Concerns About Today's Drinking Water

Concerns about today's drinking water are valid.

Whilst it is true that the government does its part in removing many dangerous contaminants form our water supply, the fact is that there are still dangerous contaminants remaining when it comes through our taps.

Take for example chlorine, chloramines, and chlorine dioxide, which are the disinfectants most used by municipal water suppliers to kill bacteria. By itself, chlorine is relatively harmless. However, its reaction with organic matter in water creates disinfectant byproducts, also known as DBPs.

Common DBPs are trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). These have been linked to a whole host of health problems such cancers, stillbirths, congenital defects and reproductive deficiencies.

The government take these contaminants very seriously and so requires frequent testing for THMs and HHA in water. The EPA stipulates that the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for THMs in water is 80 parts-per-billion (ppb) and the MCL for HAAs permitted is 60 ppb. Drinking water with those amounts of DBPs is considered safe.

But what happens when you consume these contaminants over 10, 20, 50 years via a glass of water. You get greater amounts of the population getting cancer as is the case currently.

Ideally the MCL for DBPs should be zero but in some cases, water utility companies have fought to have the MCL elevated because they feel it would be too costly to remove 100% of DBPs from water.

What is the best solution to this problem? For safer, healthier drinking water, get a household water filter.

There are many drinking water filters on the market - a very popular one being reverse osmosis filters. Reverse osmosis filtration systems are fairly good but they waste a lot of water and require extensive maintenance.

Another major strike against them is that many synthetic chemicals, such as herbicides and pesticides are molecularly smaller than water. Therefore, reverse osmosis typically cannot remove them effectively from your water supply.

The best option is to get a countertop or under counter water filter equipped with activated carbon, ion exchange and sub micron filters. Such filters are capable of eliminating chlorine byproducts and the tiniest of synthetic contaminants. Even EPA has recognized activated carbon as the best technology for filtering volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and THMs.

As terrible as drinking water contaminated by DPBs is, you should be aware that DBPs can also enter our bodies through the skin. Some members of scientific community thinks this is even worse than drinking contaminated water.

According to the Journal of Environmental Science, swimming in a chlorinated pool presents high risk of cancer. You face a similar risk of cancer when you take a hot shower.

When you take a hot shower, chlorine and its byproducts vaporizes and is inhaled or absorbed through the pores. This can contribute to respiratory illness or worst - cancer.

So in addition to a drinking water filter, you need a shower head water filter that will rid your shower water of chlorine. Since chlorine also makes your skin dry, bathing with a shower head filter will make your skin look younger and more radiant.

So if you are really concerned about today's drinking water - do yourself and your family a huge favor. Get a home water filtration system.

Getting one is more vital than having a tv or refrigerator because of the long term health benefits a water filter provides. And besides, filtered water taste so good - the children may start to enjoy drinking water rather than sodas.

Best Water Filter
Get the best water filter if you are concerned about today's drinking water