“Should I filter tap water?” is a question that I get a lot. The answer is always yes. The amount of chemicals commonly found in tap water is alarming. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) there are over 2,000 contaminants that could be in your tap water. Some of the most dangerous tap water chemicals are:

Lead: Commonly entering tap water through corroded pipes, lead can cause great harm to your health. According to some studies, lead in drinking water can be especially dangerous to children and pregnant mothers. Studies through the years have also shown that lead poisoning can cause developmental delays and learning disorders.

Cryptosporidium and Giardia: Many point to these common types of protozoa for the cause of gastro-intestinal diseases. These contaminants will almost certainly end up in the water system when there has been a sanitation breakdown.

Chlorine: Perhaps the most controversial of the water contaminants, it also could be the most prevalent chemical found in the water system. It is commonly used for sanitation purposes to kill off any harmful bacteria in the water supply. However, according to healthguidance.org, it has recently been linked to some cancers such as breast cancer, bladder cancer and rectal cancers.

What can you do to avoid these problems?

It may seem like perfect sense to turn to bottled water, in fact, millions do every year. However, there are a myriad of issues with bottled water. The plastic that many brands of bottled water are shipped in contain harmful chemicals, such as BPA. Once these chemicals come in contact with the water inside the bottle, the chemicals become absorbed by the water. Once you drink it, you are ingesting harmful chemicals to your body. Even more so, bottled water is essentially tap water in a bottle. In fact, there are harsher restrictions against the water coming from your local water supplier than there is on bottled water companies. The best solution to avoid these problems is through the use of water filtration. Water filters act as an important barrier between you and the over 2,000 known chemicals in drinking water. Without this “road block” in place, harmful contaminants will have free access to your body including the organs, intestinal tract, and more.

What type of tap water filters should you use?

Find Your Refrigerator Water Filter!

This largely depends on the type of chemicals in your drinking water. Some areas experience better water quality than others. It is best to use a water test kit to see exactly what is in your drinking water in a convenient and inexpensive manner.

As for water filter options, there are no shortage to choose from. Water pitcher filters provide clean, filtered water on hand at all times in the convenience of a water pitcher. Refrigerator water filters are critical in reducing water contaminants before they reach your body. Whole-house water filters provide filtered water through the entire house, which means clean water running through your faucet, shower and more. Faucet filters are convenient and so are reusable water bottle filters for filtered water wherever you are.

Reverse osmosis filtration is currently the highest quality filter system that you can use to remove dissolved contaminants from your water.  The price per gallon of a reverse osmosis system is just penny’s per gallon, and is a great way to drink and cook with healthy water.

Have any questions? Feel free to leave your question in the comment selection below and I will be glad to assist you.