As considerations about ingesting water security proceed to rise, so do the misconceptions surrounding dwelling water filtration. Effectively-meaning of us reference sketchy science, intelligent bottled water adverts twist the reality with fancy photos and buzzwords, and even legit analysis will get misinterpreted generally.
On this article, we debunk a number of the hottest myths nonetheless inflicting confusion amongst households striving to safe secure, great-tasting water for his or her properties. Our purpose is to not disgrace anybody who has purchased into the misleading advertising and marketing ploys or questionable claims however to empower you with science-backed information, so that you by no means get misled once more. Keep tuned as we uncover the reality.
Fantasy #1. Boiled water is more healthy than filtered water.
For ages, boiling has been the go-to technique for purifying water. Even right now, it’s regular for well being officers to concern boil water notices, advising residents to boil their water if there’s a recognized or suspected microbial contamination concern within the space.
Heating water to round 212°F for a minute or two is alleged to kill most disease-causing microorganisms like micro organism, viruses, and parasites. However that is the place issues typically get tough—many individuals falsely consider boiling alone is sufficient to make their water secure to drink and use, which couldn’t be farther from the reality.
Based on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), simply boiling the water might not make it secure whether it is contaminated with inorganic contaminants like heavy metals, salts, radionuclides, or prescribed drugs. The identical goes for many chemical threats, akin to chlorine, PFAS, and pesticides.
Primarily, boiling eliminates microbiological hazards whereas leaving most different contaminants intact. So, whereas boiling has its place, don’t absolutely depend on it to do away with all of the undesirable (and doubtlessly harmful) components presumably lurking in your water provide. Filtering your water is a much better choice, as many home water filtration systems are designed to sort out a broader vary of contaminants—not simply organic contaminants.
Fantasy #2. Fridge filters are sufficient to supply secure ingesting water.
Fridges with built-in water filters have develop into a staple in lots of U.S. households, and for good cause. They’re designed to maintain your groceries chilled and contemporary and ought to dispense cleaner, brisker, and safer ingesting water for you and your loved ones. They positive appear to be a tremendous two-for-one cut price, however simply how efficient are they at filtering water?
Whereas fridge filters might enhance the style and scent of water and display screen out some particulates that may gunk up your ice and tubes over time, many owners rely solely on them to eradicate toxins they aren’t meant to deal with—heavy metals like lead and arsenic, pesticides, prescribed drugs, PFAS, VOCs, disinfection byproducts (DBPs), and the record goes on.
Some fridge filters use a number of filtration levels to entice and take away contaminants of various sizes and kinds however most use a single activated carbon filter product of small, crushed-up items of charcoal that work to draw and soak up a number of contaminants. One of these filter removes chlorine, unstable natural chemical substances, radon, benzene, and different man-made chemical substances. Nevertheless, they’re far much less efficient than different greater and extra complicated programs like reverse osmosis filters and whole-house carbon filtration programs engineered to catch extra contaminants.
The entire fridge filter pitch depends closely on comfort whereas nearly ignoring the efficiency gaps. Don’t get lured in by the two-for-one hype with out first understanding the numerous limitations of all these water filters.
Study extra: The Hidden Dangers of Refrigerator Water Filters
Fantasy #3. Faucet water doesn’t require extra filtration/therapy.
Many individuals consider that faucet water is secure as a result of it’s filtered naturally because it journeys underground or as a result of the EPA requires public water suppliers to deal with the water and guarantee it’s secure earlier than distributing it to properties and companies. We’d hate to be the bearer of dangerous information, however this isn’t precisely the case–at the very least not at all times.
Sure, water touring underground will get filtered (to some extent) because it percolates by layers of rock and soil. However what typically will get ignored is the multitude of contaminants the water picks up because it travels to your water effectively, and finally, your ingesting glass.
Effectively water will be polluted by runoff from farms, septic tanks, industrial discharge, and different sources. Moreover, non-public wells aren’t regulated by the Secure Consuming Water Act, growing the danger of contamination.
In case your water comes from a municipality, it’s often the identical outcome. Public water suppliers make use of varied strategies to cut back contaminants in water, per EPA necessities, however even after being handled, the water should still include a cocktail of contaminants at ranges linked to unfavorable well being impacts.
Take this study by the USGS, for instance. Researchers estimate that at the very least 45% of the nation’s faucet water from each non-public and government-regulated public water provides have a number of kinds of chemical substances often known as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS. In case you’ve learn any of our articles on PFAS, you realize the hazards of this group of cancer-linked chemical substances.
