves in hot trucks, allowing the plastic bottle to melt chemicals into the drinking water. Bottled water is fine to drink occasionally but is not healthy to drink as a main source of water.
Pitchers (like Brita) – These filters use GACs (granulated activated carbon) to filter our out chlorine and make water taste better. The downside is that the filters are extremely basic and leave behind the majority of contaminants. So they produce water this is still high in toxicity.
For truly clean water, look beyond bottled water or the water pitcher.
Better Water Filter Options
Reverse Osmosis Filters – These filters use a tank meaning they require space and are most accessible to home owners. They also come with a higher price tag. However, they are very effective. They work via a membrane to reduce a large number of contaminants. And if they are paired with a carbon block, they become even better at removing chlorine and other harmful chemicals.
Ion Exchange Filters – These filters are another effective method for removing poisonous and harmful toxins from water. Like reverse osmosis filters, the downside to this method it that it does not remove chlorine. This means that to be most effective, this filter must be paired with a carbon block as well.
Gravity-Fed Drip Filters – These filters use carbon block filtration and gravity to slowly purify the water. This process takes longer than other methods, but is effective at removing a wide variety of contaminants. These filter systems often take up less space making them a more viable option for those who live in apartments or small homes. And while they come with a higher price tag than a pitcher system, they are still economical.
Distillation – This is another economical option that will often fit on your counter top. The downside to distillation is that this method is dependent on heat for water purification. And different toxins respond to heat in different ways. This means some types of toxins won’t be removed during the purification process. However, this method is much more effective than pitcher systems.
Important Note:
A whole home filtration system is best. These systems often use multiple methods of filtration to cleanse the water not only in your faucet, but also in your shower and the rest of your home. But don’t despair if you don’t own your home or have a few thousand dollars to spare. As has been highlighted so far, there are many good options that are also more compact.
I personally use the Aquasana Clean Water Machine. This uses an ion exchange filter with a carbon block and sits right on my counter top in my apartment. It require electricity as it uses power instead of gravity to pump the water through the filter.
It is important to filter your shower water as thoroughly as your drinking water. So if you don’t have a whole home filtration system, you can easily add a filter to your shower head. When bathing in hot water, your pores are open and able to absorb more toxins. If you wouldn’t drink it, you don’t want to bathe in it either. I use an Aquasana shower head filter too.
Any water filter is better than using nothing
Get the best water filter system you can. A pitcher is better than nothing, so don’t throw it out if that is the only option. But just know that there are better options that are only a little more expensive. You can save a few dollars a week and purchase a better system within a few months.
Do you use a water filter? Are you thinking of purchasing one? Have you been drinking all your water out of bottle?Let me know in the comments below!
It is quite a Catch-22 that we are told to drink lots of water but the water may contain contaminants. I use a pitcher type filter system. When I am travelling I tend to use bottled water a lot.
Donna, I drink a lot of bottled water when traveling too. It makes the most sense when you’re on the road.
I usually get drinking water from the refrigerator and have a filter in the fridge. No idea what kind of filter it is but after reading your post I’m going to have to look into it. In New Jersey, most municipalities have banned fluoride in the public water supply. But then every time we get a cavity. most of our dentists suggest a fluoride rinse.
I didn’t know that fluoride was banned in the public water supply in New Jersey. I guess that puts more pressure on parents to actually get their kids to brush (not always easy, I know.) I get toothpaste with fluoride even though I filter it out of my water. I would be nervous to go absolutely cold turkey and end up with a mouth full of cavities.
Great tips on water filters for the home. It’s the best for us and really feels like the water is less contaminated. We have been using Multi-Pure since the 1980s.
We couldn’t afford a whole house system so we got a shower filter in our main bathroom. It attaches to the shower and works great. I purchased it because my husband and son would get major dry patches in the winter. We had a water conditioner and that didn’t help either. After adding the filter, my husband and son’s dry patches disappeared and it has been working ever since.
Sabrina, you were ahead of your time if you’ve been using your brand of water filter since the 80s. I’m glad to hear that the shower filter helped your family’s skin issues. I actually first started using a shower filter because it reduced the damage to my hair. Funny what chemicals in water can do.
Great reminder to think about our water and great tips for what to do about it. I will admit I used to be far more engaged in filtering water, but over the years I’ve let it slide. Getting water and ice from the fridge door is really easy and since it meant the kids were drinking more water, I’ve let it slide. I’ll have to step back and rethink.
Debra, maybe if you make a compromise and use filtered water for meal times and let the kids grab water from the fridge in-between meals? just an idea..
It’s depressing to think that most easy methods of filtration can cause more harm than good. I live in Florida and the drinking water from the tap tastes of fluoride which is added to the water. I know it prevents cavities but the water doesn’t taste very well. For that reason I drink bottled water, not because it’s necessarily healthier. I have a filter in my refrigerator which I change every 6 months per the maker’s instructions. Nothing is perfect but I’ve lived this long and hopefully will live a little longer.
Jeanette, I had a 6-week job in Jacksonville Florida in my early 20s. I was actually going into schools and teaching kids about water conservation. And all I can remember is the water smelled and tasted so bad. At the time, I bought gallons of water from the store just to avoid the bad smell.
Very interesting post, Erica. We live in the country and have our own artesian well in our home and I love our water. We get it tested periodically at the lab to ensure all is well and I think it’s time to do it again. Thx for the reminder!
