The Filtered Files - Filters Fast

How well does your state monitor water quality?

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A recent report by the Izaak Walton League of America rated how each state monitors its water quality–and the results aren’t good.

Over half the states received D or F grades including New York, North Carolina, and Michigan. Virginia did the best receiving a grade of a B. Other states such as California received a C+, while Florida received a B-.

Each state was judged by 6 categories: water quality standards, frequency of sampling, transparency, age of data, site-specific information, and volunteer engagement.

To see how your state did, click here.

With every state showing room for improvement regarding transparency, it’s more important that you don’t guess what your water quality is. Many states (such as North Carolina, for example) tested positive for contaminants such as mercury, toxic metals, and PCBs (a probable carcinogen).

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FiltersFast.com offers many water test kits, such as the Complete Home Water Quality Test Kit, to help identify the issues in your household water quality so you will know how to correctly treat your water.

You should also be aware that every community water supplier must provide an annual report (the Consumer Confidence report) to its customers. This report will provide information on your local drinking water quality, contaminants found in the water, and more. To find your CCR, click here.

In addition to testing your water, make sure you are regularly replacing your refrigerator water filter. They should be replaced every 6 months.

Ranging from whole home filters to reverse osmosis filters, we have many different filtration options for you, your family, or business.

Though the grades given to many states by the Izaak Walton League of America are troublesome, there is a silver lining: filtration. Water filters act as a last line of defense between you and over 1,000 known contaminants. Don’t be left without it.

National Water Quality Month: Do You Know Your Water Quality?

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August is National Water Quality Month, a month where many will take a look at the quality of water they are drinking. Water is an essential part of life, but poor quality drinking water can be the source of many health-related issues, such as tuberculosis, salmonella and diarrhea. Fortunately, there are ways we can know the quality of our water.

One of the common ways to determine your water quality is the use of water test kits. The Complete Home Water Quality Test Kit, priced at under $40, is the best to use. This will test your water for over 13 contaminants including bacteria and copper. This kit includes two test strips for each contaminant and one test strip for bacteria.

Once you have tested your water for contaminants, how do you purify it? This is a task that may seem daunting, but the process doesn’t have to be.

One way to purify your water is through the use of UV lights. Disinfecting your drinking water with Ultraviolet lights is environmentally safe and proven to provide sterile drinking water. Ultraviolet filters use high frequency light to irradiate water through a glass element. Once the water is exposed to the light, all living organisms, such as bacteria, are destroyed.  The Inline Ultraviolet Sterilization Filter connects directly onto your 1/4″ water line to provide sterile drinking water by killing 99.9% of viruses and bacteria. This UV filter has a flow rate of 1 gallon per minute.

The 3M Aqua-Pure Water Filter Replacement is one of the best whole house water filter cartridges available. This filter features high flow rates up to 20 gallons per minute and reduces the unpleasant taste and odor of chlorine as well as sediment and other impurities.

The Whirlpool 4396710 is the new and improved filter for Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerators. This Whirlpool Refrigerator Water Filter reduces unpleasant taste, odor, scale buildup and more in your water and ice. You should replace this filter every six months or if your water has a foul odor and taste. For a complete list of refrigerator water filters, go to Filtersfast.com and type in “refrigerator water filters” in the search box.

This August, let’s take the necessary steps to ensure better quality of water in our homes. 

Protect Your Pet: Filter Their Water

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July is National Doghouse Repairs Month and with the increase of extreme temperatures,the doghouse can provide much needed shelter from the scorching heat. As the temperature rises, so does the need for easily accessible water for you and your pet. Ask yourself these questions: does your dog or cat have easy access to water? Is it clean water? The importance of keeping water easily accessible especially during the summer months is important. However, giving water to your pet that is contaminated will do more harm than good for your dog or cat. Recent studies indicate that good quality water is beneficial for your pet especially for strengthening their immune systems. The hydration of internal organs will also keep your pet’s organs functioning properly and efficiently. Need more proof that water quality is extremely important for your pet? Look no further than this story from Heather Quinn, a proud cat owner who recently discovered startling news regarding her cat.

“My cat was very sick…and I ended up taking him to the vet. $700 later, we learned that he had a UTI and crystals built up in his bladder.  He had to undergo surgery to remove them.  The vet asked if we had changed his food type or water source recently and I had originally said no. He immediately suspected that the water caused it.  The vet recommends filtering your pets’ water because the minerals and chemicals found in well/tap water can create imbalance in the pet and cause these crystals to form in the bladder. The crystals block urine passage and cause kidney failure.”

As unsettling as that story may be, there are ways you can provide clean, safe drinking water for your pet. The DogIt Design Fresh and Clear Pet Drinking Fountain provides a steady supply of fresh and clean drinking water for your dog, by re-circulating water flow. This outdoor drinking fountain has multi-stage filtration that eliminates stale water by trapping the impurities. The elevated large surface area makes it useful for dogs that are larger, older or suffering from physical ailments. The correct replacement filter is the Dogit Design Fountain Filter Cartridges.

The CatIt Design Fresh and Clear Pet Drinking Fountain is made especially for your cat and provides a constant supply of fresh and clean water. This pet drinking fountain features an elevated design and utilizes multi-stage filtration for reducing impurities in water. The large surface area of this fountain results in higher oxygenation and the re-circulation flow ensures your cat will not receive stale and stagnant water.

Remember, your pet can share the same health benefits that you and I enjoy from drinking filtered water. Don’t deprive your pet of this essential resource.