Lead can also be generally present in faucet water throughout the U.S., making the water harmful to drink. Disappointingly, EPA rules allow as much as 10 ppb of lead in faucet water, though main well being companies verify no quantity is secure, particularly for teenagers. It additionally doesn’t assist that lots of our kids nationwide are ingesting lead-tainted water at faculties and daycares day by day. The excellent news is that some states have began mandating lead filters within these facilities.
Study extra: Effects of Fertilizer Runoff on Drinking Water Quality | The 4 Most Common Ways Our Water is Being Polluted and How You Can Tackle the Dangerous Effects
Fantasy #4. Bottled water is purer than filtered faucet water.
Yearly, main bottled water manufacturers spend massive bucks to market the supposed ‘purity’ of their merchandise. The fastidiously crafted adverts and labels typically show photos of crystal-clear mountain springs and pristine glaciers that might make anybody consider there’s not even a hint of contaminants in bottled water. Don’t fall for it.
Analysis reveals that standard bottled waters typically carry the identical sketchy stuff lurking in faucets, notably PFAS. In 2020, client watchdog group Consumer Reports (CR) examined 47 bottled waters, together with 35 noncarbonated and 12 carbonated choices, and located ranges of PFAS chemical substances in a number of standard manufacturers that had been above beneficial limits. A few of the manufacturers that exceeded the beneficial threshold for PFAS embrace Perrier, La Croix, Canada Dry, Poland Spring, Bubly, Polar, and Topo Chico.
One other examine that very same yr discovered that 93% of bottled water contained microplastics—small bits of plastic that may construct up within the physique over time and wreak havoc in your well being. CR additionally warned that Complete Meals bottled water contained “doubtlessly dangerous ranges of arsenic,” amounting to 3 occasions the extent of the chemical in comparison with different manufacturers.
In contrast to public water programs, bottled corporations don’t must comply with strict testing guidelines or report what they discover in your bottled water. The Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) says a couple of primary contamination checks are sufficient. Examine that to a whole lot of required checks for public utilities plus full public information on what turned up and the way they’re fixing it. And don’t neglect that many bottled water merchandise begin out as common faucet water earlier than being filtered–which nonetheless doesn’t imply it’s safer than filtered faucet water.
Associated: The Toxic Effects of PFAS in Drinking Water | Effects of Arsenic in Drinking Water During Pregnancy | The Impacts of Plastic Water Bottles on Pollution & Your Wallet
Fantasy #5. Water with an ‘glorious’ or ‘good’ TDS degree is secure.
Is a TDS meter an efficient approach to inform in case your water is secure to drink? Firms that promote these gadgets would definitely need you to consider so. Whereas a TDS studying offers helpful baseline insights into the overall focus of dissolved supplies in your provide, it doesn’t reveal something in regards to the precise identification, dimension, or toxicity of these components.
A excessive studying may very well be from innocent mineral salts or a mixture of heavy metallic toxins and sewage. The TDS quantity alone offers zero clue which is current. Even low TDS faucet water can include contaminants at technically “secure” ranges however might accumulate in your physique over time. Nevertheless, these like lead, which has no secure degree in ingesting water, will be very harmful at low concentrations.
It will get even scarier. Uncharged contaminants like pesticides, gasoline, motor oil, and prescribed drugs don’t contribute to a TDS measurement. Additionally, TDS meters don’t detect PFAS in ingesting water. Which means your water might have a superb TDS score, inflicting you to consider it’s secure, whereas the water continues to be contaminated with every kind of poisonous pollution.
If you wish to know in case your water is secure and what’s precisely in it, we recommend buying a water test kit and having your water examined by a licensed laboratory in your space.
Study extra: What Is TDS & Why TDS is Just a Myth For Measuring Drinking Water Quality | 10 Common Problems a Water Test Can Detect in Tap Water
Fantasy #6. Water that smells or tastes nice is clear and doesn’t must be filtered.
“If water doesn’t scent or style bizarre, it have to be secure.” Ever heard that line earlier than? Sounds affordable however believing it could put you and your family members at risk.
The reality is that some contaminants could cause noticeable tastes and smells in water. Nevertheless, others might not produce any discernible results, even at unhealthy ranges. So, whereas a bleach-like or sewage style or scent means you must keep away from that cup for positive, clean-tasting or -smelling water might nonetheless secretly harbor doubtlessly harmful components. As an example, lead and arsenic are tasteless and odorless however can nonetheless pose well being dangers if current in excessive sufficient concentrations.
Personal effectively house owners additionally fall for this loads, too—particularly after massive storms. “Our water appears wonderful, so the flooding didn’t contaminate our provide.” Subsequent factor you realize, poisonous E. coli and different pathogens from sewage and animal waste get washed into wells and their ingesting water provide.
