Need professional help eliminating water contaminants? Call Champion Plumbing at 405-889-1318.
When you drink clean water, you keep your body healthy. So you’re probably wondering, “Should I filter my tap water?” The short answer is yes!
Keep reading to discover all the reasons you should filter your tap water. When you’re ready to install a filtration system, call Champion Plumbing, Edmond’s top-rated plumbing company, to start the process.
Why You Need to Filter
Even though the city filters its water, it’s not enough to keep you healthy.
Outdated Regulations
Even with regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), studies show most cities can’t guarantee clean water. Lawmakers haven’t updated the Safe Drinking Water Act in 20 years.
Many people feel at ease when they install a water filter to ensure an extra level of protection from outdated regulations.
Better Taste
The water treatment process isn’t perfect. Your tap water still contains trace amounts of metals and chemicals. Your water might taste like chlorine or iron, two common contaminants the EPA allows in trace amounts.
If you want water that tastes clean and pure, install a water filter.
Disease Prevention
While a city’s filtration system removes most bacteria and parasites, to ensure safe drinking water, you need to filter the water again. One type of parasite, called cysts, is resistant to the cleaning process and ends up in tap water. Fortunately, a home filtration system removes them.
The Environmental Working Group suggests consuming tap water slightly increases your risk of cancer. Pregnant women and the immuno-compromised should also seriously consider the benefits of completely avoiding tap water.
Environmentally Friendly
Bottled water isn’t the answer to avoiding tap water. Bottled water pollutes the planet both through the waste it creates and the process of bottling the water. When you install a water filtration system, you reduce your carbon footprint and help save the planet.
Financial Savings
While you might hesitate at the price of installing a filtration system, think about how much money you spend on bottled water every year. Some families save up to $3,000 a year when they quit using bottled water.
Water Purity
Tap water still poses serious health risks for many people. For example, while newer houses have lead-free pipes, older houses might not. This means no matter how well the city filters the water, your own pipes could reintroduce lead into the water before it reaches your tap.
Other common contaminants in tap water include:
- Chlorine, which many water treatment plants use in the filtration process
- Heavy metals like aluminum, lead, arsenic, and mercury. The city filtration system can’t eliminate all these metals, and many enter through household pipes or industrial runoff after filtration.
- Pesticides from agricultural run-off. Many chemicals find their way into the water through household drains and sewers. They cause hormone disruption, suppress your immune system, and cause cancer. Treatment plants can only remove around 60% of these chemicals.
- Medications such as birth control, anti-depressants, and anti-biotics end up in the water supply through improper disposal or human waste. The treatment process cannot remove 100% of these chemicals.
When to Test Your Water
Are you still on the fence about the answer to the question, “Should I filter my tap water?” Consider testing your water. The process is expensive, but you’ll know for sure whether you need a filter. Look for these sure signs you need to test your water.
Private System
If you have a private water system, such as a well, you need to test your water every year. Well water is vulnerable to contamination from the environment. You don’t need a comprehensive test every year, but at least test for the most common issues.
You should also test any water source that is close to a septic tank. If your tank recently burst, cracked, overflowed, or clogged, test your water as well.
Taste and Discoloration
If your water tastes, smells, or looks strange (if it’s brown or yellow), test your water for unhealthy chemicals and metals. Another good indication is if you notice stains on your clothing, faucets, or showerheads.
You’re Having a Baby
If you’re early in pregnancy, the EPA suggests testing your water for nitrates. Experts link nitrates to a higher risk of birth defects and frequently make it through the water treatment process.
Finding the Right Filter
You don’t need to feel overwhelmed by the filtering process. You can choose which type of filter is best for you.
Jug Filters
Jug filters use a carbon filter on the top of the jug to filter the water. They filter only a limited amount of water at a time, and depending on how much water you drink, you may need to fill them up multiple times a day.
You’ll also need to replace the filter every two to six months, depending on how frequently you use it and the brand of filter.
Counter-Top Filters
These filters act as industrial-sized jug filters, holding up to six-and-a-half gallons of water at a time. They filter significantly better than jug filters and last longer. However, you’ll need to clean them periodically.
Sink Filters
This system doesn’t take up space on the counter or in the fridge. It filters your water right at the faucet. There are several different kinds of under-sink filters that can meet your needs.
Reverse Osmosis System
A reverse osmosis (RO) system is a whole-home system that filters water in every area of your house. While expensive, it can filter up to 99.9% of contaminants through a multi-stage process.
Installing an RO system is expensive up front but saves you a lot of money over time and gives you peace of mind over less comprehensive methods of filtration.
Call Champion Plumbing for All Your Filtration Needs
Now you know the answer to “Should I filter my tap water?” Have you picked the filtration system right for you?
Whether you’re wondering how to know if you have hard water or need a reverse osmosis filtration system installed, Champion Plumbing is here for you. Call us at 405-889-1318 to discuss your needs.
