Should we filter the water before drinking it? Tap water is already drinkable and of very good quality. Can we still improve it and with what filters?
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Improve the taste of water without filtering it
You will find the taste of water varies from place to place. Sometimes the chlorine taste or smell bothers you. No need to filter it, however: volatile, chlorine evaporates quickly.
Just fill a jug or a bottle and place it in the fridge for an hour. If you like lemon, you can also add a few drops.
On the other hand, if the water tastes bad, it is not normal. Do not hesitate to contact your water distributor if you suspect a problem. His contact details are indicated on your invoice.
How to determine if your tap water is safe for consumption
Here are some methods to determine if your tap water is safe to drink.
Test your water
Small amounts of pollutants – such as pipe metals, pesticides, and microbes – can often be present in tap water.
To check the quality of your water, there are two main methods:
- Private tap water testing companies or bottled water brands sometimes offer to test your water for free.
- You can also purchase a tap water test kit to check the water quality in your home.
If your tap water comes from a well, it is your responsibility to make sure it is potable, because well water is not as tightly regulated as municipal water sources.
- If you are using well water, being informed about its quality is especially important because you need to make sure it is the best it can be.
- Testing your well water is one of the best ways to determine its purity and whether it is safe to drink.
Contact reputable agencies
You can simply call the agencies in your area to request information on municipal water quality results and water testing.
You can request water quality information from any of the local agencies.
Buy a home water filter
Self-filtering tap water with a home water filtration system can further purify your tap water.
- The type of water filter you buy determines which potential pollutants – sometimes present in small amounts – will be removed from your tap water.
- Indeed, the Environmental Working Group advises you to filter your tap water instead of drinking unfiltered or bottled water.
- To make sure your water filter is working properly, have a water testing company write it down or test it.
Ensuring quality tap water
If you want to be sure of the quality of your tap water, you should hire a monitoring company, test it yourself, or contact a competent agency.
How to filter tap water?
Nitrates, chlorine, pesticide residues… and other elements found in tap water are extremely controlled and regulated. Some are also found in bottled water or in other types of food.
It is therefore not necessary to filter tap water. Filtration can, however:
- reduce the amount of certain elements such as lime, chlorine, nitrates, pesticide residues, etc. ;
- change the taste of water.
The filter carafe: the most common
The filter jug is the most practical system for filtering tap water.
Filter jugs (the most famous of which is the Brita brand) often combine an activated carbon filter and an ion exchange resin.
This combination is supposed to eliminate lime, heavy metals, large molecules of pesticides, chlorine or even nitrates that may be present in the water.
However, the efficiency of the filtration is limited and varies from one carafe to another . 1 Generally, lime decreases, as do certain micropollutants (pesticides, etc.).
The smell of chlorine disappears (but it also disappears in a jug without a filter…). On the other hand, decanters add sodium and silver in particular, which are not recommended (sodium for hypertension and silver as a toxic compound).
There is also the presence of particles coming from the elements of the filter itself …
In addition, this kind of cartridges generates waste. Some manufacturers take back used cartridges for recycling. It is a specific sector which is set up by the producer, there is no “public” sector via the container parks.
These decanters are useful for:
- drink tap water every day if you don’t like the taste of the water you have at home;
- make coffee or tea (removes some of the limestone that clogs the machines over time).
Given the varying efficacy and the release of other compounds like silver, it is difficult to recommend the use of decanters.
If you use it, be sure to follow the maintenance precautions detailed below. The filter should be changed regularly.
Reverse osmosis and the ceramic filter: two systems rather for rainwater
The reverse osmosis filter requires a whole lot of equipment under the sink. It is composed of a membrane pierced with holes so fine that they only allow water to pass through and not the rest.
Microorganisms (bacteria, etc.), organic molecules (pesticides, etc.), and the majority of minerals are filtered (sodium, iron, magnesium, potassium salts, fluorides, nitrates and lead).
These filters thus remove the problematic components but also certain useful minerals (the same ones of which certain mineral waters extol the benefits…).
A reduction in the mineral salt content of drinking water can have an impact on health. It can cause or worsen deficiencies, especially in people whose diet is not sufficient or balanced.
These systems are mainly used to make rainwater drinkable at the end of filtration.
The ceramic filter is a filter with very fine holes. If the principle is different, the result is similar to the previous one (but rather takes up less space).
This filter is therefore used above all to make drinking water of already pre-filtered rainwater.
Precautions
All filtration systems require maintenance (filter regeneration, filter replacement).
The manufacturer’s instructions must be strictly observed. Poorly maintained, filters may no longer work properly, or even pollute the water more.
For the decanters, which store water, you must also:
- clean the carafe regularly (for example with homemade washing-up liquid and vinegar, each time the filter is changed);
- consume the water within 24 hours and / or keep it in the fridge.
If these rules are not respected, bacteria risk proliferating.
Do filters replace a softener?
Not really. A softener removes the ions which may precipitate in the form of limestone but does not filter other elements.
On the other hand, the filters (carafe type for example) which retain the limestone play the role of softener, but on necessarily limited quantities of water, where a softener treats all the water in a home.
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