That’s why it’s so necessary to have your water tested regularly, even when there’s no signal that it’s contaminated. You may by no means know what unseen components may very well be lurking in it. Your loved ones deserves information earlier than the primary drink, not dangerous assumptions. These flood waters might have very effectively tainted your effectively, so verify first as a substitute of relying in your senses.
Associated: Common Odors in Tap Water and How to Remove Them | 9 Reasons Your Tap Water Tastes Bad and How to Fix It
Fantasy #7. Residence water filtration programs devour an excessive amount of electrical energy.
In case you’ve been pushing aside buying a house water filter as a result of it should hike up your electrical energy invoice (as you’ve most likely been informed), we’re right here to set the file straight.
The concept water filtration programs devour an excessive amount of electrical energy is a delusion—plain and easy. This typically stems from of us assuming water filters use the identical quantity of power as family home equipment like fridges, dishwashers, and heating and cooling gear, which account for over two-thirds of electrical energy use in U.S. households.
Whereas “an excessive amount of electrical energy” is subjective, dwelling water filtration programs are sometimes designed to make use of minimal electrical energy. However, in fact, the quantity of power they devour is determined by the kind of system and the way typically it’s used. For instance, some filtration programs use gravity to filter water, whereas others use electrical energy to energy the filtration course of.
An ordinary water filter makes use of roughly 35 to 70 watts per hour—in comparison with a primary bread toaster hogging between 800 to 1500 watts. Contemplating that the common worth of a kilowatt-hour (kWh) within the U.S. is 23 cents per hour (as of February 2023), a water filter working full capability for 5 hours on common every day will price $1.23 monthly or $14.70 per yr on the low finish and $2.45 month-to-month and $29.40 yearly on the highest finish. Not too loopy for one thing whose job is to offer 24/7 safety towards doubtlessly poisonous contaminants in water, proper? Plus, keep in mind that some water filter programs don’t use electrical energy.
Fantasy #8. Water filters are too costly.
The preliminary worth tags of under-sink filters or whole-house setups typically gas the misperception that water filters are a splurge relatively than a sensible funding. What many don’t contemplate is the lowered healthcare prices these programs present over the long run.
A water filter’s job is to eradicate doubtlessly dangerous components out of your water provide, thus safeguarding your well being. Higher well being from fewer toxins like lead, PFAS, and microplastics saves you 1000’s of {dollars} in healthcare over time to deal with diseases caused by contaminated water and different extreme sicknesses like most cancers, mind and nerve harm, gastrointestinal points, reproductive issues, and the record goes on.
Most traditional water filters price round $20-$60 a yr for a couple of filter replacements, which is approach cheaper than these absurd ER payments or hauling circumstances of bottled water each month. Spending a couple of dollars on a bottle of water from time to time may not appear to be a giant deal, however if you make it an everyday behavior, you might find yourself paying as much as 4,000 percent more on bottled water than filtered faucet water, though as a lot as 64% of bottled water is faucet water.
Based on Food & Water Watch, “A gallon’s price of single-serve bottled water prices virtually $9.50 — practically 2,000 occasions the value of faucet water, thrice the nationwide common worth for a gallon of milk and 4 occasions the nationwide common worth for a gallon of regular-grade gasoline.”
Fantasy #9. Water filter pitchers have high-tech filters.
Water filter pitchers have taken the market by storm. They’re comparatively reasonably priced, compact, and handy and plenty of say these gadgets can strip out unappetizing flavors and funky odors. However with their rising recognition, many individuals pit them towards extra superior programs.
Like fridge filters, most pitcher filters sometimes solely have a carbon filter that helps take away components to assist enhance style, take away disagreeable odors, and strip away some sediment and heavy metals if concentrations are excessive sufficient. Nevertheless, the common pitcher typically can’t sort out micro-toxins like lead, prescribed drugs, or pesticides now being detected by superior water testing strategies.
Water pitchers are not any match for larger-scale dwelling filters outfitted with multi-stage filtration with membranes and resins tailored for particular contaminants. No pitcher filter has this degree of engineering.
Make no mistake; small pitchers have their place. If better-tasting water is your purpose, they might be a very good match for you. Nevertheless, counting on their restricted options and capabilities typically ends in main gaps in safety and extreme security dangers, particularly for prone populations like kids and anticipating moms.
Study extra: What is a Water Filter Pitcher & How Does It Work?
Ultimate Ideas
In the case of dwelling water filtration, separating truth from fiction is significant because it empowers households to make the fitting decisions for cleaner, more healthy water of their properties. With the correct data, deciding whether or not to filter your water at dwelling and choosing the fitting system to take action develop into far much less complicated. No extra falling prey to deceptive advertising and marketing techniques or well-meaning however misguided suggestions from household, mates, and people. Lastly, you’ll be able to lower by the noise and see past the hype.
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