It’s prudent to be concerned about the quality of the drinking water in your home. Water is subject to contamination from lead and other minerals in the pipes that bring the water to your home, from runoff of chemical and other substances that may harm people, such as pesticides, and from naturally occurring chemicals in the surrounding soil that leach into water, such as radon.
If this sounds daunting, it shouldn’t. There are many ways to ensure healthy drinking water in your home.
Become Aware of the Scope of the Problem
Healthy drinking water can be impacted by several sources: pipes, the ground, rainfall and runoff. In addition, threats to healthy drinking water are multiple. Bacteria can enter drinking water, as can lead, chemicals, radon and other substances.
Contact your local state water agency for information on the water in your area.
Assess Where Your Water Comes From
The first step is to know where your water comes from. There are two primary sources in the United States. The first is a public water system. The second is a private well. In many states, such as Minnesota, public water systems account for 80 percent of the water used, while wells account for just 20 percent.
It matters to you because public water is subject to Federal and state quality standards, while private well water is not. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, all water that comes from municipal (public) sources undergoes treatment to eliminate pollutants to comply with the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). The maximum allowable levels are set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
If your water is from a well, it is not tested by any entity. You will therefore have to do testing of the water quality yourself. Well water is also subject to contamination by chemicals and substances in the soil around it.
Test Your Pipes
The next step is to test the pipes that carry water into your house. If you have public water, many harmful substances have been removed. But harmful chemicals can be carried into the water in your faucet by lead in the pipes. Your local state water authority will have information about how to test your pipes.
Think that lead is a thing of the past in pipes? Well, it isn’t, entirely. Homes built in the past five years can use lead and brass as a solder in pipes. Both can result in lead leaching into your water as it is brought into the house. Lead leaching into water can be very harmful, especially to children and the elderly. You also need to test for lead if your home was built before 1930, when lead pipes became a thing of the past.
If you have a well, you should also test your pipes. You need to rule out lead contamination as you make sure your water is as safe as possible.
Test Your Water
Now it’s time to test your water! If you have a public water system, it may be prudent to test your water as a precaution. If your water is supplied by a well, it is essential to test it. Well water can be contaminated by chemicals in it. It can also be contaminated by substances such as radon that are in the surrounding ground. It can be contaminated by runoff from products containing chemicals, such as pesticides and medical waste.
There are several ways to test your water. Many home supply and hardware stores carry kits that allow you to test your water yourself. If you’d rather rely on a professional, the EPA has a website dedicated to state certification programs and certified laboratories. You can click on your state to see these programs and contact them directly.
Purchase a Filter
To ensure the healthiest water possible, it’s wise to purchase a filter. There are several types.
The first type is a carafe filter, which are put into pitchers. They filter the water as it is poured into the pitcher. Carafe filters can be effective in removing lead and chlorine. They don’t, though, get rid of bacteria, pesticides or other chemicals.
The second is a carbon block filter. Solid carbon block filters have been tested and certified to reduce upwards of 65 contaminants, including chlorine, lead, radon and pesticides.
The third type is a reverse osmosis purification filter. The filtering is performed via a large tank that will be attaching to the pipes under your sink. The water passes through carbon filters and a layer that blocks contaminants. There are several drawbacks to the reverse osmosis purification system, though. One is that is removes fluoride, which is added to public water systems as a public health measure. The other is that several gallons of water are needed to filter one gallon of usable water. This is especially a concern if your municipality is facing drought or encourages low water use.
It’s smart to want to make sure the water that comes into your home in healthy. Follow these five steps to protect you and your family.
Bio:
Emily is an eco-friendly living and sustainability writer. To see more of her works, check out her blog, Conservation Folks, or follow her on Twitter.
1 comment
We have to be very careful about drinking water. I completely agree with you. There are so many ways to get your water filtered but preferred Alkaline water ionizer as this is the reach source of alkaline hydrogen water and helps to improve our health.