Doreen, your the first person I’ve ever “met” who has their own backyard well. How neat!
Using a water filter is most advisable. I have read about the dangers of chemicals from bottles leaking into the water. I have also read about the dangers of women drinking from bottles left in hit cars – apparantely there is a link to cancer. This freaked me out just a little.
I remember about hearing about the dangers of plastic bottles left in hot cars before I started studying nutrition. That got me to stop leaving my plastic bottles in cars for sure. I now leave a few plastic water bottles in my trunk in case of an emergency only. If there were a disaster, I’d rather drink chemical filled water than suffer from dehydration…but only then would I drink it.
Most of my life I have been buying drinking water because of the poor taste and quality of the water. But in Sweden the quality is good. My cousin, in fact, was part of a research team of biologists that compared tap water and bottled water and found that tap water was as clean as bottled water, sometimes better. So one positive aspect of Sweden is that you don’t have to carry bottles of water from the supermarket.
That is interesting, Catarina. I actually had an exchange student live with us when I was a teenager who ended up getting a degree in environmental science in Finland. She now works as an environmental scientist in Finland, but I’ve never talked to her about the water. It is nice to hear that Sweden has better quality drinking water.
I started using a water filter years ago living in the Islands. My husband worked for the phone company covering the 3 islands of Maui Country. He’d Just come home from working on Molokai and called me at work because he was so sick he thought he was going to die – men. Anyway, I rushed home and took him to the doctor – turned out to be parasites in the drinking water. We learned the hard way that a lot of the water in the rural areas of the Islands is often contaminated and people just get used to it. That’s when we stopped drinking water from the faucet and bought a filter for the kitchen faucet. Normally I don’t use bottled water, but if I’m traveling and I don’t know where the water comes from (like in a restaurant) or fountain, I’m heading for the bottle. 🙂
That is scary what happened to your husband. I’m glad the doctors figured that one out before he suffered any further. And yes, I drink bottled water when travelling too. It is often the only option available.
My husband’s career has been in water treatment, so he’s HUGE on the filtered water in our kitchen. It’s an under the sink system–filters by GE. You can bet I’m sharing this post with him because neither of us ever thought about filtering the shower water. I think that’s a great idea!
You should definitely check out shower filters Rose Mary. They can be really economical. As an added plus, my hair is way healthier since getting my shower filter.
I too agree that any water filter is better than nothing. For my drinking water I use a disposable Brita filter. On the other hand, a friend of my just spent $5k on a whole home system. The irony is how his water now tastes a bit flat since all the minerals are being filtered out of it. The best tap water I’ve ever had is at my parents’ place in North Idaho. It comes from a mountain spring.
That is amazing about your parent’s water in North Idaho. Having lived in or outside of cities my whole life, I’ve never experienced something like that. And yes, whole house filtering systems are super expensive.
I’ve heard that bottled water is often just tap water! I guess it depends what kind you’re buying? And my guess is that price doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. I have a weakness for fizzy water, my favourite is Gerolsteiner (sp?). And my cats get Brita filtered water – years ago, I had a cat who was always getting urinary tract infections, and a vet told me that it could be the tap water. What do I drink otherwise? Good old tap water!
Krystyna, it certainly depends on the brand when it comes to bottled water. What I’ve heard is that there isn’t anything legal that holds companies to be accountable for the quality of water in bottled water. I love fizzy water too. I even have my own seltzer maker.
This is a very important post, and safe clean water will become a major factor in the future. Our water sources are becoming more and more polluted. Numerous communities now have no drinkable water. Toxic waste from manufacturing, to fracking has destroyed many springs and other sources of fresh water. Combine this with the changing climate, and safe drinking water could become a commodity like oil in the future.
I imagine it is getting worse, William. I think filtered water will be the way of the future. We are probably one of the last generations who will have the option of drinking out of the tap. Especially if you live in one of the worse states for water pollution.
We don’t really use a water filter at our home, we usually just buy bottled water by the gallon. However, it sure is a cause for concern if these bottled water may actually contain harmful bacteria and toxins. Thank you for sharing this post. I may have to look into available water filtering systems!
Rosary, you should definitely check out water filters. I drink bottled water sometimes, especially when i’m out of town. But there are better options for what you drink every day.
We have been using a Reverse Osmosis water purifier at our home and while travelling the bottled water is the most preferable. I liked your suggestion of using shower head filter will check it out and work out accordingly. Thanks for sharing!
My family and I are drinking a lot of water every day. And I’m glad that we have a water filter at home. Btw, great post Erica. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post.
Thanks so much Lorraine!
Thank you for the post Erica. Have any of your readers heard of Nikken water products? The Nikken counter top filter is a gravity fed system which takes out the usual contaminants including heavy metals, VOCs, Chlorine, pesticides etc providing slightly alkaline water with added back minerals and electrolytes (many bottled waters and some of the filtration systems actually test acidic on the ph scale!). It also structures the water for easy absorption via magnetism, without plumbing or electrolysis. Nikken also provide a shower unit and travel bottle. Above all that water tastes great which is the main thing!
Thanks for the tip, Nicki!
Thanks for sharing the blog. I really appreciate that you incorporated the segment on water filtration options as this helps in getting a better understanding of the whole structure. I was looking for a new water filter system for my home but the variety of options available were just adding to my confusion, can you please suggest me some good models. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Hi David. Honestly, I don’t know a lot of brands from personal experience. I use Aquasana and have had a good experience with that company.