Some people invest in a drinking water filter system simply to improve the taste of their drinking water. No one likes the taste of chlorine in their water, and water filter systems do a great job of improving the taste of water. But, although taste is important, it dwindles to insignificance when you consider all the potential health benefits of installing a good water filter system.
You can't tell just from looking at it whether water is safe to drink. And you may not be able to tell just from tasting it either. Many dangerous contaminants are indiscernible to the palate, and yet are known by the EPA to be health hazards, neurotoxins, and carcinogens. A drinking water filter system removes many harmful contaminants from your drinking water.
You are probably becoming increasingly aware that although the quality of our public water supply is mandated by the government, the water that reaches our taps does not always live up to the standards set by the Safe Drinking Water Act. If you request a water quality report from your local water authority, you will often find that many contaminants that are mandated by the federal government to remove from the water supply are too high. Because of this, many people install their own drinking water filter system. That way they can be sure that their water is as safe and pure.
What are some of the things a water filter system can remove? Toxins such as lead are neurotoxins, causing degeneration of the nervous system; lead is often found in groundwater and reservoirs. Chlorine is a carcinogen which is, ironically, introduced into the public water supply during the treatment process. Organic compounds such as THMs (Trihalomethane compounds) are a byproduct of use of chlorine in water treatment plants. THMs are known to cause bladder and colorectal cancer. All of these chemical compounds can be effectively removed with a drinking water filter system.
Biological agents such as cysts are effectively removed from drinking water by the use of water filtration systems. Giardia is one such type of cyst. It is estimated by the World Health Organization that of the approximately 4 billion cases of diarrhea that occur every year, more than 80% of them are caused by drinking water. Diarrhea is an inconvenience if you are young and healthy, but if you are very old, very young, or in a weakened state, it can kill you. Luckily cysts are large enough to be easily removed by a good drinking water filter system.
As the health risks posed by these contaminants become better understood through medical research, the EPA continually re-evaluates and lowers the minimum allowable levels in the public drinking water. Ironically, it turns out that local water suppliers have a hard time keeping up with these higher standards. The best way to ensure the quality of your own personal water supply is to use a drinking water filter system in your own household.
No comments:
Post a Comment