Blogs from March, 2021

How clean is the water that comes out of your tap? For most people, the answer is a simple one: clean enough. And to a large extent, that is true. We are privileged to live in a society where clean, potable water is easily accessible thanks to extensive infrastructure and carefully-managed water supplies. However, the water that we get from our taps is rarely as clean as we think it is, and almost never as clean as we would like it to be.

Does this mean your water is unsafe? Not at all. In fact, many of the things found in your water are at levels that have been deemed to be safe by public health. However, that doesn’t stop a number of people from wanting to remove these problems for good. And the best way to do so is with a water filtration system for your home.

Here are surprisingly common inclusions that could be found in your water.

Minerals

Does your water leave behind a chalky, white residue on your showerheads or faucets around your home? This is built-up mineral content from your water. Municipal water often features elevated supplies of minerals like calcium and magnesium, which together form that chalky substance you see known as limescale. Mineral content in your water is not necessarily bad, and in fact for those who struggle with bone density and skeletal health, the calcium in water is a vital part of their diet. However, those who are sick of water spots on their stemware and constantly cleaning scale off shower walls will appreciate a water filtration system that removes these minerals and leaves your water clean.

Fluoride

Fluoride is another substance that a lot of people actually know is in their water, and this one is somewhat puzzling for many people. On its own, fluoride is toxic to humans. However, when diluted into our water supply, it is entirely harmless. However, it still plays a critically important role in our water: fluoride is a natural disinfectant that kills germs, viruses, and bacteria that find their way into our water. World health experts and authorities have even hailed both chlorine and fluoride treatments of water as one of the most crucial advancements in public health over the last century.

However, too much fluoride is bad for you, and can cause serious health issues. Consuming water with too high of a fluoride concentration can present some serious problems, so it is recommended that you filter as much of this substance out as possible.

Bacteria

Bacteria and viruses are well-adapted to using water as a means of spreading. Many of these microbiological organisms live, reproduce, and grow in water. And they are almost impossible for the average person to detect, meaning you may have no idea that you could be consuming something that can cause some serious problems for your health. Perhaps the most famous of these waterborne illnesses is legionnaires’ disease—a particularly nasty type of pneumonia that is exclusively spread through waterborne infection.

While chlorine and fluoride treatments are designed to eliminate many of these microbes, homes that utilize a well system without a proper filtration and treatment regimen could be at a much higher risk of consuming some of these microbes.

Heavy Metals

Heavy metals are toxic to the human body, but it might seem strange to think that metals are found in water. After all, metals are typically solid, shiny, hard, and easy to spot. You’d think you’d see metal floating in your water glass if it were present. However, in many cases the metals are present in extremely small but still potentially damaging quantities. This includes substances like lead, mercury, copper, arsenic, and even cadmium.

Pesticides

Pesticides have started to show up more and more in our water supplies. Because our crops are so vulnerable to pests that can wipe out huge swaths of yield, modern farmers have turned to increasingly-effective pesticides that keep the bugs away while protecting food. However, pesticides spread over crops are often mixed with the water the crops drink, eventually dissolving and returning to the water table with the rest of the groundwater. In this way, pesticide chemicals eventually find their way into our springs, streams, and other water sources.