According to the World Health Organization, children with adequate access to clean water have better health, better school attendance, and better long-term consequences overall. For those living in developed countries, the water quality tends to be higher. Even so, municipally treated water may still contain high levels of certain impurities, including heavy metals, chemicals, pesticides, microplastics, and more. Learn how these impurities can affect your health and what you can do to improve your water quality.
What Defines Water Quality?
The U.S. The Geological Society (USGS) defines water quality as a measure of the suitability of water for a particular use, based on the water’s physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. In the United States, water quality standards are set by the EPA, and they provide a list of regulated contaminants and the allowed amounts.
Each municipality is then responsible for enforcing these standards to ensure that the water is safe for drinking and will not cause avoidable illness. Part of the requirements is to supply an annual water quality report with information about where the water comes from, impurity levels, health risks for certain impurities, times that the EPA regulations were not met or followed, and how to protect your water.
Unfortunately, not all potentially harmful contaminants are regulated, and even those that are regulated are often allowed to a certain extent. In addition, chlorine, the most common form of water treatment, can cause its own issues. And, if you are on a private well, none of these regulations apply. You are responsible for maintaining the quality of your own well water.
Common Water Contaminants
So what kind of impurities should you be looking out for in your water? Chlorine and chloramine treatment focuses on removing bacteria and other disease-causing microorganisms that can cause digestive illness from your water. Chlorine is associated with THMs, carcinogenic compounds caused by chlorine or chloramine reacting with organic matter within the water.
Other contaminants include heavy metals like fluoride, lead, and iron. Fluoride is often added to water supplies to assist in maintaining dental health. Lead may enter water supplies from old pipes and infrastructure that has not been properly maintained. Pesticides and herbicides used in agricultural practices may enter water supplies from runoff into groundwater.
Pharmaceuticals are hard to remove from municipally treated water, and are present due to excretions and flushing extra drugs down the toilet. Microplastics, also known as PFAS, are commonly called forever plastics as the tiny pieces of plastic break down and find their way into bodies of water and eventually water supplies.
The Direct Health Impacts of Poor Water Quality
How your water quality will impact your health depends upon the type of contaminants present. Anyone can become ill from poor water quality, but children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with a weakened immune system are more susceptible. What symptoms you experience can also be broken up into short-term and long-term effects.
Long vs. Short-Term Effects
The short-term effects of contaminated water usually include gastrointestinal discomfort like stomach cramps and diarrhea. Inhalation of chloramines can also cause respiratory discomfort such as irritation of the nose and throat and shortened breath.
Long-term effects can include problems like lead poisoning which can lead to harm to children’s brains and an increased risk of miscarriage. Others like pesticides, pharmaceuticals, THMs, and other heavy metals may contribute to a higher risk of neurological disorders, cancers, and antibiotic resistance. Other risks, such as long-term exposure to microplastics and PFAS, are not known.
How Water Filters Improve Health
So what can you do to improve your water quality? Water filters are an effective, easy solution to getting better water. There are many different types of filters you can consider, such as point of use systems, undersink systems, and whole house systems, as well as different media types.
A common choice for water filtration is carbon filters, as they are economical and diverse in type, improving water taste and odor by adsorbing chemicals like chlorine, pharmaceuticals, certain heavy metals, pesticides, and VOCs. Sediment filters are generally used as a prefilter to remove high levels of particulate matter and turbidity from water.
Reverse osmosis filters use dense membranes to filter out most impurities from water, including heavy metals, sodium, minerals, and other TDS (total dissolved solids). Water softeners “soften” water by reducing the minerals responsible for lime scale buildup. UV filters use ultraviolet radiation to eliminate bacteria, viruses, and other harmful microorganisms from water.
Why Consider Water Filters
Water filters inside of the home assist in improving the overall taste, odor, and appearance of drinking water. They can also reduce exposure to certain harmful impurities depending upon the type of filter used. Water filters can help extend the life of water using appliances and plumbing and can improve efficiency of dishwashers, water heaters, and other appliances with reduction of sediment or hard water.
Health Benefits of Using Water Filters
On the surface, water filters make water more appealing, which can help increase overall water consumption. Drinking more water has a myriad of health benefits. Water that has low to no presence of chlorine improves skin and hair health with reduced dryness. Long-term, water with fewer impurities allows for less exposure to harmful heavy metals, chemicals, and microplastics.
How to Choose the Right Water Filter
Choosing the right water filter begins with knowing what type of contaminants are present in your water. This can be accomplished from municipal water quality testing reports, or by requesting a test from local authorities. Once you know what you want to reduce, you can choose the media type you need. Some filters will also have certified components or filter media, which guarantee they have been tested by a third party laboratory for reduction of certain contaminants or that they have been made with food safe, lead-free components.
The next factor is how much water you want to filter. There are small filter options like pitcher filters or countertop systems that provide compact options for a small amount of filtered water. A point-of-use filter will provide filtered water to a certain application, such as a refrigerator, ice maker, shower, or other water-using appliance. Undersink systems fit under your kitchen sink and provide water to a dedicated faucet for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Whole house systems, or point-of-entry systems, are placed on the water line of the home, often before the water heater, allowing filtered water for the entire house. Larger households and families will require larger filter systems with higher filtered water production.
Larger whole house systems, however, will also have higher costs. Certain types of filtration, such as reverse osmosis systems, will also come with a higher price tag for both installation and maintenance. Make sure you look into not only how much the initial cost will be, but also installation costs such as for professional assistance, and regular filter replacement costs.
Preventative Measures and Sustainable Practices
To keep your water quality in check, it is important to perform regular maintenance on your filtration system. At the very least, cartridges will need to be replaced. Make sure to check manufacturer recommendations for filter replacement times. If you notice a sudden decrease in water pressure, it may be time to replace your filter. Depending upon your filter system, you may also need to periodically check O-rings for damage and proper installation, clean filter housings, or tighten any loose components. A properly maintained system works more efficiently for better sustainability over time.
The Bottom Line
Around the world, access to clean water is an issue. Even in developed countries water quality can be an issue, with many unregulated contaminants entering water supplies via agricultural practices, poor infrastructure, and pollution of water supplies. To ensure less impact on both short-term and long-term health, acquiring a water filter system can improve the water quality in your home.
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